
_\*Since the 2026 Hockey East men's championship game is tonight, I figured I’d go back a bit and talk about the time I went to the game back on March 23, 2024 - almost exactly two years ago. A decent chunk of this was written back then, but I did update this quite a bit (for example, it includes mentions of subsequent Hockey East tournaments which obviously hadn’t happened when I first wrote this). Also, with this, I've officially caught up with all of my old hockey writing - at least until I get to certain games/arenas (hopefully in the fall)._



A lot of sports leagues/events have their "signature venue" for their championship: England’s FA Cup has Wembley Stadium, the Australian Football League has the Melbourne Cricket Ground...and Hockey East has TD Garden.

I don’t feel there’s a need to dive too deep into Hockey East’s history outside of its establishment in 1984 (as a "spin off" from the ECAC), but I should at least explain the conference tournament/championship game a little bit. For those who don’t know, most college athletic conferences in the United States host end-of-season tournaments (or sometimes a single game like in football) to determine an official conference champion. Said champion receives an automatic bid to their sport’s national tournament (with football, once again, being a semi-exception), where the best teams in the country compete to determine a singular national champion for that sport[^1].

In Hockey East’s case, its first two championship games (along with the semifinals) were held in Providence, RI at what is now Amica Mutual Pavilion (home of the Providence Bruins of the AHL[^2]). In 1987, the championship moved to the original Boston Garden (the former home of the Bruins and Celtics), and has been held either there or at what is now TD Garden (i.e. the old Garden’s replacement built in 1995) most years - with three exceptions:

- In 1989 and 1990, the final game was played at [Conte Forum](2025-10-03_bchockey_mens) on the campus of Boston College. I’m not FULLY certain as to why this happened (though part of it may beu because Conte had just opened in 1988), but Boston College hosted Maine in both games (with the two teams splitting wins).
- In 2021, ongoing restrictions forced all tournament games to be played at campus sites (the women's tournament still operates this way FWIW). The final that year ended up being an all-UMass affair, as eventual national champion UMass (Amherst) beat UMass Lowell at the [Mullins Center](2025-10-05_umasshockey). This is probably where I should also mention that the 2020 tournament got cancelled before it even started because...I don’t need to explain why, right?

As an aside, the semifinals usually been played at the same venue as the final - with three exceptions (one of them being 2021). In those years, the semifinals were played at the venues of the higher seeded semifinalist.

Anyhoo, the building now known as TD Garden was opened in 1995 as a replacement for the old Boston Garden NINE INCHES AWAY. Originally the Shawmut Center, it became the FleetCenter after Shawmut Bank was acquired by Fleet BEFORE the arena opened, and then went through a series of one day names (not including the Derek Jeter Center) after Fleet was acquired in 2004 before TD Bank (then TD Banknorth) bought the naming rights.

I honestly can’t tell you when the first time I visited the arena was, as the only things I remember are that it was sometime in the 90s (as it was still the FleetCenter at the time) and I’m pretty sure it was for either Disney on Ice or the ol’ Ringling Brothers and REDACTED[^3] and Bailey Circus (back when people glossed over animal abuse for entertainment). I’ve been to one Bruins game at TD Garden, but that game was way back in November of 2006 - Zdeno Chara’s first year as Bruins captain and the last year of the infamous 90s uniform set (as well as being long before a series of extensive constructions/renovations in the area).

I can’t really say much about the arena itself as I feel like it’s more or less what you’d expect from an NHL/NBA arena: two concourses filled with fans and (frighteningly expensive) concessions, a few merch stands here and there which are also kinda pricey, and the occasional bar area for alcohol sales. I feel it should be noted that there as I remember it, the upper concourse didn’t have merch stands. One thing that does stand out to me, however, is the near complete lack of natural light inside the concourses. There are a couple of reasons for this, but it really does mute the atmosphere quite a bit (especially when you consider that [other](2025-08-27_phiwings) [NHL/NBA](2025-08-28_nysirens) [arenas](2026-02-08_bknets) I’ve been to do not feature this problem). One thing that was interesting, however, was a special exhibit I got to see pregame featuring a look at the history of the Bruins, as they were celebrating their 100th anniversary that season.

The thing with championship games is that inasmuch as it’s always expected to be an exciting experience since one team will be raising a trophy at the end of the day, some matchups will likely lead to different atmospheres. For example, last year (2025) featured Maine vs. UConn - maybe not the most exciting matchup on paper (especially for the locals), but would still draw quite a crowd given how popular Maine is. This year, UConn's back in the final, but their opponent should (theoretically) draw more local interest because it's...[MERRIMACK](2025-10-10_merrimackhockey_mens).

However, in 2024, the matchup was **#1 BC vs. #2 BU**...and boy did I learn something that night:

Students are something else.

For starters, it's BC/BU - one of college hockey's most famous rivalries. Case in point: I mentioned it way back when [I talked about BU's men's team](2025-10-04_buhockey_mens), but their fans love to chant "BC SUCKS" even when the game at hand has NOTHING to do with Boston College. Moreover, the two teams were widely considered the two best teams in the country that year (those numbers next to their names represent their NATIONAL RANKINGS): BC with their crop of FOUR first-round draft picks plus the country's best goaltender (all of whom are now in the NHL), and BU with then-top draft prospect Macklin Celebrini (who was, in fact, drafted first overall a few months after this game). However, the best thing about going to college hockey (and especially its most intense rivalry games): student cheers/jeers.

Let’s be honest: a crowd of 17,000 fans chanting "LET’S GO BRUINS" every ten minutes is...fine. In my opinion, however, it’s not nearly as good as 8,000 students telling the opposing goalie "YOU SUCK. AT LIFE. and goaltending." - which they did quite a bit. Boston College dominated this game on and off the ice: current San Jose Shark Will Smith (one of BC's first round picks) scored FOUR GOALS, and their student turnout VASTLY outnumbered BU’s[^4].

