UMD, DECC Continue to Host Hockey Games at Amsoil Arena With No Fan Attendance

Despite having no fans in the stands, UMD and the DECC have teamed up to create an experience that is more tailored to the women's hockey team.

DULUTH, Minn. – While the UMD men’s hockey team has been down in Omaha for the NCHC pod, the women’s team has been back home to start their season. But it’s been a different experience at Amsoil Arena, not only for the players, but for the people who work behind the scenes as well.

For the past decade, Amsoil Arena has been the place to be every weekend for all UMD hockey fans. But then the pandemic struck. And a place that would host thousands of people is now home to a deafening silence. But with games still going on, some people still had to show up to do their job.

“Well I think it was tough for us to comprehend. The facilities here are built to have people in them. It’s a little surreal to experience it, especially after these first couple weeks,” DECC venue operations director Jeff Stark said.

“Without even the parents here, I think that makes a big difference because obviously, the parents are some of the biggest fans,” said Amsoil Arena public address announcer Mark Fleischer.

“We still wanted to provide different opportunities for people to stay involved via fan cutouts that we have in the stands. But also provide a great experience for our student athletes that are competing,” UMD assistant athletic director Brian Nystrom said.

And players aren’t the only ones getting tested for COVID-19.

“Our staff also tests multiple times. We test weekly as well, too, to make sure that there’s no issues. And as of right now, there has not been any community spread at this building since we started the pandemic,” Stark said.

But besides the fans, UMD women’s hockey games are basically the same.

“We have the same music DJ that’s DJ’ing the events. Our same PA announcer. We have student operators for cameras, graphics, and producing the games for our video board. It really created a unique experience for them. Outside the crowd noise, they feel like it’s the same. It’s lights out. It’s intro videos. It’s a fun experience for them outside of that fan noise,” said Nystrom.

“Now I would say it’s more like announcing a high school game where it’s pretty much you do the scoring, you do the penalties, you do the starting lineup. There really isn’t any other fan fare to go with it,” Fleischer said.

Public address announcer Mark Fleischer has been calling games at Amsoil since it opened in 2010.

“So I’ve found myself probably enunciating a little more than I normally would. You’re more conscious of listening to yourself. Between periods, you run to the restroom or walk around, where now we’re pretty much confined to staying right in the scorer’s booth once you go down there until the game is done and someone escorts you out of the building,” said Fleischer.

And don’t forget the music. And with no fans, that means less 80’s rock and more hip-hop.

“With the fans, it’s very important. You can get the fans really loud when you play their favorite song. But with no fans, it’s a little bit of a dueling task. Pumping up no one is not a good thing, but you want to do it for the student-athletes,” UMD Bulldogs DJ Cory Prekker said.

And while there are no more home games left in 2020, the team at Amsoil Arena says the experience has left them longing for the day when fans will be back to see the Bulldogs.

“The band will be “How much time is left in the period” so you’re kind of waiting for that to happen instead of just saying one minute left to go in the period. So those sort of things I look forward to having them back,” Fleischer said.

“I think we’ll all be excited when we can hear the cheers to the videos, the cheers when the team hits the ice. After that first goal is scored or after that first win, or first sweep and stick-tap on the ice when fans are back here and able to cheer our teams on,” said Nystrom.

“It is a facility built for people. It’s built to gather. It’s built to share community and that’s what we really want to have, is a community to come back here and experience this with us,” Stark said.