
With 2025 now over and 2026 underway, I figured I'd take one look back at it from the lens of what could have been: these are places/events I would have very much liked to go in 2025, but couldn’t fit in. I've been to all of these before, so they're not going to be part of my _26 in 26_ plan I discussed [yesterday](2026-01-01_26in26), but I may still visit them this year (and do plan on going into more detail if I do).

There are other events I thought about going to last year that didn't happen, but they're potential _26 in 26_ trips, so I'll hold off on discussing them until they either happen or we get to the end of this year without them happening.

### WHITEHOUSE FIELD (HARWICH, MA) - HARWICH MARINERS

I can’t pin down exactly when the Mariners were founded, but they entered the 2025 Cape League season as defending champions (though they lost in the semis).

Whitehouse Field is in the woods next to a high school AND a community center (which means that it’s probably one of the easier parking situations). This is one of the few fields where merchandise is not sold from the press box (concessions are), as it has its merchandise in a stand on the first base side. The Mariners also have an online store, but I haven’t seen any game hats there recently...

I TRIED to come here after the [Chatham game](2025-08-17_chaanglers) to scope their merchandise, but rain/thunderstorms ended the game before I could get here (it’s unlikely they would have been very accommodating of me when they’re trying to pack up).

### NEW BRITAIN STADIUM (NEW BRITAIN, CT) - NEW BRITAIN BEES<br>MUZZY FIELD (BRISTOL, CT) - BRISTOL BLUES

This one’s a bit of a two-fer: while the two stadiums were opened MANY decades apart (Muzzy Field in 1914, New Britain Stadium in 1996), they share one thing in common: they both used to host the team that is now the Hartford Yard Goats.

Both teams were founded in 2015, with Bristol joining the summer collegiate Futures League and New Britain joining the independent Atlantic League (as a replacement for the Rock Cats who had just moved). In 2020, New Britain joined the Futures League, but before fans could experience the excitement that would have been the Bristol-New Britain rivalry, the Blues moved to the New England Collegiate Baseball League (the same year).

I wanted to do a double dip and visit both on the same Sunday, as the two stadiums are fairly close to each other (both being west of Hartford), the game times are decently separated (1:30 and 5:00), and I REALLY liked Muzzy Field when I visited a few years ago. However, it was always going to be complicated logistically, and the only day I could do it was the day after the MLW event, so it ended up having to be cut.

_NOTE: While I could put other summer collegiate teams in here, these three were the only teams I had solid, concrete plans to visit (save for Harwich in some respects)._

### CLOVER STADIUM (POMONA, NY) - NEW YORK BOULDERS (FRONTIER LEAGUE)

I’m not sure what to say about the Boulders: they’ve been around since 2011, won a championship in 2014, and used to be on a super random television channel back in the day. Their stadium is probably one of my favorite independent league stadiums - mainly in that it’s far and away the newest one among the independent league stadiums I’ve been to (having been built in 2011). It’s got a fully walkable concourse, some fun things in the outfield, and even distance markers to get a sense of your walking/running speed!

The thing is, however, that I’ve been here a bunch of times before so when things started to get a little frantic for me, I didn’t feel quite as bad when I ended up having to cut this from my schedule (especially when you consider that there’s a parking fee).

### SKYLANDS STADIUM (AUGUSTA, NJ) - SUSSEX COUNTY MINERS (FRONTIER LEAGUE)

Skylands Stadium has been around since the 90s; it originally hosted a New York-Penn League team, then an independent league team that folded before the current independent league team (i.e. the Miners) were established in 2015.

I kinda think that this is a cool stadium. Yes, it’s a hike to get to and it’s in the middle of basically nothing, but I like the aesthetic of the place plus parking is free. However, for the longest time, the highway leading to here had massive traffic issues due to a sinkhole. That situation has been resolved, and I did plan a somewhat last minute trip here, but it ended up getting shelved.

### USTA BILLIE JEAN KING NATIONAL TENNIS CENTER (NEW YORK, NY) - US OPEN (FAN WEEK)

The US Open is one of the biggest tournaments of the tennis calendar. Every year in late August/early September, the tennis world descends on Queens, NY for the final Grand Slam event of the year.

I went to a day of the tournament back in 2014 with my family, but a lot has changed in the decade since then - namely, ticket prices being prohibitively expensive. However, there are events the week before the tournament starts, and they're open and free to the public.

I was strongly considering coming here for that (plus the fact it's next to Citi Field to check out the New York Mets team store), but had several things going on that week, so I ended up having to miss out.

---

### ON DECK

The _26 in 26_ will MOST LIKELY start next weekend, as I have "Stop 1" (and possibly 2) planned out in my head (heck, I almost went somewhere yesterday). However, there are a few "moving parts" to take into consideration (namely Northeast winter), so we'll see what happens.

Also, these teasers are probably going to be showing up a lot less/getting discontinued altogether, as a lot of times they're going to be a bit more "speculative" than I think they should be (though I do kinda like writing them...). Case in point: the fact that I almost changed Stop 1 to be yesterday...


A look back at some "missed connections" in 2025

Oh, the places you'll want to go to but can't fit


Happy New Year!

