You picked Suffern to repeat as the Division 1 champion by a 2-to-1 margin, which says to me that more people respect the program than like the program. You get that when a team keeps rattling off championships. Mamaroneck is coming back with a lot of experience and was second, followed by New Rochelle, Mahopac and Clarkstown.
We might see a wild card move into the conversation as the year progresses.
There’s a new poll up now … Be honest, which team has the best fan support? We’re seeing decent crowds at the big games at every rink. Students are getting organized and exerting social media pressure to get classmates involved. I’m only including schools who’ve come out in large numbers over the last two or three seasons.
48 Comments
really good question
who has the loudest/biggest crowds
The Mahopac crowd is a game changer
Hommocks – anytime you have Bigby and Rocket Fuel in the same crowd the atmosphere is combustable…
Pac fans are unbelievable
The “mahopac maniacs” should clearly have the best fans, especially after being voted #1 best fan section last year by MSGV
I have watched many section 1 games and nothing compares to the Maniacs numbers, crafty chants and ways to get into the other teams head
Dont forget wp’s fans
Nothing compares to a Suffern playoff game at Sport-O-Rama. Hommocks is definitely an intense atmosphere, but not quite as intense as a packed house at Sport-O.
Suffern playoff atmosphere is cool but overall the maniacs seem pretty legit, especially in football and basketball
Pac.
Dont forget about jjcr
Mike- All these are good choices. The Garnets are going to have to do it ths year without the benefit of the Playland faithful and DJ on Wednesday nites. Not sure Rye will have its usual home following at far flung home venues like the Hutch and South Norwalk. Garnets are going to have to be road warriors this season.
Rockland goes to Suffern
Westchester goes to Mamaroneck (but only when they are good). When they are not good… nobody shows. White Plains gets second place.
BIA…. who knows. Never been there in my life.
Rocket Fuel
C’mon up for Mamaroneck vs. Mahopac. I can steer you toward pizza that’s better than you get at home, and the crowd will be lively.
Pac fans will be rocking the house at BIA tomorrow, Mamaroneck will not feel at home as they do at Hommocks, the “Mahopac Maniacs” will be in rocking the arena and noise will be something Mamo is not used to. Rocket Fuel will have to spend a few dollars for the trip.
I think the power rankings will be changing next week.
Brewster does okay with their crowds when they are having a winning season because they are so close to BIA.
Cmmon Mike, you must have never been to Sal’s Pizza in Mamaroneck, it’s an institution and a right of passage if you live in Mamaroneck.
I’ll give the Maniacs a lot of credit, they are great boosters, but there is nothing as intense as being in the Jungle during a hockey game. If the hot bartender is working in “Player’s” at BIA when a game is going on, the crowd in there wins hands down, tons of ex hockey players peacocking.
I’ll go with Suffern fans during playoff time.
Carmel will run over the so called “state champs” if given a chance suffern would know who is really the champs are
Timmy stock is the dark horse of the league, his outstanding stick skills and outmatched leadership qualities will lead pac through states
I’m pretty sure MSGV voted the mahopac fans number one in the section
@hockey>>>>>>>you must be kidding or are you in the land of make belive!!
CarmelPuck – Carmel couldn’t beat Sufferns mite team let alone the State champs, when was the last time Carmel won anything except a Girl Scott cookie selling contest, go win 85% of your games than come talk to me, than you could talk the talk, but right now your on planet dream land!!
” OH BY THE WAY – CARMEL WHO – CARMEL WHERE ”
IS CARMEL EVEN IN SECTION 1?????
@carmelpuck – carmel lost 9-0 to Greeley, now how exactly are vthey going to beat Suffern?
No way BIA has better sicilian than Sal’s Pizza. Now I’m starving.
I’m sticking with Mamaroneck 7 Pac 3. We shall see.
There is no better pizza than Sal’s pizza. I grew up on it at 25 cents a slice. And I think that mamk takes Pac but 4 to 3 game.
Rocket Fuel
The good pizza is a quick ride over the border and into Danbury, Conn., not in the rink. I do like Sal’s for the Sicilian, the question is, can you pick up a couple squares and drive up 684 before it cools? I’m hungry, too.
Mike,
If you are referring to Bambino’s in Danbury….That’s Sal’s son and the Pizza is a close second to the original…FYI
Now back to hockey,
Mamaroneck by 4..
Did Suffern leave this evening for Syracuse or are they going tomorrow?
Someone untie Bigby from the bed posts.
Carmel beating suffern? what a joke. The Carmel camels couldn’t beat sufferns freshman, even if they were covered in steamy caramel
Wp fans are awesome. They come out to every game in the freezing cold at ebersol and even trip it all the way to sport-o to support their team. But the overall best has to be Mamo, anyone who has ever been to a game in the jungle knows that there is nothing like it
Carmel to suffern is like suffern to the Nashville predators. wouldn’t happen even If they had Jatomir Jagr in his prime
Pac has great fans but lots of holes, Mamaroneck by 5.
Suffern vs Carmel prediction 11-0 if it was played and they leave tomorrow morning for the game against west genny
Pelham vs Rye is the best atmosphere, and the best crowd support is Pelham! Go pelham go!
Carmelpuck-
You do know that to win you need to score more goals than the other team right?
At least you should know considering you probably watch every game from the bench and if you are lucky you are probably backup water boy
http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/11/sals-pizzeria-mamaroneck-new-york-ny-sicilian-pizza-review.html
Check out the sicilian.
Then mangia e statti zitto.
Mike- This pizza angle could be your next poll. Both entertaining and educational!!!!
It pains me to say it because I know just about everything, but I know very little about good pizza in the area.
