A group of Loyola students attended the Capitals versus Blue Jackets game on Nov. 4 and witnessed a Capitals win of 2-1. The game was full of action-packed moments for students to enjoy on their Saturday night.
The arena was quite full, with ESPN reporting that there were 18,573 fans in attendance to watch the win. Over 80 Loyola students made up a section of these fans, showing their hockey spirit.
The Capitals came out strong, scoring two goals in the first period and holding the Blue Jackets to one in the second period with none in the third. Washington celebrated their 1000th win in franchise history with goals by Tom Wilson and Sonny Milano.
The Capitals goalie, Charlie Lindgren, was a major part of this game, making 35 saves in his first game back from injury since Oct. 13.
ESPN reported: “Being back in the pipes tonight felt good. It’s been over three weeks since I played, and to get a big win over Columbus was pretty awesome,” Lindgren said.
However, in the first period, defensive player Trevor Van Riemsdyk on the Capitals was removed from the game. He suffered a lower-body injury that could affect the team moving forward. Injuries have been a problem for the team early in the season, so the Caps are looking to avoid any more serious injuries to their starters.
Loyola students had the opportunity to pay just $20 for a ticket and bus transportation to the game, inspiring many to spend their Saturday night at the Capital One Arena cheering on the Caps.
“It was a cheap, easy, and fun option for something to do with my friends outside of Loyola on a cold night,” Gwen Berger ‘27 said.
The trip was organized by the Hound Activities & Programming Board (HAP), a club at Loyola that creates and plans on-campus and off-campus events. All students are welcome to sign up for these events on The Bridge when they are looking for something to do with friends on the weekends.
Students sat in sections 407 and 408, all grouped together to create a Loyola cheering section full of energy. People were locked into the game, dancing to the music during timeouts, and playing along with the random games on the jumbotron.
“I’m not that big of a hockey fan, but I loved dancing to all the songs they played. By the second period, I was cheering for a team I never watched before and was excited whenever the smallest fight broke out,” Sam Bailey, ‘27 said.
As a result of the Caps being an hour bus ride away, and Baltimore not having an NHL team, many students are not able to go to hockey games during the season. Caps games can be fun outings for students, but some just need the means and opportunity to go.
“I would definitely sign up to go to more events like this with everything planned out, and it’s fun to go in a big group and make up an entire cheering section,” Berger said.
The Capitals are now 5-4 on the season, sitting in the middle of the Metropolitan Division. The team has won four of their last five games and will face the Blue Jackets again later in the month, so make sure to look out for Loyola students in the stands.