When I looked back at what I did in 2025, I realized that I saw these venues for the first time:

1. [(then) Wells Fargo Center - Philadelphia, PA](2025-08-27_phiwings)
2. [SHI Stadium - Piscataway, NJ](2025-08-26_rulacrosse_mens)
3. [Owen T. Carroll Field - South Orange, NJ](2025-08-25_setonhallbaseball)
4. [ShoreTown Ballpark - Lakewood, NJ](2025-08-08_jsblueclaws)
5. [Maimonides Park - Brooklyn, NY](2025-08-09_bkncyclones)
6. [Heritage Financial Park - Wappingers Falls, NY](2025-08-10_hvrenegades)
7. [Coca-Cola Park - Allentown, PA](2025-08-11_lhvironpigs)
8. [Hinchliffe Stadium - Paterson, NJ](2025-08-12_njjackals)
9. [Yankee Stadium - (The) Bronx, NY](2025-08-13_nycfc)
10. [SIUH Community Park - Staten Island, NY](2025-08-14_siferryhawks)
11. [Trenton Thunder Ballpark - Trenton, NJ](2025-08-15_trethunder)
12. [FirstEnergy Stadium - Reading, PA](2025-08-24_rdgfightinphils)
13. [PNC Field - Moosic, PA](2025-08-18_swbrailriders)
14. [Sports Illustrated Stadium - Harrison, NJ](2025-09-08_gothamfc)
15. [Middletown Sports Complex - Middletown, NJ](2025-09-14_njtitans)
16. [MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field - Montclair, NJ](2025-09-22_rbnyii)
17. [PPL Center - Allentown, PA](2025-10-06_lhvphantoms)
18. [Myslik Field at Roberts Stadium - Princeton, NJ](2025-10-19_princetonsoccer_mens)
19. [Powers Field at Princeton Stadium - Princeton, NJ](2025-11-15_princetonfootball)
20. [Hobey Baker Rink - Princeton, NJ](2025-11-16_princetonhockey)
21. [Jersey Mike's Arena - Piscataway, NJ](2025-11-25_rubasketball_womens)
22. [Jadwin Gymnasium - Princeton, NJ](2025-12-11_princetonbasketball)
23. [Martire Family Arena - Fairfield, CT](2025-12-31_sacredhearthockey_mens)

In addition, I saw these teams/events for the first time (at places I'd been to before):

- [New York Sirens](2025-08-28_nysirens)
- [Boston Fleet](2025-08-29_bosfleet&umlhockey)
- [MLW Wiffle Ball](2025-08-16_mlwwiffleball)
- [Banana Ball](2025-08-23_bananaball1)
- [Brooklyn FC](2025-11-09_bkfc_womens)

That is a surprising amount of new experiences looking back...but today, I want to look forward.

I've decided that my goal for this year is to see action at at least 26 new venues. I do not know what that will look like, but I'd like to try and do it.

I've had this idea for several months now, and it's evolved over time. For example, I was originally going to have it be "teams and/or venues", but in planning some of the games I want to go to in the coming months, I felt that it would be best to limit this to venues as on some level, a new team in an old venue didn't feel "right" to me (case in point: my plans include a few new teams in stadiums I've been to before, so I won't really have much to discuss regarding the venues themselves).

The biggest challenge in trying to do this: I'm running out of places to go. I've seen most of the "major" venues that are close to me already, and the few that I haven't don't quite come close to 26.

That's why I'm thinking a bit BIG for this.

Inasmuch as my big Australia/Japan trip to (finally) watch the AFL and NPB would help this IMMENSELY, I'm not ready for that yet. Of course, whether or not some the "big" plans I have will happen are yet to be seen, but hopefully things do happen (though one trip that will require a flight is already on my docket, and I have STRONG thoughts about a second one).

A list of all the new visits will be available on the main page of this blog soon, and this list will be updated throughout the year to reflect the places I visit (because you already know I'm going to be writing about them). There is a chance I could overshoot this (based on the trips and dates in my calendar/drafts so far), but we'll get more into that if the possibility arises...

P.S.: For any stat nerds out there, I crunched the numbers, and the teams I visited last year finished with a 20-18-1 record. This does not include any time a team that was featured on this blog appeared as a visiting team (which happened a few times), nor does it get into the weeds of MLS Next Pro's draw/shootout rules with [Red Bull New York II](2025-09-22_rbnyii) - a situation which also happens in college hockey, but one I managed to avoid this year.


A sport obsessed person's new years resolution

Introducing the 26 in 26


_\*This trip occurred on December 30, 2025, but there's also a little bit about a visit to the university bookstore on a date I forgot._

Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT (about 60 miles from the heart of New York City) is a rather small university...you’d think. However, it’s the second largest Catholic university in New England (behind good ol’ Boston College), and was one of the first Catholic universities to be staffed by laypeople (i.e. not priests/nuns/other religious men and women). It's also a surprisingly "young" institution, having been founded in 1963 (which means that there's a decent chance that some of the professors who teach there are older than the university itself).

There’s not a ton of information about their athletics department outside of the fact that they appear to be members of A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT CONFERENCES which vary by sport - though their primary conference is the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (or MAAC) - a very low profile conference in most sports. Of course, since I’m focusing on hockey for this post, I’ll just focus on that.

The team itself is in Atlantic Hockey America, so it’s not exactly a large player in the general college hockey scene (along with the rest of AHA). Case in point: according to Wikipedia, they've only had two alums reach the NHL, and the two have a combined 184 games in the NHL heading into the 2025-26 NHL season - with one of the two responsible for all but one of those games[^1]. However, they do have an interesting history (which seems to be a thing with hockey teams based in Connecticut that aren't the Yale Bulldogs).

The program started out as a D-III program in 1993, but was promoted to D-I in 1998 when the MAAC started a hockey conference (Sacred Heart, however, wasn't a full MAAC member back then). A few years later, the MAAC hockey conference disbanded and (essentially) became Atlantic Hockey (I went over this back when I talked about [Holy Cross](2025-10-21_holycrosshockey_mens); also, obligatory mention of <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/77/Atlhocklogo.png" target="blank">their former "Web 1.0" era logo</a>).

When the program started, they played at a community rink in Milford, CT - quite a distance from Sacred Heart’s campus in Fairfield. They played here for a surprisingly long time; it wasn’t until 2016 that the program moved a bit closer to home (and to something more reasonable for D-I hockey) - moving to Bridgeport’s (now) Total Mortgage Arena. They were in Bridgeport for a few years, and in 2023, the team got a new home much closer to the school’s main Fairfield, CT campus: Martire Family Arena.

