I am probably not the one to judge since jen and i have only been to the HFH 4 times in the past 8+ years. But, it would seem that just winning will not increase attendance much. Sure the townie side might get a little more crowded. But the student body make up has changed drastically from what we saw in the 70's-the 90's. Walking around campus, there is an entirely different atmosphere and feel. Hockey was always a big deal and you could feel it build as you reached the latter part of the week and especially, of course, for Fridays and Saturdays. Not exactly sure what it is, perhaps the larger percentage of foreign students or the much larger percentage of female students, but there is no doubt a change. The more recent influence however may well just be the great job WRPI audio does and RPI TV does so that following the team over the internet is darn convenient. Part of me understands this fully. But part of me remembers the fun and excitement of live RPI hockey. And let's face it, Troy just does not offer a wealth of things to do on the weekends. Unless we not only win, but become nationally prominent, I just do not see attendance rising to packed house levels. Be that as it may, those who do attend are just as vocal and just as loyal as fans have ever been and hopefully they will be rewarded with many more weekends like we just saw.