Also, one of the main reasons I haven’t seen the Bruins at home in 20 years: I managed to snag a seat ten rows from the ice for what ended up being ~$65[^5]. That doesn’t even get you in the building for a good number of Bruins games nowadays...even with the team kinda sorta rebuilding (and don't even think about trying to see the Celtics at that price point).

![A photo of the Boston College Eagles celebrating their championship](/images/2026/2024championship.jpg)

<figcaption>And to think that this was the only tournament of any kind that BC won in the "freshmen line + Cutter Gauthier" era...</figcaption>

Finally, as a protip if you ever consider visiting: you probably don’t NEED to park in the Garden garage - it’s EXPENSIVE and you’ll end up being stuck for a while postgame. Evening and weekend parking in many parts of Boston (and its suburbs) is WAY CHEAPER (and surprisingly inexpensive by city standards)...so long as you’re willing to either walk a bit and/or trust the T (though I can understand if you’d rather not do either/both).

### MERCH

I cannot tell you how many times I have been to the TD Garden ProShop. It was one of my "Sunday staples" when I lived in Massachusetts, and the number of things I have gotten from there is absolutely staggering. Part of that is thanks to a deal where if you have a TD Bank debit or credit card (which I’ve had since 2017), you can get a 15% discount on almost everything in the store - not a bad deal I must say (and it has come in VERY HANDY quite often[^6]). It’s also where I bought my first "authentic" hockey jersey - a 2023 NHL Winter Classic with Patrice Bergeron’s name, number, and captain’s patch (along with the actual NHL Winter Classic patch - something other places didn't have for some reason).

The main souvenir store, however, is technically outside of the arena (it’s part of a development next to the arena), so it’s inaccessible during games (which kinda sucks as the discount was apparently not available in the arena for this game)[^7]. While it does have a lot of the standard items PLUS things that are difficult to find elsewhere, a lot of things (most especially jerseys) are marked up a bit because that seems to be a standard arena store thing (though when you get a 15% discount on things, you end up doing a lot of math and somehow finding that certain items are still cheaper at the ProShop). There’s also the fact that it’s the only place I’ve been able to find Boston Celtics jerseys with stitched on letters and numbers (that I know are 100% genuine), so that’s something to keep in mind (the Bruins are a BIT different, but maybe I’ll discuss that in the future).

At the Hockey East championship, I got a Hockey East crewneck sweater and hat (plus a David Pastrnak Bruins Centennial third jersey). I was tempted to buy a novelty chain featuring the Hockey East logo, but decided against it.

---

_And yes, the display title of this page is the reference some of you think it is - if you don't get it, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNSs2GZOl1k" target="blank">go get cultured or summat</a>_

### ON DECK

More hockey...though whether or not it's "better" really depends (as it doesn't feature FIVE NHL first round draft picks).

---

[^1]: Given Hockey East’s status as one of the top hockey conferences in the country, the conference champion is usually not the only team in the tournament (emphasis on the word "usually" - especially this year). Heck, Boston College didn’t make the Hockey East semis last year and was seeded 1st overall in the national tournament (though I am NOT getting into how THAT works because I don’t understand it either...).

[^2]: I went to a Providence Bruins (preseason) game around the same time as the other games I've written about, but didn't write about the arena then as I couldn't think of anything interesting to say about it.

[^3]: If we canceled people in the 1800s like we do nowadays, P.T. Barnum’s name would be NOWHERE near what it became. Look him up if you didn’t know.

[^4]: I've heard, sadly, that BU's student body has slowly but surely been shifting away from being interested in its athletics department as a whole. Also, I should've mentioned this a while ago, but I found out at the [BU Women's game](2026-01-18_buhockey_womens) that they've updated the ["free jersey" program](2025-10-04_buhockey_mens) - it's now sixteen total games between the men's and women's teams, which...kinda gives credence to the "waning interest" theory.

[^5]: I bought my ticket months before the tournament even started (heck, I'm pretty sure it was before the BEANPOT), and when I checked a few days/hours before the game, I distinctly remember seeing some WILD prices due to the BC-BU matchup.

[^6]: The most expensive thing I ever bought from the ProShop was a special jacket worn by Bruins coaches during the 2023 Winter Classic (I honestly really like it to be fair). I won't tell you how much it cost, but that 15% discount ended up being WELL OVER $100...

[^7]: As far as I can remember, the current location is (at least) the third different place the ProShop has been since the opening of TD Garden. The first location was also outside the arena, but the second one was somewhere inside - and I believe at least part of it became the exhibit I saw during the championship game.


A look back to when I saw the pinnacle of Hockey East

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Hockey East Men's Championship 2024 @ TD Garden (Boston, MA)


_This one's a bit on the "odd" side: it's been a while since I've seen the Northeast Generals, and I didn't get to see them this season (more on that later), but I did write a little bit about the team back when I wrote all of those college hockey posts I put up last October. Since I don’t know if/when I’ll be able to visit the Generals again PLUS the fact that they actually moved from the venue where I saw them, I figured I’d post this today._

_This covers two trips I made to see the Generals back when I was living in Massachusetts: the first on September 23, 2022, and the other on December 8, 2023. Like many of my college hockey posts, I updated it quite a bit from where it was left in 2023-24, but that's somewhat unimportant, so let's just get right to business._

I cannot find any good information about the history of the Northeast Generals outside of the fact that apparently the organization was founded in 2016, but what I can tell you is that the Generals USED to field two teams (honestly, this is all you need to know). The "upper" team (founded in 2016) was in the North American Hockey League (not to be confused with a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligue_Nord-Am%C3%A9ricaine_de_Hockey" target="blank">hyper violent semi-pro league in Quebec with essentially the same name</a> that I have somehow forgotten to mention TWICE), while the "lower" team (founded in 2015) was in the Tier III North American 3 Hockey League (not to be confused with the 3-on-3 competition known as 3ICE). However, in researching the Generals for this post, it appeared that similar to Danbury, the NA3HL team shut down at some point (I think it was as of the 2025-26 season).