![An image of Martire Family Arena](/images/martirearena.jpg)

<figcaption>Gee, I wonder who plays here? If only their name was in giant backlit letters...</figcaption>

Opened on January 14, 2023, Martire Family Arena is the newest college hockey arena in Connecticut (by ONE DAY) and the second largest in AHA in terms of seating capacity (among the men's teams[^2]). Named after (what else) a donor (who happens to be a minority shareholder in the Vegas Golden Knights), it's honestly a REALLY nice arena - especially for the conference the Pioneers are in (and I feel like the same can be said of [the Bentley Arena](2025-10-25_bentleyhockey), which is coincidentally where I saw the Pios for the first time back in 2024).

The first thing you should probably know about the arena is that it's not on the school's main campus - it's about a mile away on the school's "West Campus". What's interesting, however, is that the parking garage (or at least the main one for the arena) is underneath some of the buildings on campus, and has (more or less) direct access to the arena - you can get from the garage to the arena without having to deal with whatever's going on outside! This is SUPER useful during hockey season, when it's typically no warmer that 40ºF outside (and sometimes raining/snowing as well).

If you enter from the garage (as it's technically the "secondary" entrance), you'll actually be entering at suite/club level (i.e. an upper deck area which is reserved as "premium seating") - there's a pair of staircases and a singular escalator (which is weird) leading down to the arena's concourse. The entire concourse has unobstructed views of the ice, so you can, more or less, see the game from just about anywhere on the concourse - though as I learned at a critical moment, some things can't be seen while in line for concessions.

Two of the walls of the arena are purely windows; apparently, the building has a system where the windows can be tinted to prevent glare (according to some videos I saw prior to this trip). Opposite one of these "massive window walls", the arena has two main concession stands in the corners on the "south" side of the ice (aka where the TV cameras are situated), and one of them (next to the arena's main entrance) features a pizza oven! I ended up getting a pizza about midway through the game, and it was actually pretty good (it had that "proper" Neapolitan texture/char). Above these concession stands are the aforementioned premium seating areas/suites; while SOME tickets were available for part of this section, they cost over $100, so it was a no-go for me (at least on this occasion). There are two smaller concession stands in the "far" corners of the arena (i.e. the corners opposite the main stands), but both were closed during this game.

Since I mentioned ticket prices earlier, I should ALSO mention that for twenty bucks plus TicketMaster shenanigans, I got a seat two rows from the ice right on the red (center) line! For seats in the seating bowl, it's about $15 for end seats and $20 for side seats, but if you choose the top row, it's slightly more - though you get what I think is the best view of the game as well as a little table in front of you (similar to what I got the first time I went to [Jersey Mike's Arena](2025-11-25_rubasketball_womens)). However, be forewarned if you choose to sit next to a hockey team's bench: it smells AWFUL thanks to the physicality of hockey (there's a reason the only player who typically doesn't get any ice time during a game is the backup goaltender).

One fair warning if you're sensitive to loud noises: there's a set of real goal horns here (something surprisingly rare in New England), and in what I can only assume is an attempt to intimidate the visiting team, they're basically "aimed" right at the visitors' bench (which was right next to my seat). Also, before I talk about the game itself, I feel like I should mention that there was something rather interesting behind the net Sacred Heart defends twice: A desk which appears to be for pre/postgame shows. I have no idea how often it's used, however, as most college hockey broadcasts are purely the game itself...

![An image of a desk with a monitor attached to its front](/images/martiredesk.jpeg)

<figcaption>Does Sacred Heart have a broadcasting school like Syracuse?</figcaption>

Anyway, now that I've talked about the arena, let's talk about this game - starting with the fact that this trip almost happened in October. I had originally thought about coming here on October 18th, and then saw a ticket deal for that day pop up, but felt the timing of a 5 PM game an hour and a half away from home wasn't quite right for me (plus the [Gotham FC Open House](2025-10-18_gothamfc2) made things a bit complicated). I still wanted to make a visit (as I thought the arena looked COOL in photos), so I ended up on this game/date, as the 4 PM start time felt a little bit better...and then the [Rutgers men's basketball game](2025-12-21_rubasketball2#mens) happened.

There was NO way this would top what happened that night, and I felt that ending the year on that note would be special. However, there were no other dates on Sacred Heart's 2025-26 calendar that I could feasibly swing (as I have plans for the only other afternoon game on their schedule), so I ended up right back at this game.

It is difficult for me to rate how the atmosphere for Sacred Heart hockey is, as classes were not in session during this game thanks to the between semester break and, for whatever reason, what I assume are student seats were not available for purchase at all (I've seen evidence that Sacred Heart has a band during games). However, there was a decent crowd on hand - even if they're more of a "Princeton" level crowd versus a "BC/BU/Northeastern" (due to the lack of students).

If you thought the history of Sacred Heart's hockey team was interesting, it's nothing compared to their opponent for this game: the Robert Morris Colonials from just outside of Pittsburgh, who were DISBANDED in 2021 and then brought back after massive backlash. Despite the Colonials getting two late goals to make things interesting, they were never truly in the game - partially as they got the aforementioned "goal horn in their faces" six times (though one of the goals was disallowed because...something; they didn't show the replay in the arena).

Also, a few final notes from this game:

1. Shoutout to the guy I saw in the AIC jersey - maybe one day they'll get to have a Robert Morris-like comeback...
2. #JusticeforCroixKochendorfer - you cannot let a dude with a name like that ride the bench the whole game - especially when you make a goalie change...
3. Sacred Heart's website indicates that women's hockey games are free! However, that likely means that there's fewer things open, and that suite level seats are unavailable...

