Before the Women’s and Men’s Hockey teams went to play their home opener for the first time in two years, fans gathered outside the Clearview Arena for some tailgating.
Dr. John Locke, who organized the event, spoke about what went into it.
“We heard a lot from the alumni about wanting their teams back, so we knew that a lot of people would be here today for the games,” he said. “We decided we wanted to thank them with a tailgate with great food trucks and fun before the games.”
As fans filed into the parking lot, excitement was in the air as they were ready to cheer on their Colonials again.
One band member spoke about the excitement for the day,
“We are moving into Pep band season, so we have both marching band and pep band here today. We’ve been working all off-season to be here, and it’s so cool to be able to look back in 20 years and say that we were here when RMU got their teams back.”
Fans from far and wide made the trip to Coraopolis to watch the Colonials in action. One former member of Colonial Sports Network, Brooks Barton, joined by his wife, took one of the longer trips to welcome the Colonials back to the ice.
“We came from Nashville. We had to come back. Covering teams meant so much to me and I knew, when they were back, I wanted to be here,” Barton said.
Even the players got in on the action, as they were with the fans before the games. Mya Neugent and Paul Maust spoke to what opening day meant to them.
“It’s great to see the family and fans out here,” said Neugent. “We want to put out a good product on the ice and get in the win column.”
Maust also added the work the teams put in to get back.
“We put in a lot of work on both teams,” Moss noted. “So to see it pay off means the world to me and all my teammates.”
Athlete Director Chris King knows what the team means to the community.
“They both mean a lot to the fans and students,” King observed, “getting them back meant to world [to us]. We’re glad to get them back for the fans.”
Both teams got in on the action as the Women’s team was able to win 6-1. To learn more about the return of RMU Hockey, check out Colonial Sports Network for more details.
