A Look at the Culture of a Boston University Hockey Game

It is well known that college football is almost like a religion in the southern United States and in Texas. In the Midwest and the Carolinas, college basketball has a larger than life following, and in Southern California, college baseball has a large following. However, In the Northeast United States, hockey the big man on campus.

Today, we will look inside Agganis Arena to experience the atmosphere, traditions and customs of a Boston University Terriers hockey game.

While most of you reading this are no doubt NHL fans and have been to plenty of NHL games, NCAA hockey is often overlooked in North America. NCAA Hockey is kind of lost in the shuffle in both terms of other NCAA sports and other hockey leagues. However, NCAA Hockey has its own unique experience that makes attending games vastly different from the NHL. I want to give you a glimpse of the college hockey experience.

The biggest difference between attending an NHL game and an NCAA game is how much more mean-spirited NCAA Games tend to be. Especially those in the Hockey East and ECAC Hockey conferences. That mean-spiritedness tends to stem from several factors. Most of these schools are in dominate hockey states. The fan bases tend to lean younger compared to NHL fanbases. Due to the college age fanbase, drinking is involved and unofficially encouraged. Plus, colleges, especially large private schools in the Northeast, tend to be very heavy in tradition. Combine these elements and an NCAA hockey game is like a foul-mouthed cocktail that would even make Lemmy Kilmister wince.

Agganis Arena is located only just over a mile away from Fenway Park in the heart of Boston University’s campus. One thing that makes Agganis Arena and Boston University great is that the campus is situated in middle of the hustle and bustle of Boston. It is in a dense urban area that is not too far from the heart of the city. On game day, the atmosphere both inside and outside the arena is very much like that of an NHL game. Traffic gets backed up, fans are pouring into the building via car, Uber or train. People selling bootleg BU merch outside can be seen. Entering the building, fans can be heard talking about tonight’s matchup. Others can be heard talking about the Bruins. Fans are decked out in a good mixture of both BU and Bruins gear.

The fans themselves not only include members of the student body and alumni, but also hockey fans that live in the Boston metro area. These include teenagers that take the train to see a cheap hockey game, youth hockey players, blue collar workers, local Bostonians and others who all regularly attend BU hockey games. While many attendees are American and Canadian hockey fans, students from Spanish-speaking countries, Asian countries and other parts of the world also attend the games. Like many schools in the Hockey East Conference, BU has no major football or basketball program, so hockey is the university’s crown jewel. That combined with BU’s status as an internationally renowned private university helps to expose many people to hockey, making them fans for life.

The atmosphere at Agganis Arena is a little different from your typical NHL arena atmosphere. Sure, there are seats, a jumbotron and fans chanting “Go BU” & “Go Terriers” but there a quite a few subtle differences. The most notable is the use of the word “sieve.”

“Sieve” is perhaps the most important word in all of college hockey and is uttered universal around the NCAA.  For those that are unfamiliar with what a sieve (pronounced SIV) is, it is a type of pan with a screen for the bottom so it can filter out liquids and smaller solids when cooking. Basically, it’s a pan with a lot of holes. When fans chant the word “sieve” they are doing it at the opponent’s goaltender and stating that he is full of holes and gives up a lot of goals.

Agganis Arena itself is fairly big for a college hockey arena. Its layout, size and seating combined with its jumbotron rival that of many ECHL arenas.

Inside of Agganis Arena, on the home goaltender side during the long change of the second period the student section of 108 holds a giant sign with arrows pointing at the opponent’s goal tender that says “SIEVE.” In section 118 on the opposite of the Ice, the loudest student section, the fans hold up a giant sign on the glass pointing to the opponent’s goaltender during the first and third periods that reads “BIG UGLY GOALIE!” and during the second when the home goaltender is in the net “BIG SEXY GOALIE!”