I mentioned earlier that I visited the Generals twice when I was living in Massachusetts; both times, both of the teams mentioned above (NAHL and NA3HL) were in action (so basically, this post covers FOUR games - none of which I remember the results of BTW). At the time, they were playing at a place called New England Sports Village in Attleboro, MA - a city that basically straddles the border of Massachusetts and Rhode Island and famously features one of New England’s biggest Christmas light displays at a local Catholic church. There’s not really that much to be said about this "arena": it’s a community skating center (moreso than other NAHL buildings I've been to) with multiple rinks that was (apparently) supposed to be part of something bigger that got canceled. If you’re driving here for the first time, however, you could very easily miss it (I did), as it’s on a rather empty local street, is a bit of a ways off of said street, has a fairly obscure driveway, and looks more like a warehouse than a sports center when you first see it[^1].

Each team had their own separate rink (because four teams playing on the same ice is insane); the rinks are separated by a mezzanine that runs along the length of the rinks. While each rink had seating areas that end well above the ice surface, these seating areas were quite cold (something common at hockey rinks); however, the aforementioned mezzanine has views to both rinks, so you can just watch from there if you want to stay warm (you also have the advantage of being able to switch games more quickly). It has been a few years since my last visit, but from what I remember, the "main" arena featured tiered seating that went down towards the arena (but ended well above ice level), while the "secondary" arena had metal bleachers in a "single level" observation area.

Thanks to some faulty ice and a bad injury, the two games of my second visit ended just shy of six minutes apart from one another...despite one game starting half an hour before the other (I timed it). I am slightly ashamed to admit that the first visit, on the other hand, is one of the few instances of me leaving a non-baseball sporting event early (as it was kinda far from where I was living at the time, and I felt it was quite late when it ended).

In 2024, the Generals moved to a rink closer to Boston in Canton, MA. I have yet to visit this new venue, but from what I’ve seen of it, it’s largely similar to the old one (as they are both community rinks), but with one notable difference: the seats in the new building get closer to the ice (though similar to [Merrimack](2025-10-10_merrimackhockey_mens), there's a walkway between the front row and the rink[^2]). A future visit is uncertain, however, but if I go, I’ll probably be able to talk more about the building then.

### MERCH

There was no merchandise sold the first time I saw the Generals, but at the second game, they had some hats and hoodies available (but pulled them quite early in the night). They do have an online store, but it seems to be consistently changing (as well as being one of those "spirit wear" operations where they simply print the team's logo onto otherwise generic items).

I did, however, manage to get a jersey from the team; it was the first hockey jersey I ever ordered that was fully sublimated (I’ve gotten some others since mostly from non-Hockey East college teams).

**\-\-\-**

As for why this post is going up today...

My original hope was to see the Generals visit the New Jersey Titans, as the two teams played a whopping FOUR games in Middletown this season: two on Fridays (February 27 and March 13) and two on Saturdays (February 28 and March 14). However, I ended up having things that prevented me from going both Fridays, and while I originally saw the Saturday games being 5:30 starts, both games actually started at 4 PM - and I ended up going to soccer games which ended around 4 PM both Saturdays (plus it's almost an hour from [Harrison](2026-03-01_rbny) and [Paterson](2026-03-15_nycosmos) to Middletown).

---

[^1]: I also don't recall seeing any signs for the place either.

[^2]: Speaking of Merrimack, it's crazy to think they're in the Hockey East semis this year! Not sure how they'll fare in the rest of the tournament, but it is quite the accomplishment (maybe it's the Pope Leo bump - y'know, like the Chicago Bears).


An old post about an old (but not really) building

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Northeast Generals (North American Hockey League) @ New England Sports Village (Attleboro, MA)


_\*This trip occurred on March 14, 2026._

The New York Cosmos are quite possibly one of the most famous names in American soccer. The original team played in the North American Soccer League (the top division of soccer in the U.S. back in the 70s) from 1970 until 1984 (when the NASL folded), and was famous for ~~<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1K7zfw82yg" target="blank">having a DISCO THEME SONG</a>~~ its roster, which featured the likes of Franz Beckenbauer and, most notably, Pele (widely considered the best footballer of all time). However, supposedly, the Cosmos themselves never "folded" - they just went dormant[^1].

In 2010, the New York Cosmos were "reestablished", but it wasn’t until 2013 that this version of the team played its first game. Between announcing their return and their first game, however, they did a WILD amount of marketing, believing that the "Cosmos" brand would be enough to turn heads.

It wasn’t.

Despite the branding and on-field success (the team won three championships in four years), "Cosmos 2.0" never really gained any foothold with the NYC market. Part of that was likely due to the fact that they weren’t in Major League Soccer (for a few reasons - both inside and outside of their control), but another factor: good ol’ fashioned mismanagement[^2].

The team went dormant again in 2020 and lay dormant until 2025, when it was announced that a new team was planning on using the Cosmos name in USL League One. Whether or not they will be able to generate any level of success is yet to be seen (I should mention that there seemed to be a quite decent crowd for this match), but outside of being in the third tier of American soccer, there is one thing that may be a major factor:

Hinchliffe Stadium.

![An image of Hinchliffe Stadium prior to the ](/images/2026/0314-nycosmos.jpeg)

<figcaption>NOTE: This image was taken pretty much shortly after the gates opened, so that's why it looks rather empty</figcaption>

I won't go too deep into Hinchliffe as [I've been here before](2025-08-12_njjackals), but long story short: it's a historic stadium best known for hosting Negro League baseball. It fell into disrepair over time (partially because, well...Paterson), but received an extensive renovation a few years ago - and then the New Jersey Jackals of the Frontier League shortly after that.

