Opinion

UWRF athletics provide free, fun entertainment for long winter months

By Ashley Goettl

November 4, 2010

As the leaves fade away and the air turns to ice, there is a renewed sense of energy that is surrounding the UW-River Falls campus. There are plenty of reasons to come out and support Falcon athletics.

The women’s soccer team hosted the first round of the WIAC playoffs. The Falcons came into the tournament as the number four seed and hosted the fifth seed Platteville.

On Saturday, the football team says goodbye to a coaching legend. This game will be Coach John O’Grady’s last at Ramer field. Even though the Falcons have had a rough season thus far, students should come out for the final send off. O’Grady has been a part of Falcon football for 37 seasons.

In case you miss the football game and would rather stay inside for the action, come check out the men and women’s hockey teams. The men are 2-1 on the season and are currently ranked ninth in the country. They opened the NCHA season with a thrilling 5-3 victory over the Yellowjackets of UW-Superior. Their next home game is against conference foe UW-Eau Claire on Nov. 12. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. in Hunt Arena.

The women’s hockey team will have their next home game on Nov.19. They take on Lake Forest College. The game gets underway at 7:05 p.m. in Hunt Arena. It should be an exciting season for the women, who were just one game shy of the Frozen Four a year ago.

The men and women’s basketball teams are close to their home openers as well. The men open on Nov. 16 against Viterbo at 7 p.m. in the Karges gymnasium.

The women — who were just shy of a postseason birth a year ago — open on Nov. 23 against Macalester College. Tip off is also at 7 p.m.

In case none of that excitement brings you out of the congested dorms to see your fellow Falcons in action, there is another reason: if you bring your student ID, you can get into any home athletic contest for free. It is a great way to spend your weekends and to take a break from all of the studying I know we are all doing!

The WIAC offers some of the most competitive sporting events around the country. With over 400 student-athletes involved in Falcon athletics, chances are at least one of them is a fellow classmate. For more information on the players, teams and schedules of all Falcon teams, check out the athletic website at http://www.uwrf.edu/sports.

Ashley Goettl is an alumna of UW-River Falls. She was editor of the Student Voice from fall semester 2011 to spring semester 2013.