R I T

Saturday night we went to a Atlantic Hockey championship hockey game featuring Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers vs Sacred Heart Pioneers. My sister and I figured out that we've been attending RIT hockey games for at least 38 and maybe 40 years now. My dad is an alumni and as a young teenage girl who wouldn't want to hang around and watch college guys?

Anyways five years ago RIT's hockey program went to Division 1 and success has been tougher.

Over the years the players, coaches, students and fans have changed but one thing has not...

The Corner Crew. This group of students have passed down chants, taunts and cheers through generations. They always sit in the corner of the rink by the opposing goalie. Their goal is to rattle him as much as they can. Both schools had their pep band there and took turns playing tunes. Each time Sacred Heart would finish a song the Corner Crew would chant, "Our band's better than yours!"
Though words and signs they've done it all. Some things never change. Well not true, for years there was a student who would dress up as the grim reaper complete with scythe and pace along the boards but I haven't seen him for several years.

The Ref Hater sat in front of us and boy she lived up to her moniker, she was loud and tough. Thank goodness we were behind her. I would've been so embarrassed if my mom came to a game dressed in that. Thanks mom.

She even had her nails done in neon orange with tiger stripes.

This picture was hard to surreptitiously snap and this was the best I could do.

The last two minutes of the game out came the keys to jingle.

Start the bus!

In the end RIT won 6 -1 and have earned a spot in the NCAA tournament. This is the farthest they've ever gotten and are on a 10 game winning streak. Speaking of streak, years ago in the 70's when streaking was popular we were at a game when a large group of streakers ran around the rink. What was even funnier was my mom try to cover the eyes of us three girls. For me it was my first glimpse of a naked man.

Upon leaving the game I was greeted by a mother of two of my students. One is now in second grade and the other is currently in my kindergarten now. I knew she was RPD but didn't know she was mounted. Her horse's name is Mr. C and I got it straight from the horses mouth he's coming for a visit to our school in May.

It was a good evening.

RIT plays again on Friday but not locally.