I’ve already talked about the modern baseball experience at Hinchliffe, but long story short: it’s not great. However, given that Hinchliffe seems better suited to sports on "rectangular" fields (it hosts high school football and has a running track), it should mean that unlike, say, [Yankee Stadium](2025-08-13_nycfc) or [Maimonides Park](2025-11-09_bkfc_womens), it should at least be a better soccer watching experience, right? Well...it might be for one simple reason: the pitchers mound is within the field of play (but is obviously lowered). Outside of that, it really doesn't feel super different from baseball - though that may be because my seat was near the baseball diamond.

In planning this trip, I immediately looked at their schedule, as I was NOT going to go to any games where the sun would disappear midway through (mainly due to my experience leaving the Jackals game in 2025 IN BROAD DAYLIGHT still being kinda uncomfortable[^3]). It took quite a while for times to be announced after the dates were, but once they were, I landed on this game - the team's inaugural game against Portland Hearts of Pine.

The most striking thing about this game vs. just about every other soccer game I've been to in this country was atmosphere - thanks to the presence of a MASSIVE contingent of traveling Hearts fans (one of them mentioned it's actually easier to get into away games as they're a HOT ticket in Portland)[^4]. The noise from them was unlike anything I've heard from visiting fans (and I've been to two other games in other sports where the visiting fans took over - both of them Boston teams). They got to go home happy too, as the Hearts outfoxed the Cosmos in a 3-1 victory.

### MERCH

Sometime around the initial schedule reveal, the Cosmos unveiled their "inaugural" home jersey to...modest reception. It features one of the more common soccer jersey designs with vertical stripes, but doesn’t have much going for it outside of the Cosmos logo partially due to the stripes being two different shades of green which look almost identical, and also because it didn't feature a sponsor (though the team did get one before the season)[^5]. Despite that, I ended up getting one from Pele Soccer in Times Square (where the jersey was first unveiled) because apparently I am a sucker for anything that is green.

Anyway, as opposed to the Jackals and their carnival trailer[^6], merch was sold in a physical "store" (an area I THINK the Jackals used purely as storage). They were quite busy throughout the day (even running out of scarves at one point), and I was able to get a USL1 patch pressed onto the jersey I bought months ago (but not the sponsor because I'm weird like that). Also, the team had something special for this game: limited edition jerseys with special "chrome" details[^7].

As an aside, I found out that the Hearts were doing a "special party" at [Classic Football Shirts](https://overclocked-overthoughts.netlify.app/blog/2025-11-09_shirts_and_the_city) in New York City the night before the game featuring, of course, merch (they are known as "Merch FC" for a reason - similar to how their upcoming [US Open Cup opponents](2025-08-21_vgfc) are known as "Social Media FC"). I would've thought about going had I not made a prior commitment weeks before the game - but also the event was listed as "sold out" when I checked...

---

P.S.: My original plan was actually to see [Westchester SC](2026-03-08_westchestersc) after this game, but I ended up moving that trip UP for various reasons. Had I gone, I would've been able to see the masters of "turning wins into not-wins" work their magic once again, as a first minute goal got cancelled out by a literal LAST MINUTE equalizer...though my limited understanding of soccer statistics indicates that they probably got lucky with that draw.

---

[^1]: Apparently, the team almost "came back" in the 1990s as the [MetroStars](2026-03-01_rbny) contemplated buying the rights for the name before deciding against it.

[^2]: Another thing that didn’t help: the league they were in was ALSO a not-so-great "nostalgia bait" (the North American Soccer League) which folded in 2017 amid controversy.

[^3]: One major difference between the Cosmos and USL1 rival Westchester SC IMO: despite both teams being based in "sketchy" cities, WSC has the advantage of being right next to big box stores AND a major highway.

[^4]: Unfortunately, this does mean that PHoP is HIGHLY unlikely for a 2026 visit, but I MIGHT be interested in trying next year.

[^5]: Say what you will about jersey sponsorship, but the fact of the matter is that it's become so ingrained into soccer culture that it's weird thinking of jerseys without sponsors...

[^6]: BTW, the Jackals have new ownership this season! I may have to check in this year to see how the experience has changed (as well as checking out the museum in the outfield, as I learned it closes at game time).

[^7]: I DID ask if they'd do it for the "chrome" jersey, but they said no. Also, it seems they didn't sell through all of the limited jerseys, so if you're going to their next game, you might be able to get lucky.


One of American soccer’s most iconic names is BACK

New York Cosmos (USL League One) @ Hinchliffe Stadium (Paterson, NJ)


_\*This trip occurred on March 8, 2026._

Indoor/Arena soccer[^1] is a bit of a loaded term. For most soccer fans around the world, the term more than likely refers to _futsal_ - a form of soccer on a smaller court/field where individual skillsets are more important than in the "regular" game. Here in the United States, however, indoor soccer is basically a hybrid of soccer and hockey (similar to what [box lacrosse](2025-08-27_phiwings) is to [field lacrosse](2025-08-26_rulacrosse_mens)) - five "outfield" players plus a goalkeeper on an enclosed field where the walls are "in play" (generally a hockey rink covered with turf - though field dimensions can vary WIDELY).

Much like futsal, individual skillsets are rather important as controlling the ball is much more prevalent; however, the walls add a very interesting dimension, as using them for plays adds a lot of depth to what players can do. For those familiar with Nintendo Gamecube masterpiece Super Mario Strikers, it's kinda like that except that it's SLIGHTLY less violent (and features far less electrocutions - probably). One thing that makes the sport WILDLY different from other forms of soccer (including Mario): hockey-style penalties (signified by a blue card), where one team loses one player for a brief period of time. I should also mention that this version of indoor soccer is very much an INCREDIBLY niche version of soccer - especially as it is technically not sanctioned by FIFA (though it does have its own international governing body)[^2].

