The boisterous Polar Bear fans packed into Snoopy’s Home Ice for the opening game of the hockey season against the UC Berkeley Golden Bears. With not a single seat empty, the standing room reached all the way around to the players’ bench. Fans cheered wildly as the game started and energy ran high the entire game. Cal-State came onto the rink first and was immediately drenched in boos.
Throughout the game, SRJC fans screamed for their team and ridiculed Berkeley every chance they got. “Hey number 19! The streetlights are on, does your mother know you’re out?” screamed one heckler. Another antagonist shouted, “Yo, goalie! Does your glove have a hole in it or do you just suck?”
At almost every stop in play the audience would erupt with, “Hit him in the mouth!” Two minutes into the second period, two players wailed away on the ground as the refs slowly approached while the crowd howled with glee. With every Polar Bear goal scored a monstrous roar arose from the crowd with fans flailing their arms and jumping in excitement. Players constantly checked each other into the glass boards, dislodging hooks holding in place a feeble plastic net protecting the audience.
The hockey club, known as the Polar Bears rather than the Bear Cubs, the official SRJC mascot, pulverized the Golden Bears on Sept. 16 scoring six goals in the first period alone. They finished the game tallying 11-1. The impressive combination of Adam Johnson, who scored four goals, and Cam Davis, who scored twice, proved to be lethal.
This is an average night at an SRJC hockey game or at any sporting event the Bear Cubs host. Whether you are a gridiron junky, a soccer hooligan or a baseball lifer, the Bear Cubs’ athletic department has something to offer.
SRJC won a statewide general excellence athletic award for the 2010-11 season for the all around success achieved by the Bear Cubs. The women’s basketball team won a state title and both swim teams took third overall in the state.
The Polar Bears played back-to-back games on Sept. 23-24 against the defending American Collegiate Hockey Association champions College of the Canyons and Cal-State Northridge. The squad lost the first game to the defending champs 7-4, but pulled out an impressive win over the highly ranked Northridge 10-7.
Fans across Sonoma County would be hard-pressed to find a higher quality source for sports other than SRJC. The Sonoma State Seawolves have experienced recent success in various sports, however, the student and fan support is almost non-existent.
An average Seawolves’ sporting event consists of scattered cheers and a dispirited fan base. Most of the fans who show up to express their support are parents or family members of the players and do not bring much excitement to the crowd. There are no signs symbolizing team pride, no one with ridiculously painted faces and no exuberant heckling. Not an exhilarating experience.
Whether people attend an SRJC football game, water polo match or a swim meet the environment provided by Bear Cub fans is incomparable. SRJC students and fans embrace the Bear Cubs tradition of supporting the community’s local athletes while appreciating the college environment.
“I’ve been to both SSU and JC games and JC fans are always crazy fun,” SRJC student James Cope said.
College athletics has always been about creating a thrilling atmosphere along with school pride, which can be enjoyed by fans of all ages and SRJC provides nothing less.