Esksfans Get-Together - Bears Hockey vs Regina, Fri Jan 25
Well, I said I'd try and get you all out to a Bears game 
as I've heard from a lot of people that they haven't been to one in ages/ever - so here it is.
Picked this game because there are absolutely NO conflicts with anything that night - no Oilers or O-Kings, no Rush, etc. And it's far enough away so that I'm able to give you all a fair bit of notice. So there are few excuses not to come.
What: U of A Golden Bears Hockey vs. Regina Cougars
When: Friday January 25, 7:30 pm
Where: Clare Drake Arena (on UA campus, 89 Ave and 116 St) (section E)
Who: Esksfans members, family, friends, complete nobodies, and whoever else...Regina games don't usually draw all that well, but since there are no other hockey conflicts I'm hoping there'll be a decent crowd, and then I'll try to pack the rest of the house by myself if that's what it takes.
Tickets: All available at the door, and all general admission.
Adults: $10
Students/Youth: $5
U of A Students: $4
Family Pack (2 adults, up to 3 youth): $25
Things you should know
Parking: Best place to park is the Stadium Car Park ($3.75) - when coming from anywhere but the west, go west on 87 Ave, north on 116 St, east on 89 Ave, and the parkade is on the left.
The Education Car Park (on 114 St north of 87 Ave) will work too...the best way to get in from there is to go directly across 114 St, and north of the car-drop-off-area there will be a split stairway, go downstairs, inside, and the Athletics Office will be straight down the hallway and on the right.
Where to get tickets: The ticket booth is located inside the Van Vliet Centre (when coming up from the stadium parkade, don't go in the first set of doors at the arena...go to the next set of doors, go upstairs, and the windows are on the left). Tix can also be purchased at the Athletics Office, which is through the same set of doors but DOWNstairs, and on the right.
If you're REALLY gung-ho, you can call 492-BEAR and get them in advance (Will Call is at the Athletics Office), or go through Ticketmaster.
Seating: The Drake is all bleacher benches (slabs, really) without backs
- so if you have those fold-up stadium chair things, or seat cushions, probably best to bring 'em.
Seating map: http://www.ticketmaster.ca/seatingchart/139652/13024
Sections A-E and H-L have upper tiers as well which aren't evident on the map, and they are separated from the lower deck by the concourse walkway.
Where to sit: I like to be in section E, lower deck, around the faceoff circle, about row D...at the Drake, the seating begins at the top of the boards, so the feet of the people in the first row are just below the glass line. The 4th row up puts your head just over the glass for the most part, giving a good view.
That's the home side, and the closed end of the horseshoe (the far end from the entrance) also is the zone the Bears attack twice, which puts most of the action down there a lot of the time. Also prime heckling territory to get in the ear of the opposing goalie.
So, that's where I'll be...and it also usually isn't quite as busy, so we should be able to fit everyone into the one area. Might have to extend down into the corner a bit, but that's okay.
What to bring: Most likely anything you want - the only thing that cannot be brought in is alcohol, AFAIK. So your own food, pop, whatever, is fine...and noisemakers etc. won't ever go amiss, either.
Colours: Esks gear will work fine, and if you've put that all away, green is good.
Concessions: UA will set up tables in the main concourse of the arena (at the entrance, the east end) and there's usually pizza, pretzels, pop, popcorn, candy, etc. there. Oh, and of course there's beer, too (Big Rock products). Upstairs by the ticket windows is the other concession which will have hot dogs, popcorn, pop, chips, etc., and there's usually a Sno-Cone booth there as well.
Souvenirs: Available at the Athletics Office and UA will set a booth up in the arena as well.
When to be there: I plan to be there by 7:00...I'd advise all of you to be at least on campus by 7ish as well, especially if you have to get tickets. Though they won't be horrible, as only the Pandas volleyballers and the puck Bears will be playing at home that night, there will be lines for both parking and tickets in all likelihood, especially closer to faceoff. You should be able to avoid the worst of it if you're there and parked by five past or so. And that way you're also in good shape to get a good seat - the good sections start filling at about 7:15, usually.
I've told you all of this so that we don't have to formally meet beforehand and thus things won't be complicated. If you would like to post that you're coming, great and I'll try and save some seats for you (though I can only save so many, being one person ). And if people would like to meet beforehand, that'll work too.
I'm really not kidding about bringing your families and whoever else - short of renting a movie, UA athletics is easily the cheapest night of entertainment in town for families. If you have kiddies, bring 'em - they can be introduced to GUBA.
Anything else you want to know, post and I'll try to answer it.
