Living in northern Westchester County, we are fortunate to be so close to West Point Military Academy. Besides being a top tier educational institution, West Point is home to some pretty competitive sports teams. This past Saturday evening, our family visited West Point to spend a night with the Black Nights ice hockey team. This was the first time that either my husband or kids had ever been to an ice hockey game.
Attending an ice hockey game was my husband’s winter family bucket list item. We decided to go see a West Point hockey game, since they play so close to home. After referencing our calendar, we picked a date and purchased our tickets online via the Army Hockey website.
Tate Rink is located inside the 131,000 square foot Holleder Center. There are multiple entrances to the building. We parked in the F lot, where there are stairs that lead directly down to the center. Our tickets had an 8:00 PM start time printed on them. Luckily, we arrived at the rink around 7:15 PM, thinking we were early. We discovered that the game had started at 7 PM and we had missed almost the entire first period!
We had purchased $15 bleacher seats that were three rows from being the last seats. Although our seats were high up, literally almost in the rafters, I thought we had a great view of the game.
For those unfamiliar with ice hockey, like I was, two teams of 5 players, plus the goalie are on the ice at a time. The game consists of three, 20-minute periods. With time outs, ref calls, etc. and zambonis resurfacing the ice in between each period, expect to be at a game for more than the 60 minutes of active play time.
The evening that we attended, the Black Knights were playing Niagara University. The game was fast-paced and exciting. I was a bit surprised at how aggressive the players were and several fights occurred throughout the game. At various times throughout the game the penalty box was occupied by players from both teams!
During the game we saw, breaks in the playing time were filled with upbeat music, an emoji camera (requesting you to flex for the cam!) and more!
These two particular teams were pretty well matched and the game went into a five minute overtime, after the third period ended in a 4-4 tie. With less than 41 seconds remaining on the clock, Conor Andrle scored a goal, clinching a win for the Black Knights!
Thinking we were seeing a late game (8 PM) we ate dinner before we arrived at the rink. However, there are concession stands selling food and beverages.
Overall, we had a great time seeing the Black Knights hockey team play. I am looking forward to attending another game or two next year!
I highly recommend attending local college and or minor league sports events with your family. They are an affordable night of family fun and are a great introduction to sporting events for kids.
The Details:
The Black Knights hockey season is usually from October through February.
When: There are still two home games, February 18 and February 25.
Tickets: $15-$20 ($15/bleacher seats, $20/chair seats)
Getting There: Take 9W north to 218. (the first exit that notes West Point) The entrance to West Point is directly across the exit ramp. Be prepared for the driver of the vehicle to show picture ID and have your car trunk searched.
Parking: Free parking is available in the A or F lots.
Concessions: Food including chicken fingers, fries, popcorn, cotton and beverages are available for purchase.
