Toscano Family Ice Forum Impressions

[mac2351]

I think the crowd at Toscanini is much older. At least that is my take. And honestly the band has zero idea of how to be a hockey pep band. That has always been a problem but is worse now that we are this far in. They have a basketball feel. They don’t harass the other goalies. They don’t make fun of the refs. They are, in a word, too polite.

I agree. The fans need to take some of the blame for the atmosphere too. The crowd is older and quieter and the student section’s participation is virtually nil when compared to other schools. Look at QPac, UNH, BU, BC, or Maine’s student sections. Is there a hockey student section club? Maybe they need to create something like that.

 

[Sea Goat]

So this picture is me standing a few feet back on the student deck. I held my hands over my head. I was wrong about Clingan being able to see from here. He’d have to stand on his own shoulders for that to work. Totally wasted space.

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The damn building looks like it was built by committee. Everybody got their stupid feature incorporated into the design. Go look at Sacred Heart's arena built for about the same money!

 

[Bomber36]

I agree. The fans need to take some of the blame for the atmosphere too. The crowd is older and quieter and the student section’s participation is virtually nil when compared to other schools. Look at QPac, UNH, BU, BC, or Maine’s student sections. Is there a hockey student section club? Maybe they need to create something like that.

Every time I yelled last night people looked at me like I was physically assaulting them. Not one U C O N N cheer the entire night. I yelled at the refs after the embellishment call and even got the stink eye for that.

 

[UC15]

Toscano is the least intimidating environment for opposing teams to come into ... even Alaska Anchorage came into the building last year with a student-only crowd and took UConn to OT

 

[freescooter]

Every time I yelled last night people looked at me like I was physically assaulting them. Not one U C O N N cheer the entire night. I yelled at the refs after the embellishment call and even got the stink eye for that.

Lol. I know what you mean. Listen I’m no spring chicken. But I felt like one last night in my section. Get some students in there. I went to a friggin’ Wesleyan game last year with a bigger nastier crowd.

Part of it is that I don’t think UConn students know how to be hockey fans. They just don’t.

 

[Viet Vet]

I think the crowd at Toscanini is much older. At least that is my take. And honestly the band has zero idea of how to be a hockey pep band. That has always been a problem but is worse now that we are this far in. They have a basketball feel. They don’t harass the other goalies. They don’t make fun of the refs. They are, in a word, too polite.

Toscano season ticketholder here.

Yes, the crowd at Toscano is much older than at other HE rinks. Why?

That’s easy to explain. The capacity is TOO SMALL to accommodate younger potential season ticket buyers who don’t have the financial resources of the older folks (me included) to make substantial “seat donations”. Just one more of several reasons why this rink sucks.

 

[Viet Vet]

SHU vs Toscano:

Capacity: SHU - 3,600. Toscano - 2,691
Cost: SHU - $ 70million. Toscano - $70million
Chairbacks: SHU - ALL seats Toscano - approx 80-85%
Padded Seats: SHU - All seats Toscano - NONE, (excepting major donor upper level)

Contracting: SHU - Private Sector Toscano - Public Sector

 

[Bomber36]

SHU vs Toscano:

Capacity: SHU - 3,600. Toscano - 2,691
Cost: SHU - $ 70million. Toscano - $70million
Chairbacks: SHU - ALL seats Toscano - approx 80-85%
Padded Seats: SHU - All seats Toscano - NONE, (excepting major donor upper level)

Contracting: SHU - Private Sector Toscano - Public Sector

It’s a shame that something we all thought would be a huge boost for the program, the opening of Toscano, seems to be dragging it down. We all know the XL center will draw a larger base of fans if it’s properly marketed. How about 8 home games there instead of 4 in future seasons? How about actually advertising the games that are there? Kids are the future fans of this program and the XL is the only place they will be exposed to the Huskies. At rate we are going, they’re all gonna be Wolfpack fans pretty soon. The athletic department is failing this program, marketing wise.

 

[kibblesnbits]

True, but what isn’t pictured there is the band. They should not be directly behind the goalie. Elevate them elsewhere and leave fans in that spot!

That's the point I made when they built the place. Put in risers on the student deck as a bandstand so they can play above the glass instead of into it. Add the seats behind the net to the student section. Then we can start planning how to get rid of that stupid ground level club section at the other end and replace that with seats too. Alternatively, if they want a student standing section maybe put it there, but, if you are going to imitate a soccer stadium, then do it like they do with tiered rows separated by standing bars.

