Connecticut vs. Sacred Heart, 2/13/11

Rentschler Field

When I saw this game on the schedule a couple months ago I knew I had to see it. The usual cliches apply, an outdoor matchup goes back to the game's roots, you feel like a kid again, all that good stuff.

I showed up to Rentschler Field to a football like atmosphere. People were tailgating, throwing footballs around, and the sweet smell of various grilled meats filled the air. I picked up my ticket from will call and headed into the stadium.

Connecticut's Matt Miller '11

Unlike any other. On a vast field of snow and ice lay an ice rink. It wasn't the most breathtaking hockey image I've ever had (Gretzky's last game at the Garden), but it certainly reminded me of why I love this game so much.

The teams skated on the outdoor rink that is part of Whale Bowl 2011. The AHL’s Connecticut Whale set up the outdoor festival in order to revive hockey interest in Hartford. The team was known as the Hartford Wolf Pack until November of last year, when former Hartford Whaler owner Howard Baldwin became the team’s head of marketing. With the success of the NHL’s Winter Classic, Baldwin saw an opportunity to celebrate the name change and the city’s hockey history.


Fitting with the tradition rich atmosphere, Connecticut wore blue sweaters with laces, "Connecticut" across the chest, and a number underneath. Damn those looked good. I looked to see if they were selling replicas; alas, I'll need to utilize the information super-highway to get my hands on one. 

Sacred Heart's Steve Legatto '13

Sacred Heart wore equally non-flashy white sweaters with goalie Steve Legatto '13 wearing a tuque. Both bands were in the stands as well, however Connecticut's showed up a little late.

It was freezing. While the thermometer said 34, the wind chill made it feel like a freezer. Photography was initially a problem because by the time I could pull out my camera, point, focus, and shoot - my hand would freeze. One thing I noticed though was how much better the quality of my shots were because I was outdoors. Arena lighting is substantially lower intensity than the almighty Sun obviously, so I was getting shots where my shutter only needed to be open for a thousandth of a second. 

Connecticut's Corey Jendras '12

Finally the puck was dropped. Connecticut tri-captain Andrew Olson '11 opened the scoring for the Huskies at the end of the 1st, picking up a rebound from a shot from the point. 

Both Connecticut Whale and Sacred Heart's mascots where at the game. SHU is represented by a Pioneer which I found a little confusing. I'm pretty sure the last time Fairfield, CT was considered the frontier was when the Pilgrims landed...

The Pioneers got on the board almost halfway through the second frame when Matt Gingera '12 scored on the Power Play. Not to be outdone, the Huskies scored exactly one minute later when Freshman Cole Schneider deflected a shot from fellow first year Rui Encarnacao. 

Sacred Heart's Torin Snydeman '14

By the time the 3rd rolled around both the teams and the fans seemed to have had enough. The wind was just brutal. Schneider scored again and the game ended uneventfully, Connecticut wins 3-1.

The game reminded me of what hockey used to be like, a sport where you had to also deal with the elements. Gave me a nice feeling of nostalgia. All in all, it was a pretty perfect experience. That is until I was walked back to my car and found a nice pile of pigeon droppings on my windshield. Well, maybe almost perfect...

CPF