ethnography

The excitement is suspended in the distinctly smelled and crisp air. The people are piled n like sardines, eagerly anticipating the start of the game. “Hells Bells” by ACDC plays over the loud speakers setting the tone as the team skates onto the ice. Each players blade cutting deep into the ice with a slicing sound as if their marking their territory. The players proceed to stretch while the goalie cuts the ice around the net. Warm ups set the tone of the game. Players do their routine warm-up drills like an old sound they’ve been listening to forever.
The crowds is almost louder than the music that surrounds the rink. College kids support the team with their Westfield sweatshirts and gear. Mothers and fathers gleam with pride as they watch their babies on the ice. The stands age is scattered from 1-90 but they’re all there for one sole purpose. To feel the joy and excitement of watching Westfield State College hockey team play UConn. Uconn a nationally recognized team has the upper hand in this game and are expected the win. Westfield is the underdogs and has everything to prove and nothing to loose.
The game starts with the playing of the national anthem. Players take their helmets off. The stands rise with their hands over their hearts. Sticks hit the ice at the end and the teams circle in preparation of the start.
The game beings with the blow of the whistle, the pick flies over the ice and collides with sticks. Players precisely redirect and pass the puck until it reaches the apposing teams net. They shoot, SCORE! Westfield fans are in a frenzy. The noise level rises until it reaches a point that it sounds like it could break a sound barrier. The game continues. Uconn evens the playing field by scoring another goal. Westfield battles back and by the end of the third period the game is tied two to two. The crows if out of control. Fans sound like they wont have voices in the morning and a cop is keeping a close eye on the extremely intoxicated college kid who is almost falling down the stairs.
The buzzer rings signaling the end of the third period and the end of regulation game time. Uonn doesn’t want to settle with a tie, while Westfield wouldn’t mind ending it. Twenty painstaking minutes later the referees decided to go into a five minute over time. If the meter at the TD Garden could have scaled the noise it probably would have been over the top. The noise shaked the floor and vibrated my ears. The play is even and no penalties have been called on either team. With fifty second left on the clock disaster strikes for UConn as Westfield takes off down the ice forcing a two on one. Can they really do this? Can they beat UConn? With the clock winding down Westfields forwars stickhandles until he reaches Uconn;s goalie. In the blink of an eye the pick is in the back of the net. Westfields bench explodes and piles on top of one another. The stands erupt with joy and the intoxicated college boy from before was so overjoyed he fell down the bleachers and is immediately escorted out of the rink. High-fives, hugs and handshakes are exchanged with family and friends.
Congratulations are in order for each Westfield player for their outstanding accomplishments. I have found that hockey games have an overwhelming amount of support and love. If the love could really spread wartm the ice would melt. Hockey rinks are like families, well as long as your on the same team.