Section 118 is the student section and is nicknamed the “Dog Pound.” Every home game, fans in this section are given a “Dirty Laundry List.” This is a sheet of paper that lists team chants, chants to taunt the opponents netminders that are nicknamed “Sieve Du Jour.” Furthermore, usually there is a small paragraph making fun of the opponent’s starting goaltender. Usually based on their hair style, their goal tending movies, embarrassing social media photos, a blunder they made or their general look. Basically, nothing an opponent’s goaltender does on or off the ice is safe from being exploited by the Dog Pound. They will dig up dirt and use it to their advantage. The paper also reminds everyone to STAND UP AND BE LOUD! In all caps and bold letters.

The Dog Pound is among the rowdiest and loudest fans in all of hockey. They have been considered by away teams (especially netminders) to be the toughest crowd to deal with the not only in the Hockey East buy the entire NCAA. They have several traditions they perform every game. The most famous tradition is performed occurs the announcing of the opponent’s starting line-up. During this, the entire Section 118 (and fans in a few other sections) will turn their back to the ice, and after each name is spoken by the PA announcer, the Dog Pound will shout “SUCKS!” Once the announcer, announces the name of the goaltender, the crowd in unison loudly shouts “Sieve!” “Sieve!” “Sieve!”

One of the other traditions of BU and the student section is their chants. The most common and basic one is the “Go Terriers” chant. Usually, the student body and long-time fans only cheer “Go Terriers!” while more casual Boston fans typically cheer “Go BU!”.

A common tradition of the BU student fans is “The Song.” “The Song” also known as “Eat ’em Up” is a chant, usually led by the student band during the start of the second period. The song is simply “Rough ‘em up, rough ‘em up, BC SUCKS! HEY GO BU!”  The Dog Pound, due to being a university organization, keeps their chants clean and does not encourage profanity. Historically, from the 20^th Century well into the beginning of the 21^st century, the chant was “F— Up, f— up, BC SUCKS!” This chant can still be heard throughout the rest of the arena. It is commonly heard during Beanpot. This chant is said during every game. It doesn’t matter if BU is playing BC or not.  

The chant is also used after the Terriers score. Depending how many goals, the Terrier’s have scored that’s how many times it is said. If two goals, it is said twice. Three goals, it is said three times. So on and so on. After words, the last name of the goaltender is taunted with the goalie’s name three times and you suck. An example “FOWLER! FOWLER! FOWLER! YOU SUCK! YOU’RE NO GOOD!”

Not only does Boston University have these traditions and chants.

Other Universities in the Hockey East and other divisions have their traditions and chants, too. BU’s crosstown rival Boston College has a chant when they score on the opponent’s goalie:

“You Suck at Life… and Goaltending!
IT’s ALL YOUR FAULT!
IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!
IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!
YOU SUCK AT LIFE AND IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!”

Now just imagine playing hockey and hearing 7,000 people chant that at directly at you.

University of Maine frequently has a chant when the opponents goalie lifts up his mask, they chant “UGLY GOALE!” and followed by several claps. When the goalie puts his mask back on, they chant “YOU ARE STILL UGLY!” followed by several claps.

University of New Hampshire has one when an opponent takes a penalty and is on their way to the penalty box fans will chant “Skate! Skate! Skate! Sit down b—-!” or if it’s against a Catholic college such as BC or Providence fans will taunt the player with “10 Hail Mary’s!” “10 Hail Mary’s!” When playing Vermont, fans will chant “Dirty Hippies!”

As you can see, there is a mean-spirited nature in the Hockey East and the NCAA as a whole that doesn’t exist in the NHL or really any other league. The NCAA might have the rowdiest and meanest hockey fans.

If you get the chance, see if your local college has a team, attend the game, cheer for your Big Sexy Goalie, and be sure to taunt the opponent’s “sieve.”

Joshua Courter is a hockey historian, a hockey hobbyist and a diehard Rangers aficionado. Whether on roller or ice, Josh enjoys spending his free timing playing the game and lighting the lamp. Follow him on X/Twitter @josh_courter. ■