### MERCH

During a drive from New Jersey to Boston (I forget when), I decided to visit the Sacred Heart bookstore on the main campus to see what hockey merch they had. Alas, the bookstore didn’t have jerseys - just sticks and pucks (which I got back then). I mentioned earlier that parking is more or less a non-issue for hockey games; however, it was when I visited the bookstore as I could not find regular visitor parking for some reason.

At the arena, there's a dedicated team store as you enter the concourse from the parking garage entrance. A quick check of Sacred Heart's online store before this game indicated that only "fan" jerseys were available, but the arena store had a few "replica" jerseys meant to emulate the jerseys the players wear (but fully sublimated - including the "Adidas shoulder dimples"); I ended up getting one of these sublimated replicas which features the number 63 on it - representing the year Sacred Heart was founded (thank goodness it wasn't 67 or 69).

One last note about jerseys: I have seen what I THINK are "deadstock" player jerseys on eBay (i.e. jerseys made for the team's players but unused), but none of them are my size (which may be due to the fact that they were made specifically for the players - and I've found that anything smaller than what is effectively a 2XL is RARE for player jerseys...).

---

![The Sacred Heart players salute the crowd after the game](/images/2025salute.jpeg)

And with that...2025 is over. 

I could talk about how starting this blog and finally putting myself out there like this was a massive undertaking, but I think the best way for me to end this first "year" of Sportventures is by saying this:

[I have BIG plans for 2026](2026-01-01_26in26).

---

[^1]: I realize I probably should have mentioned this already, but pretty much every Hockey East school I've visited plus Harvard has a plethora of NHLers among their alumni. As for the other Atlantic Hockey schools I visited in 2023-24: Bentley seemingly has none, and Holy Cross also has two - and just like Sacred Heart, one of the two only played one game in the NHL.
[^2]: Penn State (who's men's team is in the Big Ten) has its women's team in AHA, and their arena (which they share with the men) is technically the biggest in the conference.

My final trip for 2025: one of college hockey's newest gems

Sacred Heart Pioneers Men's Hockey (Atlantic Hockey America) @ Martire Family Arena (Fairfield, CT)


Happy Boxing Day everyone!

As an American, I have no clue what on earth Boxing Day is supposed to represent. However, as a dumb kid, I used to associate it with people refunding the terrible gifts they got for Christmas, so in that "spirit", I'm going to talk about some of the various team stores I went to this year![^1]

I didn't get to see any game action at any of these places (with one exception), but I did visit the physical team stores (or, in two cases, bought stuff online). I’d been to most of these places in the past, but I still haven’t seen games at a few of them (namely a couple of the Minor League stadiums). I will note that you may very well see some of these teams/places again on this blog soon enough, but I'll get more into that later...

## CAPE COD BASEBALL LEAGUE

Interspersed between the games in [Nashua](2025-08-19_nassilverknights), [Wareham](2025-08-20_wargatemen), and [Brockton](2025-08-22_brorox), I made stops at a few Cape Cod Baseball League fields (mainly due to the free admission and the fact that most of these specific teams don't sell stuff online). For more on the Cape Cod Baseball League, I wrote about it [here](ccbl_overview), and I personally recommend you check it out (as it partially explains how I was able to make these trips and why I felt like doing them).

### STONY BROOK FIELD (BREWSTER, MA) - BREWSTER WHITECAPS

The Brewster Whitecaps are tied with the Bourne Braves as the Cape’s “newest” team (formed in 1988);they've won three Cape League titles, and their most notable alumnus, as much as I hate to admit it, has to be the most famous Cape Leaguer in MLB today: Aaron Judge.

Their field - Stony Brook Field - is attached to an elementary school; of the fields I visited during this trip, Brewster is the only one that does not have lights (I didn’t get to the other two). For the longest while, merch was sold from a portable trailer, but in 2023, they built a physical building from which they now sell merch. They didn’t have any hats I was particularly interested in this time (I was interested in an all navy one but it wasn’t available), but the weird thing about Brewster was that they were the only Cape League team I didn’t have a shirt/sweater/hoodie for. I ended up changing that by getting a fleece, as well as a book about the team’s 2024 season - mainly because the author was visiting (he also signed the book, which was very nice).

I should also note that Brewster is the only team on the Cape I visited that sells their own logo baseball; I didn't get one since I have it already and wasn't sticking around, but most teams (not sure if all however) sell mini bats (though I got most of those in 2021).

### GUV FULLER FIELD (FALMOUTH, MA) - FALMOUTH COMMODORES

The main thing you need to know about the Falmouth Commodores is that they have the Cape League’s longest title drought, with their last title coming all the way back in 1980 (45 years and counting - soon to be older than the players’ _parents_).

Guv Fuller Field is unique amongst Cape League stadiums in two ways: the entrances are all in the outfield, and merch is sold INSIDE the press box (as opposed to being a stand). The main reason I wanted to come here: a new white hat introduced this year (their previous hats have been all black). Sadly, it was seemingly out of stock the day I visited; I forgot to ask if they had any more, but given that they were also out of adult sized Fourth of July hats, it’s unlikely that I would’ve gotten a positive answer.

I also briefly thought about coming here the day after my first visit, but decided against it - after all, I’ve actually seen Falmouth NOT have player hats more often than I’ve seen them have them (this also killed a potential visit in December, as it's rather far from most of "mainland Massachusetts"). This is also the one exception to the "didn't see game action" rule, as the game had started after I arrived (I was only here for like 20 minutes though, so it wasn't really worth a "full game report").

### DORAN PARK (BOURNE, MA) - BOURNE BRAVES

I mentioned that the Bourne Braves were tied with Brewster for being the “newest” team in the Cape League. However, they’ve also currently the Cape League's “dynasty”: since the league came back after cancelling the 2020 season due to COVID, they’ve made the league's championship series each and every year (winning titles in 2022, 2023, and 2025).

