This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Northeastern chapter.
With the hockey season already underway, many Northeastern collegiettesTM are scrambling to figure out all the dos and dont’s of being a true Husky fan. Whether you’re a freshman, or an upperclassman who’s new to the college sports scene, there are some essential rules that every Husky fan, new and old, must follow.
Be on time (if not early). As you’ll soon discover, there are quite a few die-hard Husky fans who will get to the games two hours early to claim their weekly seats in the front rows of the student section. Even if you’re not one of these people, it’s still good to get to the game 20 minutes early to find a seat and settle in before the game actually begins. If you are late, be respectful of your fellow husky fans, and wait until a stoppage in play before you find your friends. Plus, if you show up late, you’ll be missing out on all the excitement the opening minutes have to offer!
Know what team we’re playing. No, seriously (“wait, in basketball do they score points or goals?”). In hockey make sure you know the name of the other team’s goalie (in the DogHouse you’ll be yelling it a lot) and the opposing team’s coach often hears quite a bit from the N-Zone at basketball games. If you make sure to do your fan-homework for hockey and basketball before you head to Matthews, you’ll be able to show off your cheering skills until the buzzer runs out!
Stand up the entire game. There’s always that one person in the DogHouse or on the Matthews floor who sits in their seat, looking at their phone and/or pouting like they’d rather be anywhere but here. The fun of going to a hockey or basketball game is to support your fellow students and show off your school pride! What better way than to dress up in black and red and cheer your heart out for a few hours with thousands of other Huskies? When your team is out on the court or ice, show your support by getting up on your feet and cheering as loud as you can (don’t worry, you’ll have a chance to rest your legs at intermission!). Whether you’re a sports-nut who can rattle off every stat from your favorite team or a newbie who’s looking for something fun to do on a Friday night, be enthusiastic! The more you get into the game, the more fun you’ll have.
Hang up the cell phone. As you’ll learn really quickly, “GET OFF THE PHONE” is an especially common yet incredibly embarrassing chant if it’s directed at you. If you take a seat in the DogHouse or the N-Zone and then proceed to chat on the phone with your BFF during play, I can guarantee you will get yelled at by the rest of the fan section (in a friendly way, of course!). Just put the phone down until intermission, and enjoy the game!
Learn the cheers. Most DogHouse and N-Zone cheers are pretty easy to catch on to, and once you go to a few games, you’ll know them all in no time, but the louder our fans are, the better our teams play, so do your part and make a lot of noise!
Follow Paws, The DogHouse, and The N-Zone, on Facebook and Twitter. These pages will be your best resource for all things Northeastern sports. From score updates and game time info to stories about athletes and theme nights at games, these guys post everything you need to know to stay up to date on your teams. If you have Twitter, @NUdoghouse, @TheRealNZone and @NUathletics are must–follows for every husky fan. If it’s a blackout game (everyone wears black) or there’s something extra juicy we can use to make fun of another team, they’ll make sure to post it. Then when you get to the game, you’ll be extra informed and can impress everyone with your extensive knowledge of Northeastern sports! Plus, if it’s a blackout game, you don’t want to be the one person who shows up wearing purple in a sea of black jerseys.
Remember, the most important rule of being a Husky fan is just to have fun and show off your school pride. If you get into the game and show your support, you’ll be sure to have a great time! Go Huskies!!