The history of indoor soccer leagues in the U.S. is a bit long and convoluted, but the current league was founded in 2008 as the Professional Arena Soccer League, then it became the Major Arena Soccer League after a "merger" with another top level indoor soccer league. I do find that it is a rather interesting sport to watch, but unfortunately for me...the closest team is the Harrisburg Heat in Pennsylvania's capital - some two and a half hours away (i.e. a bit too far for a day trip).

However, the MASL has not one, but TWO "minor" leagues known as MASL 2 (established in 2017) and MASL 3 (established in 2020). I'm not fully sure what the "purposes" of the leagues are, but apparently MASL 2 was developed as a chance for the sport to test and develop markets for the top league. MASL 3 has the same issue the MASL has for me in that there are no nearby teams, but in MASL 2, there's a club a (relatively) short trip away: Spice City FC.

I could NOT find a reason why the team is called "Spice City" or why they use "fútbol" in their name (and this includes me asking one of their employees, who didn't know either), but they were founded in 2024 and finished second in their division (though out of the playoffs) in their first season (2024-25). Obviously, there's not much history beyond that, but apparently they do draw fairly decently: when I looked at getting tickets for this game, I was surprised to find that only the sections nearest the ends were available, and while I wouldn't call the building "full", the crowd was fairly big. The other thing that makes the club "attractive" for this blog is that they're based in a very familiar place: the Danbury Ice Arena (though they obviously don't play on ice).

![An image of the Danbury Ice Arena in soccer configuration. The normally white ice is covered in green turf](/images/2026/0308-scfc.jpeg)

<figcaption>This photo also shows the "main" seating area, which you don't really get to see on YouTube since it's mostly hidden from camera view</figcaption>

I already went over the building [not even a month ago](2026-02-15_dbyhattricks), but if you missed it: it's a local sports center which is mainly focused on hockey. The main arena features a large seating area on one side (opposite the arena entrances), "balcony style" seats on the other, and a large lobby-ish area with concessions/merch/an arcade. I did not get to see the mezzanine behind the "balcony sections" last time, but it was more or less accessible this game, so I decided to take a peek, and there's actually a surprising amount of things here!

The first thing you'll notice when you "arrive" is a collection of motorcycles; I have no idea why they're here, but one does feature a Hat Tricks "paint scheme". There's a concession stand up here (though it was closed during this game) as well as a bar looking thing which was labeled an "axe throwing lounge" (which was also closed - partially as it had a Hat Tricks logo on its door). A luxury area (where tickets are only thirteen dollars but was sold out when I checked) features barstool seats as well as chair back seats (the only ones in the building), and despite not being sold online (and also probably not in the arena), the sections here (the 200 sections) were actually accessible, as the doors have no locks. With how cold it is in the lower parts of the arena (due to the ever present hockey rink under the turf), several folks ended up sitting up here.

One note about the indoor soccer field: the goals are meant to be "inside" the end walls, but there's no real way of doing that here (as the boards are seemingly "static", and goals in them would actually impede people from getting around). Therefore, the field is a BIT shorter than the hockey rink's 200 feet (but not by all that much - plus there's even shorter fields in the MASL). Another thing I heard about Danbury specifically: apparently the turf is hard to play on as its frozen (being on top of an ice rink will do that)[^3].

I first found out about Spice City when looking at images of the Danbury Ice Arena prior to my visit, and then again at the Hat Tricks game I went to - they have a flag in the lobby that I saw while eating lunch, and as I was leaving the arena, I saw their schedule in one of the windows (though I'm not sure what year it was for). I checked their schedule online to confirm things, and found that they had a few home dates that worked well for me; I was originally hoping to visit on February 22nd, but...that trip got snowed out (which is part of the reason I did that whole ["Jersey rules"](2026-02-22_jerseyrules) post). Thankfully, the team had other dates that worked for me, and not wanting to wait until **APRIL 12**, I chose to move the game I was originally planning on going to today for this (though I do plan on making that trip soon).

Spice City billed this as one of their toughest tests yet, and with good reason: their opponent today was...the Harrisburg Heat! Apparently, the team changed arenas recently, and issues surrounding that arena change forced them to "drop down" to MASL 2 for this season. I don't know if they're still using the players who they used in their MASL time, but it would explain why they seemed to be the better team in an 8-4 win - and also how the Heat held a Spice City team without a goal in the second half (which is quite a feat given how high scoring indoor soccer tends to be).

### MERCH

After the Hat Tricks game back in February, I was wandering around a bit and ended up finding a local store that specialized in soccer (and rugby) items which also had Spice City merch[^4]! While they did have a few jerseys, none were my size - though I did end up getting a scarf. I came back to this store to check one other thing out before the game, but Apple Maps apparently doesn't know the store is NORTH of 84 now...

When looking into coming here, I thought about ordering a jersey online and picking it up at the arena as I saw that the team was offering that option; however, I could NOT figure out how to get said option, so I opted not to go for it (and also the whole "original trip getting snowed out" situation). One thing that I found interesting about Spice City jerseys from browsing online: they're mostly available only as long sleeves - unlike most other soccer jerseys which are short sleeved (though some teams/brands do offer long sleeve versions, and the team's newer jerseys were short sleeved). Part of this may be due to the arena being quite cold (remember, it's a hockey building).

At this game, it seemed that they did not have most things in larger sizes - case in point: the largest jerseys they had were all size large (which is SLIGHTLY too small for me)...save for one random XL they found. Coincidentally, it's a Hummel shirt with the same tag as [the Westchester SC shirt from yesterday](2026-03-08_westchestersc#merch).