Their stadium - Doran Park - sits on the campus of Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School (which REALLY helps with parking), and has undergone quite a bit of change over the past few years. This has mainly taken shape in the construction of terraces around the infield which, it should be noted, are essentially their replacement for bleachers (i.e. there are NO bleachers at Doran Park nowadays unless you want to sit in the way too far football field seats). However, this year’s biggest change: the merch store!

Previously, merch was sold inside the press box (similar to Falmouth), but in 2025, the team moved their merch store to a new location: a converted shipping container near the “entrance” to the actual field (though there may be indications that the old merch store is getting renovated). I got a new hat (‘cause I like what the manufacturer has done in the past) and a baseball to put in a display case.

Truthfully, I was thinking about stopping here on the 3rd before heading to Chatham, but didn’t because Cape League Parking Situations (and I do think that was the right call). I’ve also seen them sell some stuff online, but that stuff is usually limited to championship items (again, three titles since 2020).

### COTUIT KETTLEERS

If there’s two things you should know about the Kettleers (or the Ketts as they’re commonly known), it’s the fact that they’ve won the most Cape League championships (19 as of 2025), and that they play at one of the more well known fields on Cape Cod: Lowell Park (which has nothing to do with Lowell, MA).

Known for its iconic scenery and entrance plaza, this is honestly one of the cooler parks in the league (and also has the league’s second video board after Wareham). Unfortunately, parking here is probably the most difficult experience among the Cape League fields for several reasons (plus the lack of lights here means games start earlier, so you have to be there EARLY). In fact, this one's different as it's one of the two teams that I didn't physically visit!

Thankfully, Cotuit is one of the few Cape League teams that sells merch online (which has included old jerseys in the past), and they had player hats available before my July 4th trip (this usually doesn’t happen until later in the season), so I decided to sidestep the headaches and just ordered their new hat online (which is part of why I was willing to skip this visit). That ended up being a smart decision, as I checked a few weeks later and saw that the size I got was out of stock (and there's a possibility they don't bring it back next year).

## MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

### TD BANK BALLPARK (BRIDGEWATER, NJ) - SOMERSET PATRIOTS

This is the stadium that is closest to where I live - which makes it all the more unfortunate (IMO) that the Somerset Patriots went from Independent League darling to New York Yankees Double-A affiliate during the Great MiLB Shuffle of 2020[^2].

I did think about going to SEVERAL games here, but never ended up doing so. However, I’ve been here quite a few times in the past for merch (as well as a few games WAY back in the day), and this year, two visits to the team store ended with me getting two MiLB game balls (one for display, the other for messing around with) and a couple of hats, including one for their award winning alternate identity: the Jersey Diners (it’s honestly really good). In fact, I was planning on going to a Jersey Diners jersey giveaway game, but other plans + Jazz Chisholm Jr. forced me to miss it...

### POLAR PARK (WORCESTER, MA) - WORCESTER RED SOX/2025 FUTURES LEAGUE ALL STAR GAME

Outside of the massive 2020 MiLB realignment, one of the most controversial moves in recent Minor League history has to be that of the Pawtucket Red Sox moving 40 miles north to Worcester, MA. I could get into the weeds of the move, but I’m trying to keep these sections brief (maybe if I return for a game...).

However, It’s not just affiliated baseball that was affected by the move: there is a local Futures League team that was doing REALLY WELL before the WooSox moved in, and hasn’t really recovered from the hit they took from the WooSox. However, the two teams entered a “strategic partnership” in 2024 (I think), and that partnership included the stadium hosting this summer’s Futures League All Star Game - an event I considered attending before ultimately deciding against it (I ended up going to [Reading](2025-08-24_rdgfightinphils) that day). I will say, however, that I have been to a game here back in 2022[^3]; I also went on a tour of the park with a high school reunion from before I was born (don’t ask).

I’ve been making annual visits to the team store every year since they opened, and this year, I ended up getting some hats (as I couldn’t find if they still print a media guide and/or yearbook like the previous years I’ve visited).

### DELTA DENTAL STADIUM (MANCHESTER, NH) - NEW HAMPSHIRE FISHER CATS

The Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays (which, unfortunately, dampens interest in the team), the Fisher Cats have been playing at (Northeast) Delta Dental Stadium since 2005.

For the longest time, the team had literally ZERO flex fits (or at least the ones I’d consider buying). Heck, even though they had some flex fit hats when I visited the team store here in 2025, the selection was still rather limited...though I did find one for one of my favorite MiLB alt identities: the Manchester Chicken Tenders. They’re also one of the few teams I’ve seen sell old jerseys, so I got one of those (and also have one I got a few years ago that features a large hole unfortunately).

I contemplated coming to a game here as I was considering an event in Boston the day after, but ended up nixing both events as I wanted to reduce travel (and costs).

### DUNKIN PARK (HARTFORD, CT) - HARTFORD YARD GOATS

Double-A baseball has been around in Central Connecticut since 1973. Originally based in Bristol, CT (down the road from ESPN), the team moved to New Britain in 1983, and then to their current home in downtown Hartford in 2016: Dunkin’ (Donuts) Park.

This is one of the stadiums where I’ve been to the team store several times, but never been able to catch a game. They did celebrate their ten-year anniversary of being in Hartford this year, however, and that came with a special patch for their hats, which I ended up getting on a drive home from Massachusetts (though I’m REALLY not a fan of how low quality said patch is).

### ABERDEEN IRONBIRDS

The Aberdeen IronBirds were very much Cal Ripken Jr.'s “baby” as he bought the team and moved them from Utica, NY to his hometown of Aberdeen, MD after he retired from MLB (it is called “Ripken Stadium” for a reason after all). However, he sold a majority stake to another group in 2024, and it was announced back in August that they'd be "moving" from the South Atlantic League (where they were the High-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles) to the MLB Draft League, as another team owned by the same group is set to take Aberdeen's spot in the SAL.

