The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Shane Frederick

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October 7, 2009

MSU hockey has become a hot ticket in Mankato

By Shane Frederick

When Jason Wiley scored a power-play goal with 11 seconds remaining in overtime on Saturday night, giving the Minnesota State men’s hockey team a 4-3 victory over Lethbridge, the crowd of 3,500-plus at the Verizon Wireless Center went crazy.

Right one cue, the “Ole!” song was played, and a nearly full student section bounced up and down and sung along with what has become an unlikely signature song for Minnesota State hockey.

The reaction was more akin to a game against a Western Collegiate Hockey Association rival than that of an exhibition game against a Canadian college.

The last time the Mavericks opened the season with an exhibition game was 2006, and a crowd of about 2,700 was announced. Two years earlier, a mere 1,600 showed up to see an early October preseason game.

In recent years, Minnesota State began doling out its 1,500 free student tickets on campus midweek rather than downtown before games and has seen long lines in the Taylor Center because of the high demand. Word was, more than 400 tickets were passed out prior to the Lethbridge game.

Last season, MSU’s home hockey games drew an average of 4,552 fans, an all-time high for the program. That number was 300 more than the previous season and nearly 1,000 more than the Mavericks averaged during the 2005-06 season.

It’s taken some time, perhaps a few years longer than expected, but the atmosphere for hockey games in downtown Mankato is now on par with some of the best buildings in the WCHA.

While it may be difficult to rival the big rinks like Wisconsin’s Kohl Center, Minnesota’s Mariucci Arena or North Dakota’s Ralph Engelstad Arena, the Verizon can be louder than the DECC in Duluth and the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud and more intimidating than Magness Arena in Denver and the World Arena in Colorado Springs.

Mankato’s building has some changes this year, notably a new center-ice scoreboard and upgraded — read: working — scoreboards on the ends. According to city officials, there’s still an arena wish list that includes big video replay boards, purple seats, a Blue Line Club suite and improved locker rooms. Of course, there is the little matter of getting funding for those items.

Meanwhile, Duluth is getting a new arena next year, as is Bemidji State, which will join the WCHA in 2010. Michigan Tech got new suites in its old barn year and St. Cloud is getting major improvements to its arena.

But one thing that cannot be bought is fan interest, and that’s what has made Minnesota State’s rink a special place on Friday and Saturday nights.

There are no laser-light shows, no Big Ten pep bands, no fancy ticket lobbies.

Just a bunch of rowdy fans, jumping up and down, pretending to be European soccer hooligans after every goal the home team scores.

When it comes to college hockey, it really doesn’t get much better than that.



Shane Frederick is a Free Press staff writer. Click here to access his college hockey blog or e-mail him at sfrederick@mankatofreepress.com.

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Shane Frederick