Members of the UCF hockey team celebrate a goal in front of hundreds of fans banging on the glass at the Orlando Ice Den.
After years of playing in front of half-empty stands, the UCF Knights Ice Hockey Club finally fulfilled its desire to play in front of a packed rink this season.
The team is in a much different position than it was this time last year. The Knights finished the 2022-2023 season with an 11-17 record and placed sixth in the College Hockey South, the AAU Hockey League's second division conference division. This record was not good enough to earn the team a spot in the conference playoffs.
This year, the team finished third in CHS with a 16-9-3 record and not only made it to the conference tournament, but is now one of 20 teams preparing to head to West Chester, Pennsylvania. . Knights captain Robert Wiggles said the team is excited to participate because it will give many players on the team an opportunity to do things they haven't been able to do before.
“We weren’t able to participate last year and there are only a few kids on the team who experienced that atmosphere, so we’re looking forward to competing against the best D2 schools from around the country,” Vigurs said.
Contributing to the team's turnaround this season has been playing at the team's home rink, the Orlando Iceden. The team had a home record of 8 wins and 5 losses. Increased fan attendance at home games was a major factor in this success.
According to the team, the average number of spectators at home games this season is around 600 to 800 people. In previous years, that number had dropped to between 300 and 500. Team president and acting captain Carson Mueller said the increased attendance created an atmosphere that encouraged players to give their best on the ice. Â
“We are definitely playing with a certain 'buzz' in front of a loud home crowd,” Muller said. “Hearing the chants and cheers after each big hit and each goal makes the team even more motivated to go out there and make impactful plays.”
For the team's veterans, this kind of crowd is something they're not used to. Fan attendance is something the team has struggled with over the years, in part due to a lack of promotions and the fact that Iceden is 30 minutes away from campus. Fifth-year head coach Anthony says he remembers Mariani having a game where he could hear a pin drop.
“I remember coaching the first few games and there were 30 or 40 people in the stands,” Mariani said.
This season's game looks nothing like the previous season's game. For the first time in a while, the Knights played in front of loud and enthusiastic fans. At games, fans were always seen on their feet, cheering, banging on the glass, chanting, and singing along to Zombie Nation. Nathan Hicks, a UCF computer science major and a fan of the team, said the fans were a group that gave their all at home games to help the players give their best on the ice. Â
“The fans are always fun, encouraging, and most importantly loud,” Hicks said. “We often started chanting the players’ names and ‘UCF Knights’ to get the team excited.”
Mariani, Muller and other team members believe that increased fan support has allowed the team to be more active on social media. The Knights media team is posting across all platforms to let people know where, when and how they can watch the game. They also use social media to deepen their interaction with fans, introducing players' personalities and what happens during games and practices.
The app that players pointed to as having the most influence and generating fan support was TikTok. Although the team created the account several years ago, the Knights have become regularly active on the app this season. The team's account currently has more than 3,900 followers and features several videos of players on microphones, interviews with players, and videos of the team goofing around during practices and even some games. . Â Â
These videos regularly receive thousands of views, with some videos reaching 2.5 million views. Eva Adamczyk, a member of the Knights' media team, said many fans said TikTok helped them attend games.
“Several people came up to us during the game and said they learned about the team through the videos we posted on the app, and we were able to see the impact of that firsthand through the large number of fans. I was really happy for the attendees,'' Adamczyk said.
The highlight of the season was the Knights' final home game against their rival USF Bulls. The number of fans was so large that not only was the game sold out, but the Iceden, which seats about 1,200 people, had to add standing room. In front of an estimated crowd of 1,300, the Knights won 4-3.
Biggles said playing in front of a crowd of this size allowed them to finish off their home schedule and felt like the culmination of the team's efforts to bring in fans.
“I think the attendance numbers are because of the goodwill we’ve built with our fans,” Wiggles said.
The Knights may not have any home games left this season, but they are looking to finish off a strong year with the Nationals. But no matter how the tournament goes, Mariani is proud of what the team has already accomplished and said he is grateful to the fans for helping them this season.
“We are so grateful to everyone who came to support us: students, friends, family, etc.,” Mariani said. “It was a great season!”