I had SOME thoughts about coming here, but in the end figured it was too far to be worth it. However, given the team’s impending league change, I decided to order hats from them (thus making it the second team store I didn't physically go to). It also turns out that this was a very smart move for a few other reasons:

1. The whole thing ended up being 50% off the prices listed on their site. I thought about getting a jersey once I realized this, but they're sublimated and I'm not a fan of that, so I didn't.
2. When the hats arrived at my door, I noticed that the price stickers had different prices than what I saw online. For the most part, it was only a few cents lower online, but hey - every cent matters!

## MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

### CITIZENS BANK PARK (PHILADELPHIA, PA) - PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Given the historic haplessness of places like Chicago (both the North and South sides) and Cleveland, it’s easy to forget that the Phillies were the last of the original 16 MLB franchises to win their first World Series title back in 1980 (a 77 year wait given that the first World Series was in 1903). Despite the team having made multiple World Series appearances since then, they’ve only won one other championship in 2008 - tying them with the Guardians plus FOUR of MLB’s expansion franchises; two of whom are division rivals (the Marlins and Mets), and two of whom have beaten the Phillies in the World Series (the Blue Jays in 1993 and the Astros in 2022). Of course, their haplessness isn’t just related to their relatively awful World Series record - after all, they were the first MLB team to reach 10,000 losses back in 2007, and are MULTIPLE FULL SEASONS ahead of second place Atlanta in the loss column.

For more on my visit to this ballpark/team store, [check it out here](bananaball5), but long story short: I got some 2026 All Star Game stuff since they're hosting it next year. I realize that this is a bit of a "cop-out", but I really like what I wrote for the Phillies' history (also the Blue Jays almost made this section WORSE).

### NEW YORK METS

The New York Mets are one of baseball’s most...curious franchises. They’ve had some notably GOOD things happen, such as being the first expansion team to win a World Series (the ‘69 “Miracle Mets”), and then being the first expansion team to win a second World Series in 1986 because of John McNamara (you’re welcome). On the other hand, they set the modern era record for futility in their first year when they went 40-120 in 1962 (and then passed by the 2024 Chicago White Sox losing 121 games), famously collapsed at the end of both the 2007 and 2008 seasons (with the Phillies the beneficiaries of both collapses), have had some other memorably WILD losses (like an infamous 2019 implosion against the Washington Nationals), were owned by someone implicated in the Bernie Madoff scheme, and also...Bobby Bonilla Day (which is actually connected to the Madoff saga).

On some level, the Mets SHOULDN'T be in this section, as I didn’t get to see the stadium/official team store itself (a game here was never really on my radar, though I've been to at least two Mets games at Citi Field). However, they did have a pop-up in New York City’s Union Square during the spring of 2025, which I visited the day I saw [New York City Football Club](2025-08-13_nycfc). I didn’t see authentic jerseys there (which, for some reason, I only see in official team stores), but I did end up getting a City Connect hat - which, thankfully, was NOT overpriced (technically).

## INDOOR ARENAS

### BARCLAYS CENTER (BROOKLYN, NY) - NEW YORK LIBERTY AND BROOKLYN NETS

Barclays Center is the home of two basketball teams in two different leagues (the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA and the New York Liberty of the WNBA)[^4]. When I went (prior to [a Brooklyn Cyclones game](2025-09-01_bkncyclones2)), the store was primarily focused on the Liberty, so I'll focus on them first; they're one of the founding members of the WNBA, but didn't win their first championship until 2024 (though they won the WNBA's version of the NBA Cup in 2023). As for the Nets, I have only one thing to say:

Thank you for thinking declining superstars were what you needed to beat the Heatles.

Anyway, I felt that there wasn't anything interesting in the store - they had a bunch of jerseys, but they were either sublimated or featured iron-on letters and numbers. Of course, their selection may be different during games, but by the time I thought about it the season was almost over (plus Liberty tickets are not easy to get with how the team is doing nowadays).

### TD GARDEN (BOSTON, MA) - BOSTON BRUINS AND BOSTON CELTICS

TD Garden is one of eleven arenas in North America that hosts both the NBA (Boston Celtics) and NHL (Boston Bruins)[^5]. I won't get too deep into either team since they're VERY old (the Celtics being a founding member of the NBA and the Bruins being part of the NHL's so-called "Original Six"), but both have...decently winning pedigrees (one WAY MORE SO than the other).

I didn't see anything inside the Garden (at least THIS year), but its official ProShop is located OUTSIDE the arena's "secure area" in the lobby of North Station - a major commuter hub underneath the arena. While I've gotten a TON of things from here in the past, this year saw me getting a special jersey designed to commemorate 100 years of Bruins hockey (and as a side note, I've found that the ProShop is typically more Bruins focused when nothing's going on as they're the ones who own the arena).

## THRIFTVENTURES

Finally, I'd like to mention some of my "vintage" jersey finds. I mentioned it on <a href="https://overclocked-overthoughts.netlify.app/blog/2025-11-09_shirts_and_the_city" target="blank">my "main" blog that doesn't get updated nearly as frequently as this one does</a>, but I like going to thrift and vintage stores/markets to hunt for jerseys. Yes, there's usually not much that I'd be interested in (and/or low quality fake jerseys), but sometimes, I do find legitimate gems.