---

P.S.: [Brooklyn FC's men's team](2025-11-09_bkfc_womens) made its debut today - and won! Unlike NYCFC yesterday, I never really had any plans on going to this game - though a future game depends on what happens with the <a href="https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/48127662/usl-season-starts-players-silent-protest-amid-cba-dispute" target="blank">USL strike</a>.

Also, based on results this weekend, I CLEARLY know how to pick which soccer games to go...but at least I didn't have to see the [Red Bulls](2026-03-01_rbny) get blanked by freakin' CLUB DE FOOT MONTRÉAL...

_For those who are actually curious about the subtitle, it (roughly) translates to "Ready for the hot football?" (assuming Google Translate did this right...)_

---

[^1]: Wikipedia does not use the term "indoor football" in relation to this sport, as that's something else entirely - and I intend to explore that later this year as well.

[^2]: I'm not going to even begin to get into the Kings League or Baller League - other indoor soccer leagues with unique rulesets. Also, one BIG rule difference between all of the indoor soccers and the "regular" version: free and unlimited substitutions.

[^3]: Six of the MASL's 8 teams share their buildings with hockey teams, however...

[^4]: This store is actually part of a "chain", with one of their other locations serving Westchester County and [Westchester SC](2026-03-08_westchestersc).


¿Listo para el fútbol caliente?

Spice City Fútbol Club (Major Arena Soccer League 2) @ Danbury Ice Arena (Danbury, CT)


### _[26 IN 26 STOP 6](/26in26list)_

_\*This trip occurred on March 7, 2026._

Westchester SC were founded in 2024 and played their first season in USL League One (the third tier of soccer in the United States) last year along with four other expansion teams. While two of the five new teams made the league's eight team playoffs, the other three didn’t - but Westchester ended up having the most "expansion club struggle" experience of the five. The team finished at the bottom of the 14 team league (though they had the league’s top goalscorer), and according to a graphic I saw during a broadcast, they dropped the most points from winning positions in league history (i.e. drew/lost games they held a lead in). That is all I really have to say about the team's history - though you should have expected that given that the team was only established two years ago.

The Stadium at Memorial Field in Mount Vernon, NY was opened in 1931, but fell into disrepair over time until being extensively renovated in 2022. It’s a multipurpose stadium - Mount Vernon High School hosts football games here, and there's a running track around the field, but somewhat oddly, the only other sport I'm aware of that was played here is rugby - a short-lived Major League Rugby team played here for a bit, and there's currently a women's rugby team (as well as one other team in another sport which I am thinking about seeing - though they haven't played their first game here yet). Unlike many high school stadiums which have at least two stands, there's only one main stand here, and as you may have guessed, it’s on one of the "long" sides of the track and field. The seats here are all benches with the exception of the middle section (which is chair back seats with armrests), and they're priced based on how close they are to the center line - with the least expensive tickets being fifteen bucks (in the "far corners" of the stand).

![An image of the Stadium at Memorial Field from a corner](/images/2026/0307-stadium.jpeg)

Unfortunately, there was a MASSIVE issue with planning a visit: Mount Vernon is just north of the Bronx, and has a bit of a reputation for not being the nicest place in the world. Combine this with the George Washington Bridge's massive toll rate, the notorious congestion of the Cross Bronx Expressway, and all of the team's home games being 7 PM starts, and a visit wasn't exactly something I thought would be super feasible. However...I still felt like I wanted to do this. As it turned out, however, I felt that the area around the stadium wasn't TOO bad - the presence of big box retailers with (free) parking garages right across from the stadium's gates does help (as does quick and easy access to the Hutchinson River Parkway, which is the highway that leads out from the stadium to 95).

My original plan was actually to come here next week (for reasons that will become clearer soon), but due to schedule conflicts, this trip got moved UP to today - the team's 2026 home opener! Expectations around the team are...mixed at best (especially given their AWFUL track record of losing leads), and when the team coming in to face them is the defending regular season AND overall champions in One Knoxville SC, it's hard to expect a result.

Alas, the game went more or less as expected - Knoxville won, but mainly on the strength of a first half stoppage time goal (as Westchester got a goal with the final kick of the game to make it 3-2). Personally, I blame myself for this loss - I wore my [Vermont Green](2025-08-21_vgfc) hat for this game, and one of Knoxville's players was a former Vermont Green player who was making his professional debut - and scored the team's first two goals. There was some atmosphere from supporters, but it did seem kinda weak compared to the higher levels of soccer I've seen in this country (and also the aforementioned Green).

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

One of the big reasons I wanted to come here: Hummel.

Hummel is the company that makes the team's jerseys (along with a TON of other USL teams), but their sizing is kinda weird: unlike other brands like Nike or Adidas, they use different "sizing standards" between Europe and the US - with the European sizes being smaller. To illustrate what I mean by this, I ordered a jersey from a French esports organization back in 2023 that was made by Hummel: it was listed on their website as a "2XL", but when I got it, the neck had a "size information area" (i.e. neck tag) like this:

![An image of the inside of a Hummel shirt. It contains size information which reads "EUROPE:XXL US:XL ASIA:XXXO"](/images/2026/hummelsizes.jpeg)

<figcaption>NOTE: This is a different shirt entirely - I don't know where the shirt I'm talking about is currently (sadface).</figcaption>

Since I have no way of knowing whether or not the team will use the EU or US sizing when ordering online (without contacting them directly), I figured that the best thing to do would be to "go direct to the source" and get a jersey at the game itself. However, the shirt I got was VERY different from what I expected, as this is what the "tag" looks like:

![An image of the inside of a Hummel shirt made in the US. It has an American Flag and a prominent "XL" along with "MADE IN USA"](/images/2026/wscshirt.jpeg)

One VERY weird thing about the team's jerseys: the shirt is fully sublimated including the team's badge, but there seems to be a version where the team's badge is a glued on patch. However, this version of the jersey happens to have the sublimated logo underneath the glued-on one - I'm not honestly sure how I feel about this...