 

[Viet Vet]

That's the point I made when they built the place. Put in risers on the student deck as a bandstand so they can play above the glass instead of into it. Add the seats behind the net to the student section. Then we can start planning how to get rid of that stupid ground level club section at the other end and replace that with seats too. Alternatively, if they want a student standing section maybe put it there, but, if you are going to imitate a soccer stadium, then do it like they do with tiered rows separated by standing bars.

You are preaching to the choir. Keep it up. Perhaps the athletic department will respond if we all scream bloody murder.

I've been to eight of our HE opponents' rinks (not UNH and Lowell). Only two (maybe) are as bad as ours: Merrimack (opened in 1972) and Northeastern (opened in 1910).

 

[DblCrossbar]

I agree. The fans need to take some of the blame for the atmosphere too. The crowd is older and quieter and the student section’s participation is virtually nil when compared to other schools. Look at QPac, UNH, BU, BC, or Maine’s student sections. Is there a hockey student section club? Maybe they need to create something like that.

To some degree you are correct, but there are too many broken spaces in the “bowl” where seating is and too much glass that hides play and other fans and the disjointed feeling makes it harder to fell like you’re one big group who cheers in unison. Also there are too many entire rows of seats that are unoccupied for what is purportedly a sold out game. What gives there? Terrible! We don’t even hear the oohs and ahhs when a shot is taken - no excitement and most of it is because the design works against fans.

The bowl of the XL/HCC with its great sight lines is almost perfect beyond any arena and that includes TD garden and MSG. It’s simple, steep, and raucous even when 60 percent filled. It’s doubtful, but it would be great if they scheduled 6-8 there every season. Say what you will but that place at least has soul vs the antiseptic look and feel of Tuscano.

 

[DblCrossbar]

The damn building looks like it was built by committee. Everybody got their stupid feature incorporated into the design. Go look at Sacred Heart's arena built for about the same money!

Blame JCJ architects for the arena portion of the TFIF. Maybe the players’ sections are fine and even appealing, but an experienced hockey arena designer would have held the line and been more of a consultant and pushed to say no on many of the “features” ( bugs) - especially with such a tiny footprint. Instead all of the big arena amenities were squeezed I. When a contiguous bowl should have been the answer. In addition to the Martire Family Arena at SHU (ok they also messed up with the band taking up prime seats behind the goal) see also Schneider Arena in Providence for a comparison of a venue about the same size and much more intimate and energetic because the simplest and most effective arena shape that brings fans in as a cohesive ”one” for hockey is established and unbroken.

 

[DblCrossbar]

That's the point I made when they built the place. Put in risers on the student deck as a bandstand so they can play above the glass instead of into it. Add the seats behind the net to the student section. Then we can start planning how to get rid of that stupid ground level club section at the other end and replace that with seats too. Alternatively, if they want a student standing section maybe put it there, but, if you are going to imitate a soccer stadium, then do it like they do with tiered rows separated by standing bars.

100% those alterations would help a lot for starters! As for the band, I can’t hear the drum kit or saxophones at all from where I’m at on the other side since the band isn’t mic’d and the sound from those instruments is blocked and reflected backwards…

 

[NE Football]

The place should have been at least 5,000 capacity. With the cost of the site work, architectural and structural cost, it never makes sense to have only 2,700 seats. It would not have cost that much more to add 2,300 seats, especially considering the 50-75 year lifespan of the building.

The same people who screwed up this project are in charge of our football team. Yikes! That’s scary bad news!

 

[freescooter]

I’m not one of those who say it should be 5000 seats. I think the size is maybe a bit small but not way too small. I’ve been to several game there and never seen it filled. And while I’m not someone who thinks you need a passport to cross the Connecticut River, it does take some effort to get there. So for years when we have bad teams, like this one seems headed for, you don’t have 3500 empty seats. Great years it will be sold out but that’s fine. BTW, I’d just put some temp bleachers in the standing room area and lose the row of tables which totally blocks any view. Then give out student tix for that area.

 

[ableton04]

It's not filled because UConn has a problem where people (presumably big $$$$ donors) are buying tickets and not actually schlepping out to Storrs. It's bad enough that they had to send that email reminding people HEY DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN TRANSFER OR SELL YOUR TICKETS.

Now they've got an arena that's technically sold out so they can't attract last minute fans or expand to meet demand for big matchups, except it's never actually full. Great job folks.