Some highlights include:

- Two separate Baltimore Orioles road jerseys - including one with a sticker that indicates that it was team issued
- A White Sox jersey from 1995 - signed by the player who wore it (as in it has a team issued tag)
- A purple Los Angeles Kings jersey from the early 2000s (which I got at an INSANE markdown)
- An old Phoenix Coyotes jersey from the 90s
- A couple of international hockey jerseys
- a jersey from the Indian Premier League - one of the top domestic cricket leagues in the world (which I got for less than four bucks)
- A jersey from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XFL_(2001)" target="blank">the original XFL</a> - I HIGHLY recommend reading the linked Wikipedia article to learn about one of the biggest disasters in modern sports history

---

[^1]: My original idea was to post this on Christmas itself as a comment on how commercialized Christmas has become, but I felt that was too cheesy.
[^2]: I have a friend who was a bat boy for the Patriots when he was in high school. However, he's a Mets fan, so...
[^3]: There was an ad for one of the concession "experiences" at this WooSox game, and it featured the song from which this post's subtitle comes from.
[^4]: I'd rather not discuss the building's attempt at being an NHL venue...
[^5]: I won't list the other ten here, but one of them is already on this blog: Philadelphia's (now) Xfinity Mobile Arena, where I saw [the NLL](2025-08-27_phiwings).


"Everything will always be all right...when we go shopping"

Merch Stops


_\*This trip occurred on December 20, 2025._

My original thought for today was going to do some sightseeing in New York City with my friends whom I typically play pickleball with. However, pretty much none of them were available, but I was fine going by myself...and then I got an email: for one low price, I could get tickets to not one, but TWO Rutgers basketball games on the same day! The only caveat was that you'd be WAY UP at the 300 level for the men's game, but honestly, given how expensive men's tickets usually are (case in point: just a men's ticket in the 300s for this date was more than this combination ticket), it's a small price to pay (also, I ended up kinda liking the view - but not the climb).

![A view of Jersey Mike's Arena from the 300 level](/images/rubasketball300.jpeg)

However, unlike the [Princeton games I went to ten days prior](2025-12-11_princetonbasketball), the start times for these games were separated by eight hours: the women's game was at noon, and the men's game at 8 PM[^1]. In the interim, Rutgers hosted a "Winter Village" outside the arena. Because of how "spread out" the entire day was (12 noon to 10 PM), I'm going to break this into sections and try and describe things in chronological order. Also, I won't get too deep into describing the arena since [I did that already](2025-11-25_rubasketball_womens), and I won't do a dedicated merchandise section for...reasons.

### THE WOMEN'S GAME

Yes, this is the THIRD time I've watched Rutgers women's basketball in less than a month. Somewhat surprisingly, this was their first game since losing to Princeton, and it saw them take on the Lafayette Leopards - a team from a school just outside of Allentown, PA whose athletic teams are all consolidated into <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lafayette_Leopards" target="blank">a singular Wikipedia page</a>. Truth be told, I had thoughts about sitting on the end again since I wanted to see what it was like from a section of seats similar to what I got the first time but at concourse level. However, since I was only offered 100 level sideline tickets for this game, I had to go with one of those - and I ended up with essentially a whole row (of three seats) all to myself.

One other note: I guess due to the men's game, the concourse was set up slightly differently - mainly in that the two "side" concourses were open. The portable merch stand that was in the main area during the Siena game was moved to the "south" side of the concourse (i.e. the one where the TV cameras are), as the other side features a permanent merchandise stand. I didn't get anything from here during the women's game, but I did end up buying a neat looking pullover prior to the men's game later in the day. I should also mention that I got a free "stadium bag" (those clear plastic bags designed specifically to be allowed into stadiums) and holiday ornament from what I think is a state tourism board, plus a Rutgers t-shirt inside the arena (which was not part of a t-shirt toss).

Despite not making a basket until the literal end of the first quarter (as in they got it during the last ten seconds), Rutgers rallied behind a dominant defensive effort to win by 9. After the women's game, the tuba players from the band (forgot to mention that Rutgers has a band for women's games last time) did a little number in one of the concourses which was interesting to hear.

### THE WINTER VILLAGE

![A banner with the words "The Rutgers Winter Village" in different fonts](/images/wintervillage.jpeg)

<figcaption>And yes, the article is required when referring to THE Rutgers Winter Village - y'know, like Ohio State</figcaption>

The Rutgers Winter Village was a holiday fan festival, but honestly...there's not really much to say about it.

Immediately after the women's game, several of the players came out and signed autographs, but then after that...there wasn't much of interest until 5:30. Since the women's game ended BEFORE 2, that meant over three and a half hours of fumbling for things to do - and if you left the parking lot, you risked having to pay $30 to get back in (as this is the standard price for men's games). I ended up doing a bit of Christmas shopping as well as getting froyo (which is apparently still a thing) and Qdoba (plus a LOT of sitting around doing nothing).

When the WInter Village started "in earnest", there were several entertainment options(including a balloon artist, temporary tattoos, and a magician), but it didn't really have anything that interested me (outside of hot chocolate - which was apparently free when the women were doing their signing). Merchandise was also available, but nothing was that interesting outside of them having the pullover I ended up getting before

<div id="mens" />

### THE MEN'S GAME

I didn't dive into the history of the Rutgers men's basketball prior, and that's mainly because I felt there wasn't much to say: it IS a Rutgers sport after all (and I say this as an alumnus). The men DO have a Final Four appearance, but it was WAY BACK in 1976, and they also made an NIT final in 2004 but lost. Unlike the football team, however, one could argue that moving from the Big East to the Big Ten made life EASIER for the basketball team. Sure, there are still some pretty good programs in the Big Ten, but the Big East is VERY MUCH known as a basketball conference (case in point: UConn)[^2].

One thing I have heard about the men's team (when I was reading into it prior to my earlier visit) was that they were touted as one of the better atmospheres in college basketball due to the architecture of Jersey Mike's Arena (known as the "Trapezoid of Terror"). I wasn't sure how it'd be heading in, but I looked at Rutgers' ticket website and it said the game was sold out; however, there were still a lot of empty seats up in the 200-300 sections for this game (part of that may be due to it being essentially the holiday break however).