Hope to see at least some of you out.
as I've heard from a lot of people that they haven't been to one in ages/ever - so here it is. Picked this game because there are absolutely NO conflicts with anything that night - no Oilers or O-Kings, no Rush, etc. And it's far enough away so that I'm able to give you all a fair bit of notice. So there are few excuses not to come.
What: U of A Golden Bears Hockey vs. Regina Cougars
When: Friday January 25, 7:30 pm
Where: Clare Drake Arena (on UA campus, 89 Ave and 116 St) (section E)
Who: Esksfans members, family, friends, complete nobodies, and whoever else
...Regina games don't usually draw all that well, but since there are no other hockey conflicts I'm hoping there'll be a decent crowd, and then I'll try to pack the rest of the house by myself if that's what it takes. Tickets: All available at the door, and all general admission.
Adults: $10
Students/Youth: $5
U of A Students: $4
Family Pack (2 adults, up to 3 youth): $25
Things you should know
Parking: Best place to park is the Stadium Car Park ($3.75) - when coming from anywhere but the west, go west on 87 Ave, north on 116 St, east on 89 Ave, and the parkade is on the left.
The Education Car Park (on 114 St north of 87 Ave) will work too...the best way to get in from there is to go directly across 114 St, and north of the car-drop-off-area there will be a split stairway, go downstairs, inside, and the Athletics Office will be straight down the hallway and on the right.
Where to get tickets: The ticket booth is located inside the Van Vliet Centre (when coming up from the stadium parkade, don't go in the first set of doors at the arena...go to the next set of doors, go upstairs, and the windows are on the left). Tix can also be purchased at the Athletics Office, which is through the same set of doors but DOWNstairs, and on the right.
If you're REALLY gung-ho, you can call 492-BEAR and get them in advance (Will Call is at the Athletics Office), or go through Ticketmaster.
Seating: The Drake is all bleacher benches (slabs, really) without backs
- so if you have those fold-up stadium chair things, or seat cushions, probably best to bring 'em. Seating map: http://www.ticketmaster.ca/seatingchart/139652/13024
Sections A-E and H-L have upper tiers as well which aren't evident on the map, and they are separated from the lower deck by the concourse walkway.
Where to sit: I like to be in section E, lower deck, around the faceoff circle, about row D...at the Drake, the seating begins at the top of the boards, so the feet of the people in the first row are just below the glass line. The 4th row up puts your head just over the glass for the most part, giving a good view.
That's the home side, and the closed end of the horseshoe (the far end from the entrance) also is the zone the Bears attack twice, which puts most of the action down there a lot of the time. Also prime heckling territory to get in the ear of the opposing goalie.
So, that's where I'll be
...and it also usually isn't quite as busy, so we should be able to fit everyone into the one area. Might have to extend down into the corner a bit, but that's okay. What to bring: Most likely anything you want - the only thing that cannot be brought in is alcohol, AFAIK. So your own food, pop, whatever, is fine...and noisemakers etc. won't ever go amiss, either.
Colours: Esks gear will work fine
, and if you've put that all away, green is good. Concessions: UA will set up tables in the main concourse of the arena (at the entrance, the east end) and there's usually pizza, pretzels, pop, popcorn, candy, etc. there. Oh, and of course there's beer, too (Big Rock products). Upstairs by the ticket windows is the other concession which will have hot dogs, popcorn, pop, chips, etc., and there's usually a Sno-Cone booth there as well.
Souvenirs: Available at the Athletics Office and UA will set a booth up in the arena as well.
When to be there: I plan to be there by 7:00...I'd advise all of you to be at least on campus by 7ish as well, especially if you have to get tickets. Though they won't be horrible, as only the Pandas volleyballers and the puck Bears will be playing at home that night, there will be lines for both parking and tickets in all likelihood, especially closer to faceoff. You should be able to avoid the worst of it if you're there and parked by five past or so. And that way you're also in good shape to get a good seat - the good sections start filling at about 7:15, usually.
I've told you all of this so that we don't have to formally meet beforehand and thus things won't be complicated
. If you would like to post that you're coming, great and I'll try and save some seats for you (though I can only save so many, being one person ). And if people would like to meet beforehand, that'll work too.I'm really not kidding about bringing your families and whoever else
- short of renting a movie, UA athletics is easily the cheapest night of entertainment in town for families. If you have kiddies, bring 'em - they can be introduced to GUBA. Anything else you want to know, post and I'll try to answer it.
Hope to see at least some of you out.
. 5-4 eight-round shootout loss on Friday night and 5-4 regulation loss on Saturday. Sounds like they didn't play particularly well in either game.
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