In terms of other items, several fans had hats that looked interesting, but the only hats that were on sale were beanies (something I'm not that into). Also, it was surprisingly cold at the match, but given that scarves are a fairly ubiquitous part of soccer culture, the scarf I was already planning on getting ended up being much more useful than just as a "soccer fashion statement".

Finally, I should also mention that the team has partnered with a local store who also sell their merch. I thought about going there before the game (for this as well as other reasons), but their hours didn't really "fit" with my schedule (they close at 5, gate time for the game is probably 6, and I'd rather not be hanging around a place like Mount Vernon based on its reputation - even if the stadium area seemed okay...).

---

P.S.: [New York City FC](2025-08-13_nycfc) had their home opener today as well (a wild 5-0 win over fellow 2015 expansion side Orlando City SC involving a goalkeeper getting a red card). I did think about going to it, but ultimately decided not to - though I do intend to see them later this year.


Suburban Soccer

Westchester SC (USL League One) @ The Stadium at Memorial Field (Mt. Vernon, NY)


_\*This trip occurred on February 28, 2026, and also marks the debut of the "NEW TEAM" badge: I'm not counting this as a 26 in 26 stop since I've been here before (and even got to [stand pitchside](2025-10-18_gothamfc2)), but since I haven't seen the (top level) Red Bulls yet, I figured I'd commemorate them (and other teams in this situation, as there are more to come) with this badge._

First, [I visited their stadium for another team’s match](2025-09-08_gothamfc).

Then, [I went and saw their reserves team in another stadium entirely](2025-09-22_rbnyii).

Now, it’s finally time to put the pieces together and talk about ~~Red Bull New York~~ **THE METROSTARS**.

The (New York/New Jersey) MetroStars were one of Major League Soccer's original ten franchises - they debuted alongside the league itself in 1996, but were actually founded two years earlier as Empire Soccer Club (and ownership apparently contemplated naming the team the Cosmos). While they only missed the playoffs three times in their first decade or so, they weren’t really all that successful - never making it past the semifinals in that time (which they only reached once).

Like most of the rest of "MLS 1.0" (as it's sometimes referred to), the team started life in an American football stadium - in this case, the old Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands (i.e. NOT the current stadium)[^1]. While the large stadium helped draw larger crowds (they were second in attendance in 1996 at over 23,000 a game), like most other MLS in NFL situations, the atmosphere was severely lacking. To address this, in 2000 the team put forth plans to build a stadium just for them in Harrison, NJ - a town in a (then) relatively uninspiring industrial area just east of Newark (though with a significant soccer history). Delays in funding pushed groundbreaking back to 2006, then a redesign of the stadium ended up delaying construction even further - eventually, the stadium opened in 2010 as part of a plan to redevelop Harrison (which has, for what it's worth, been somewhat successful; I have friends who looked at moving there after they got married, but eventually chose another town).

What caused that redesign?

The MetroStars were sold to Red Bull GmbH (an Austrian conglomerate that, yes, is best known for the energy drink) in 2006 and rebranded to "Red Bull New York". Not only was this rebranding controversial (and also one of the first Red Bull soccer teams in the world[^2]), but looking back, the launch video they released with Alexi Lalas (one of the most hated voices in American soccer today) was pretty cringeworthy (especially as it ends with him cracking open a Red Bull). However, one thing I WILL give Red Bull credit for: their redesign for the stadium probably was for the best, as it eliminated plans for one end to have a stage instead of seats in favor of a full seating bowl. The stage was intended for concerts to allow for extra revenue (as MLS matches weren’t exactly big draws back then), but I do think it makes the stadium look a bit "cheap", as it kinda feels like they’re treating soccer as a "secondary citizen" (in fact, the last surviving stadium with a stage is being renovated, and they’re taking the stage out).

Since becoming Red Bull New York, they've been...more or less the same. They have won the MLS Supporters' Shield (the award for having the best regular season record - which in most countries means you win the league) three times, and have featured superstars such as Thierry Henry, but still have yet to win MLS Cup (finishing runner up twice). In fact, they're one of three MLS founding franchises who are still around and have yet to win the MLS Cup (i.e. the ACTUAL league championship), though they do have the most Supporters' Shields of the three. On the other hand, however, the other two have won the U.S. Open Cup (a knockout tournament that runs alongside the league season which MLS doesn't seem to like as of late), so the Red Bulls remain the only original MLS team to never win a knockout tournament.

There is one other thing to discuss regarding the team: word order. When the team was rebranded after Red Bull, they were commonly known as the "New York Red Bulls" based on how teams in North America are commonly named (including much of the rest of MLS at the time of the rebrand). However, my understanding is that, as I said earlier, the team has always officially been "Red Bull New York", and I bring this up because I've heard that the team is pushing for the reduction/elimination of the "New York Red Bulls" moniker in favor of "Red Bull New York" (similar to how [New York City FC](2025-08-13_nycfc) is pushing the full "New York City" over "NYC"). As an example of this, the aforementioned development team was almost exclusively called "New York Red Bulls II" on their website when I was reading up on them prior to seeing them, but recently, they've been called "Red Bull New York II". Notably, however, their away shirt from last season - which they're still using this season - said "New York Red Bulls" (but has yet to be seen on the pitch).

Anyhoo, with all of that out of the way, let’s talk about THIS game. I found out the team’s schedule in early December 2025, and this game - the home opener mind you - jumped out at me for two reasons:

1. This game was on a Saturday at 2:30 in the afternoon. While this isn't the most important factor, only one other game before October was an afternoon game (a Sunday game at 4:30), and I kinda prefer afternoon games (partially so that these posts can be done "on time"). More importantly, however...
2. It’s against the New England Revolution! Sure, I don’t actually know if I like them or not since they’re the Buffalo Bills of MLS (with slightly less obnoxious fans on ~~𝕏~~Twitter), but they are (technically) the Boston MLS team[^3]!