I must say, though, that the atmosphere was actually quite good; the arena got much louder than it ever did during any of the women's games I went to (though that's partially because more seats were available). IMO, if you're looking for good seats to see sports action up close and personal and don't mind the (relative) lack of atmosphere, then women's games are fine, but men's games are where the bigger crowds are, and bigger crowds means more of that "college sports" feel (though that does come with certain disadvantages - namely in the parking department)[^3]. Speaking of men's games, however...I have yet to discuss THIS game, as it's one of the big reasons the "flow" of this post is different from what I was intending to do heading into it[^4].

This game marks the second time in ten days I watched a Rutgers basketball team take on an Ivy League team, as this game featured the visiting Penn Quakers (who are also involved in a "mini conference" within the city of Philadelphia). This game ended up being a back and forth contest with a WHOLE LOTTA lead changes in the second half, but with the game winding down and Penn seemingly on the path to victory up by 2, I was just about ready to head home. It was after 10 PM, I had been out for OVER 12 HOURS - most of that DOING NOTHING, and I had been reminded of the thing I absolutely DO NOT LIKE about basketball: a game where it took 10 minutes to play the final 30 seconds.

Then, one of their players gave the crowd free Shake Shack by missing two free throws...and then THIS:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W0OeTNaJQlU?si=WnLxe-M9HrzDZABf" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Ladies, Gentlemen, and those in between: Rutgers University. We may be the Scarlet-headed stepchild of the college sports world, and more often than not we find ways to lose and/or embarrass ourselves (see: the Penn State game from this year) but every now and then, we have our moments (y'know, like 2006 vs. Louisville).

---

[^1]: I had thoughts about coming to this men's game for a while, but the 8 PM start time felt too late until I got the email about the ticket deal.
[^2]: No Big Ten team has won the NCAA Tournament since 2000 - though a few have been to the final since then.
[^3]: I should note that this pertains SPECIFICALLY to Rutgers Basketball; other sports at other schools are going to be different.
[^4]: I was originally intending to do this comparison of men's and women's games at the end, as that's where it would make the most sense.

A holiday hoops spectacular

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Basketball (Big Ten) @ Jersey Mike's Arena (Piscataway, NJ)


Two weeks ago, I went to a [Northeastern Huskies hockey game](2025-11-30_northeasternhockey_mens) at Matthews Arena. At the end of that post, I originally included this little snippet:

> *If you were ever curious about visiting this place, I have one word for you: HURRY. In fact, you might be too late sadly...*

Unfortunately...sometimes, it’s hard to keep a 100+ year building up. Y'see, inasmuch as I did, in fact, go to that game to see hockey...there was another reason I went.

Back in 2023, there was concern that Matthews wasn't 100% structurally sound, and this led to discussions about its future. I distinctly remember how I learned about the issues: A BU Hockey blogger tweeting jokes about the arena's foundation supposedly sinking after I went to the first game. I didn't know about the issues then, but the most visible evidence from the first game was the fact that student seating in the balcony behind Northeastern’s “defend twice” goal was off limits to everyone.

![An image of tarped-off sections of the upper deck at Matthews Arena](/images/tarps.jpeg)

<figcaption>NOTE: These tarps weren't here back in 2023-24</figcaption>

As it turns out...those concerns were VERY founded: the university has announced plans to replace Matthews with a new facility on top of the current building's footprint (which means that [Hobey Baker Rink in Princeton, NJ](2025-11-16_princetonhockey) is set to become the oldest hockey arena in the United States). Tonight, the Huskies (men) will play a game against BU (which has been sold out pretty much since tickets became available)...and that will be it for Matthews Arena[^1]. Once the season starts back up post-Christmas, the Huskies are going to have various "home" arenas for the rest of this season[^2], but there's no word on what they're going to do over the next few years however, as the new building is not expected to be ready until 2028, and construction hasn't started yet (for obvious reasons).

I feel like since I only got to see it three times (all for hockey), I'm not exactly the most qualified person to speak about "Matthews Memories", but I would like to talk a little bit here about it.

Originally, I was going to hold off on posting ANYTHING about Matthews until today (to coincide with the final game). However, as I mentioned in my original Northeastern post, I had been thinking about going to a game for a while (though I didn't know if I'd be able to go until literally the day before). I went back and forth on whether to post about that game then or wait until now, but ultimately, I decided to do the game post on my "usual" schedule (i.e. the day after the game), and then have this post be separate. Also, I mentioned that I got a hoodie at the men's game I went to, but didn't mention the logo on it. Well...it was a Matthews Arena "Farewell Season" logo; the main reason I got it was because they didn't have the t-shirt with the same logo in my size.

I think the best way to describe the games I saw at Matthews Arena (and Hobey Baker Rink for that matter) was that it was a form of time travel. A game at Matthews represents a visit to the past: seeing how people viewed sports back in the day in an era where the only way to watch games was to attend them. In the modern era where arenas don't even last 30 years (or get so renovated they're essentially new), it's astonishing to see something that lasted so long be largely unchanged - even if it means that some aspects of the experience are a bit uncomfortable (case in point: the viewing angle I had for the game I went to this year). It is sad to see it go, but colleges will be colleges I guess...

Speaking of which, the university is selling the seats and bricks from the arena! I won't link their sale here (and also I can't say I'm interested), but I will note that the seats are very much NOT the original 1910 seats...

(Also, it does make you wonder: Why on earth did Northeastern build Boston's version of JerryVision back in 2019? They only got to use it for six years, and a decent chunk of that time was "lost" with COVID...)

---

[^1]: I actually had thoughts about going to the final women's game game at Matthews on December 6; however, a planning mix up plus a vintage market ended up killing that trip (along with a visit to BU's women's hockey team).
[^2]: Of note, there's a "home game" against Maine in Portland, ME - where a lot of their alumni live and work.


Sportventures

26 in 26: An Intro

Sacred Heart Hockey (12/30/25)

Merch Stops 2025

Rutgers and the Winter Village

Farewell Matthews Arena