The Falcon faithful flocked to South Bend to support BGSU hockey (14-6-5, 11-4-3) in their draw against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-18-2, 1-13) on Friday.
The avid support for BG Hockey has been long-standing and well-documented, as the Slater Family Ice Arena has been the home of the Falcons since 1967. On the road at Compton Family Ice Arena, though, Falcon fans brought the energy to a new environment.
John Michael Schmitz, a senior aviation student and Alabama native, came out to support the team.
“Big fan of Bowling Green hockey, big fan of the program, and it’s a short road trip, so I thought I’d come out and see the boys compete,” Schmitz said.
Cindi Knell, class of 1989 and 2021, also came to ND to support the Falcons.
“It’s so close to home,” Knell said. “I’ve been a fan for over 40 years.”
Schmitz followed the Falcons long before attending BGSU as a student.
“I’ve been a fan since I was a little kid. I watched them play down in Alabama (against the University of Alabama in Huntsville).” Schmitz said.
While the majority of the crowd was ND fans, orange jerseys and jackets were spread around the arena, breaking up the rows of green and gold. Given the driving distance from Bowling Green – about 2.5 hours – the presence of BG supporters showed dedication to the team.
“The hockey program brings the best people around, so we had to travel here with the supporters,” Schmitz said.