With that set, I decided to try something new for this blog: company! Several of the friends I've made in the past year are really into soccer, and I figured that trying to get a group together for this match might be fun - and it was! I ended up going to this game with four friends, and thanks to SeatGeek, I was able to get us tickets for just under 40 dollars each (and I got them the day before the game too!). For those forty bucks, we got surprisingly good weather for February (plus being in the sun made it rather warm) and seats in the upper deck along one of the "touchlines" (i.e. the side lines) - and THIS was our view:

![An image of soccer being played at Sports Illustrated Stadium](/images/2026/0228-field.jpeg)

<figcaption>It's like watching on TV, but better!</figcaption>

In case you forgot from the Gotham FC game: the stadium was originally Red Bull Arena (because Red Bull), renamed to Sports Illustrated Stadium in 2024 after the magazine...’s ticketing platform (which, from what I can tell, the stadium adopted this year), has entrances at field level, its main concourse a level above (at the top of the seating bowl), and a secondary concourse for the upper deck. What I did NOT get to talk about last time, however, was the upper concourse (as the upper deck was closed for that match); ultimately...there's not much to say. It only exists on the "long" side of the upper deck; I'm not sure if there's any upper concourses on the ends.

I also forgot to mention parking last time: the stadium is a short distance from the town's PATH station (a subway system that connects parts of New Jersey to New York City), so parking is pretty abundant (and, by pro stadium standards, not that bad costwise). However, getting out of the lot ended up being quite a hassle - it took us nearly an hour just to get out of Harrison (more on this in a sec).

The match itself was actually pretty interesting (as were the pyrotechnics used for walkouts and the anthem), but it did, sadly, remind me of why I likely can't bring myself to be a full-on Revs supporter: they were outplayed for a significant portion of the game (a lot of that being due to a relative lack of talent), yet were scrappy enough to somehow "only" lose 1-0 (though it probably should have been more). One thing my friends and I noticed was that despite the stadium being only about half full (possibly due to train issues, as the PATH wasn't running), the supporters' section was much fuller/better than I think we expected (i.e. they were much louder than you'd expect watching a match on TV); while "sitting" with them in the future is a question mark[^4], we agreed coming back was definitely something we'd like to do (though hopefully my 15-mile journey home doesn't take over an hour next time - though again, that may have been due to PATH not running).

### MERCH

There were a surprising amount of merchandise areas on the main concourse - the biggest of which is the "main" store in the "south building". This match was the first time I got to see any of the merchandise areas, as none of them were open the two prior times I was here - though I did see that the main store appeared to have a door to/from a premium lounge during [the Gotham FC Open House](2025-10-18_gothamfc2).

As RBNY is a pro-level team, however, I’ve bought most things I have from them at various other places: a jersey from an Adidas store, a scarf from a Dick’s Sporting Goods, and a hat from...I honestly don’t remember (I THINK it was DSG though). However, since this game featured them taking on the Revs (again, the team I THINK I'm supposed to like), I didn't want to show any partiality (I typically wear the home team's jersey during games FWIW), so I went in a bit of a different direction: Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio (i.e. the team that knocked Dortmund out of the Champions League a few days prior).

The merch area in the upper concourse had something I somehow didn't see on the main concourse: a black soccer ball featuring the Red Bulls' logo. I did have thoughts about getting one, but since I'm trying to pull back on this due to space constraints (and the fact that it was a full size soccer ball), I ended up opting against it.

I also had thoughts about getting a jersey, but ultimately decided not to (as it's a bit less expensive at other places outside of the stadium[^5] - though the replica jerseys in the stadium are labeled as having a different "fit" than replica jerseys sold elsewhere). I did get a scarf that I liked, however, as those are MUCH harder to find outside of the stadium.

---

One other thing I feel I should mention (that I forgot to when I originally posted this): there was a moment during the game where they acknowledged their [reserve team](2025-09-22_rbnyii), who won the MLS NEXT Pro championship last year. Their home opener was on the day this was published at Sports Illustrated Stadium (which is NOT where they usually play), and I thought about going to it before ultimately deciding not to - partially due to the fact that only five sections were made available (and I wasn't expecting the concession stands and/or merchandise booth to be staffed). RBNY II ended up winning a high scoring game which also featured a player who I recognized as a former [Vermont Green](2025-08-21_vgfc) man.

---

[^1]: I never went to the old Giants Stadium; I did have a chance to visit during my senior year of high school as our football team played here for a state championship, but I passed on it...

[^2]: I mentioned this when I visited the reserve team, but Red Bull owns several soccer teams around the world; most of them are named "Red Bull \_\_\_" (except where local rules prohibit this - though Red Bull gets creative in those places).

[^3]: The Revs have not only never won MLS Cup, but have lost the final FIVE times - far and away the most of any team (including losing three in a row in the early 2000s). Also, I won't get into their ongoing stadium situation (which may actually be close to FINALLY being resolved), but I did once got a free Revs scarf from someone on Newbury Street in Boston as part of what I can only assume was a promotion for the team’s playoff push a few years ago. Not sure if they were actually "real" or not, but hey...free merch!

[^4]: The supporters' section is standing only - both for Gotham FC and the Red Bulls.

[^5]: Speaking of "jerseys outside of the stadium", there were several "vendors" on the roads outside the stadium selling jerseys! I'm 90% sure they're fakes however...


Sportventures

HOCKEY CATCH-UP: Northeast Generals

New York Cosmos (3/14/26)

Spice City FC (3/8/26)

Westchester SC (3/7/26)

Red Bull New York (2/28/26)