For the Mamaroneck folks coming up for a pregame pizza, Bambino’s on Mill Plain Road is very good. I like Tuscanero’s better. It’s in the shopping plaza straight off exit 2 on I-84, 10-12 minutes from the rink.
Here is the thing. I think Suffern has the best fans. They paint themselves, they usually behave very well (except when they threw stuff on the ice after a painful Mamk loss), and they are always big in numbers. But we don’t know if they would come out if Suffern was not good, but that is the case with all teams I guess.
Mamaroneck has the best rink for fans. It feels like they are right on top of the ice. You can hear everything they say. So just from a proximity standpoint, the jungle is the best rink if you are a home team. SOR, the fans are a normal distance from the ice, they are not allowed to be pushed up against the glass like at Mamk. Mamk officials always look completely flustered trying to control the crowd. Hommocks certainly has the best and loudest sound system. I think they have speakers donated from Slayer and Judas Priest.
So, best fan base = Suffern
Best Rink for fans = Mamaroneck
While Ebersole can be brutally cold, I kinda like it.
Worst rink for fans = Probably WSA, as all the softies sit in the food area behind the glass all snug and warm. Ice Hutch is pretty sterile.
If either Mamo or Pac have designs on challeneging Suffern this year, then the winner of tonite’s game better allow 2 or less goals. You don’t beat the Mounties in a shootout. Gotta develop a style that allows you to eeke out a 2-1 win. Like what MW almost accomplished in the regional last year. No forwards flying the defensive zone early on the breakout. No pinching at the point. Third forward high in the offenive zone all the time. Might as well start practicing that now. Suffern is sooo good at taking advantage of teams that take chances on defense.
The Jungle thing where the student body surrounds the glass is pretty special. I actually think the Hutch is great for Rye/Pelham. Although not scheduled yet, I figure with Playland down, that is where “the game” will be played this season. Maybe with Rye on the home bench. Playland would be even better than it already is if they let the fans sit on both sides of the balcony, like they do for college games. Talk about the fans being right on top of things. For HS and travel, the Playland rule is that only “officials” (including parents with video equipment), can sit in the balcony directly above the benches. I guess they don’t want fans agitating the high school players. If you sit on that side for college games, you can hear the coaches’ instructions to players and them working the refs. Very entertaining.
Carmel beat Suffern…That has to be the best joke of 2012! They got smashed by Greely and had to go to a shootout to beat Pawling.
FOTG
The last time Mamk beat suffern, Sean Hagan (defense) snuck in on the back door with 15 seconds left in the game, and buried the winner. Mamk is Mamk, they play that way and it works for them. This is why they are the only section 1 team to beat Suffern in the last bunch of years besides WP.
We have seen so many teams drop 5 guys in front of their goalie in a lame ineffective attempt to keep the game close… meanwhile they have no intention of winning the game. They just want to say “hey we only lost to suffern by 4”. Mamk always tries to win the game with their offense and skating. Sitting back and playing D vs. Suffern is like the prevent defense of hockey… most teams do it… but it never seems to work.
Last year, Pelham opened it up a little bit in their first game with the Mounties at SOR and got blown out. The Pelicans went back to their patented “defense first” approach in the second match at the Hutch and Suffern needed to score late to get the tie.
For the fans, the Mamo “offense first” approach is fun to watch. But, it worked best when the Tigers had a very acrobatric goalie (like Glaser) to make huge saves when exposed.
The best part about hockey is that most fans cant play it. Everyone can play basketball, throw a football or baseball or even attempt lax. You play hockey as a 5 year old and go from there. Its about being totally dedicated to the sport and very few achieve success, let alone play it at the high school level. I think thats why high school hockey is by far and away the most exciting for the fans to watch. The toughness of the game combined with the skill level to skate, pass, shoot and body check, all with your head up is what makes it so much fun to watch. Let alone the ability to cream a guy who has his head down, LEGALLY!
All high school fans should be commended because they have to travel AND pay to get in. They do it for the passion of the sport and because ITS COOL TO BE THRE and its a fun night out for most. Its come a long way in the 13 years its been in Westchester/Putnam and from crowds of 10 (mostly parents/girl friends) to what it is today, its just a fantastic tribute to all high schools for getting kids out to watch this great sport. Very few if any of the players will play beyond high school. One of the really great things about HS hockey is most of the players play WITH opponents on other teams for their travel programs. I’ve seen guys go into the corner and almost kill themselves in HS hockey, then laugh at themselves silly when the ref breaks them up and tell the ref they are linemates on the Bulldogs team they will be on weekends.
The Maniacs are my pick but Suffern during playoff time is over the top great.
When evaluating the fan base, don’t discount the sheer number of Suffern fans that showed up in Utica last year. I’m pretty sure they had the largest crowd there (including the section3 schools for which the Aud is in their backyard). Also, something has to be said for the amount of people who showed up in downtown Suffern to greet the team with a parade that was set up via cell phone & facebook during the 3.5 hour bus ride home from utica.
Carmel and Somers 0 -0 after 1
End of 2. Mamk 4 PAC 0
Although the fans in sport-o are farther back from the ice than the fans at the jungle, the sheer number of fans at any game makes up for it. There’s no comparison (within the section) with the noise level in sport-o during Suffern games. After a goal during the playoffs, especially late in the game, you cannot hear anything but the roar of the crowd. Mamaroneck has an amazing fan base and rink as well, but it just doesn’t stack up. Also, I may be wrong about this, but I’m pretty sure that the MSG Varsity school fan base rankings came from a public poll, not a serious analysis of local fan bases by their “experts”.