
Photo credit Will Sterret
The next stop was the Beaver Dam team store, fully stocked with any number of Bemidji State gifts along with apparel. Much of what was available for sale was, admittedly, a bit of a shock to the wallet. I get that the arena is not the cheapest place to buy gear and gifts, but I wouldn’t expect a hoodie to be $50 AFTER a 20% sale discount, either. I settled on a long-sleeve t-shirt and headed for the men’s room to change.

Cover photo credit Will Sterrett
Finally, hockey time. As the puck dropped I was somewhat disappointed in the attendance in the section that was labeled “LOGJAM” on my ticket, as it appeared these fans decided to spring for nicer seats. The vantage point I had wasn’t bad at all, about even with the faceoff circles. After singing the fight song as the band played, the crowd settled down tremendously following the opening faceoff. It was almost….quiet. Even the student section, which had its outbursts, mostly fell quiet while the puck was in play.