Some students have rewarded the Falcon hockey team’s great performances with high attendance numbers this season.

The Falcon’s Head Coach, Chris Bergeron has noticed.

“This year [the crowds] have been consistent, and I don’t know if ‘thank you’ is enough,” Bergeron said.

The team’s overall record is 10-13-5, but that hasn’t kept the students from funneling in to the Ice Arena.

“Last year we had flashes, I remember the Western Michigan game at home and the Michigan series at home, obviously the Notre Dame series brings a crowd,” Bergeron said. “The Ohio series was right after Christmas break so we didn’t have the students here, but this year is different.”

The interest from students has grown since the glory days of BG hockey, Bergeron said.

“The students have supported us through results that not any of us would want but they keep coming,” Bergeron said.

Bergeron and the rest of the hockey team has given the Bleacher Creatures a lot of credit for the large crowds, he said.

The Bleacher Creatures dress as popular characters and stand in front of the student section, attempting to boost spirit and support for the team.

The creatures have been working with Bergeron, the hockey marketing team and the athletic department to get the attendance up, said Ryan Sowers, a Bleacher Creature.

“I have never heard a crowd as loud in the last three to five years than at the Notre Dame and Western Michigan games,” Sowers said.

Before every game, the group hands out flyers to get students to attend games, Sowers said.

“The team speaks for themselves, if you can’t buy into a team that is playing their asses off and working really hard to get better, then don’t go,” Sowers said. “We’d rather see students who care rather than students who are only there to be there. We need to support our fellow Falcons.”

According to the University hockey website, 2,372 students attend each game on average.

“I think a lot of it has to do with how the season ended,” John Enright, hockey sports information director said. “There was so much promise after the run to the Joe Louis Arena, and I think that is when a lot of people jumped on board.”

Despite the rough start to the season, 0-9 in the first nine games, fans still came to watch the Falcons play against big name schools, Enright said.

“The success of last season, big name teams, and of course the success as of late all contributed,” Enright said.

The players have noticed the student support as well.

“You talk to the guys and you look at their Twitter accounts — they say it all the time,” Enright said. “‘Thank you for coming out, we love the fans, we love when the house is packed’ – they really feed off it.”

Bergeron and Enright agreed the Ice Arena is a unique place to play.

“The roof is so low that it creates a buzz in the building,” Enright said. “When the place is full and it’s rockin’, there is so much school pride packed into the student section especially, any time the place is packed you are going to get a five-game winning streak.”

Enright said the crowd helps the hockey team every time it hits the ice.

“I really believe that, I think with the way that the crowd has been backing the guys 110 percent, I think that helps them a lot,” Enright said.