
### _[26 IN 26 STOP 3](26in26list)_

_\*This trip occurred on January 24, 2026._

The NBA G League: where NBA dreams go to...I’m honestly not sure how to finish this.

Unlike baseball and hockey, the NBA has only one “official” minor league: the G League. It's a rather "recent" development for the NBA: founded in 2001 as the National Basketball Developmental League (NBDL), it was renamed to the NBA Development League (or D-League) in 2005, then became the G League after a sponsorship deal with Gatorade, making it the first league in the United States to bear the name of a sponsor (and one of very few leagues in the United States to be named after a sponsor[^1]). Similar to the AHL, it is RARE for guys to end up becoming NBA mainstays from the G League; in fact, at least two infamous draft busts have ended up in the league - a move that all but killed their NBA careers.

Originally, teams in the league were independently owned and “affiliated” with NBA teams similar to how MLB/NHL teams are affiliated with minor league teams. However, as part of an initiative by the NBA to make the league more akin to other sports, NBA teams started setting up their own operations in the D-League, with many teams outright buying their affiliates (and in many cases moving them). Now, all but two NBA teams (the Nuggets and Rockets) own their G League affiliate (many of whom are either named after the parent team or in the same city), and there's also an "extra team" in Mexico City which lacks any NBA affiliation (meaning that the G League has 31 teams versus the NBA's 30)[^2]. With that in mind, let’s focus on the team at hand: the Westchester Knicks.

Established in 2014 when the New York Knicks entered the G League via expansion (i.e. not a relocation of another team), the Westchester Knicks have some kinda random titles that I don’t fully understand because for some reason, the G League has a bunch of tournaments besides the main championship series (though something to keep in mind with “minor league” teams: championships aren’t exactly a “goal to be strived for”). What is easier for me to discuss, however, is their home: the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY.

![An image of the Westchester County Center](/images/2026/20260124-outside.jpeg)

The third oldest arena in the G League, the Westchester County Center was opened in 1930 - sixteen years before the NBA was founded. It’s hosted a LOT of things in the almost 100 years since it opened - I won’t get into all of them, but one that is relevant to the Knicks is that the New York Liberty played their final year as the Knicks’ WNBA sister team here before being sold to Nets ownership (and then played a second year in Westchester before moving to Brooklyn). There are at least eight "meeting rooms" and a smaller theater area within the building, but I didn't even bother trying to access any of them during the game (I think they were used for "behind the scenes things"), so I'll focus purely on the main event space.

The layout here is, to be fully honest, actually kinda interesting: there isn't exactly a "seating bowl" here as the venue is basically an auditorium which is converted for basketball use, and there are VERY FEW lower level seats; only one side of the court has more than one row of seats, and the rest seems to be premium seating - including the stage. Most of the "standard" seats, then, are in the balcony, and as a theater, they're a bit more "luxurious" that what you'd expect from upper deck seating (being quite padded). One MAJOR drawback of sitting up here, however: you don't get to see the full court from pretty much anywhere, but it's more pronounced if you're sitting at the end (which is probably why those are the least expensive tickets).

Thanks to the building's many uses, there's no center hung board here. Instead, there are three massive screens here; two on the stage end show the action/replays, while one above the entrance acts as the main scoreboard. There was also a television in the lobby showing the game, but the feed was INCREDIBLY choppy. Both floor level and balcony level have their own concession stands (pretty much in the same spot), and similar to [Maimonides Park](2025-08-09_bkncyclones), it's "branded" as Nathan's Famous. I ended up getting things from both stands at various points during the game, and the line for the upper stand was notably longer than the lower stand (and from what I heard, it seems like this was the case throughout the night).

![An image of the interior of the Westchester County Center](/images/2026/20260124-inside.jpeg)

<figcaption>It's a little hard to see in this image, but the near baseline is impossible to see from this vantage point - thus, you end up missing a lot of corner threes</figcaption>

One thing to think about if you want to come here: there’s parking lots for the building as it's operated by Westchester County's parks department (and is right next to the Bronx River Parkway), but it costs $15 to park in them for games (which is almost the same as the ticket prices)[^3]. There is street parking available nearby, but I've heard not-so-great things about White Plains, so I wasn't sure about that (plus it's a total crapshoot if you actually manage to get a spot, and you have to cross a busy street to get to the arena).

This trip has been "yanked around" my calendar quite a bit. For starters, it was always more likely that I'd come here rather than trying to get into a New York Knicks game thanks to the NBA Knicks being one of the better teams in the league (plus Madison Square Garden being, well, Madison Square Garden)*. When I first looked at the Westchester Knicks' schedule near the end of 2025 (i.e. when I first thought about coming here), I saw a game on New Years Day - one I almost went to until ultimately deciding against it (partially due to plans I had the next day plus the fact that [I had been somewhere a few days prior](2025-12-31_sacredhearthockey_mens)). I then thought about going on January 9 due to a potential conflict with the [Bridgeport Islanders](2026-01-12_bptislanders) game I had planned to go to that weekend, but then that got resolved and I was able to go to the Islanders game[^4], so I decided not to go then. I did look at other dates, but ultimately ended up landing on this one - partially as my intended game for today got cancelled (in fact, I ended up getting a ticket at the door which saved me a bit of money because Ticketmaster).

To be honest, I realized something: I don't know how I feel about the NBA/the live basketball experience. I realize that might be a bit controversial, but like I said [the first time basketball was on this blog](2025-11-25_rubasketball_womens), it's a little hard to get excited about individual baskets when SO MANY of them happen during a game (unlike other sports). This game...did not do much to help move the needle: I kinda liked the "vibes" of the arena (minus the obstructed views from the balcony), but the Knicks got blown out by their opponents thanks to a combination of the opponent hitting over 50% of their shots plus the Knicks not being able to handle the ball very well (though that may just be a G League thing...); also, both teams got to 100 points because OF COURSE.

One last thing I want to mention: the G League is also where the NBA tests out potential rule changes (Minor League Baseball does this too for baseball, but i'm not sure if the AHL and ECHL do this for hockey). The most notable one (at least in the context of this game) is the "one free throw" rule: in instances where a player would shoot multiple free throws (i.e. getting fouled while shooting), the player instead shoots one free throw that, if made, scores however many points the shot would have made (for example, if someone was fouled while shooting a three, the one free throw they take would count for THREE points). There's a bit more to this rule that's kinda hard to explain, but in short: free throws after made baskets (aka "and ones") are still one point, I'm not sure how this would work for technical fouls as one WAS called during the game but the free throw was missed, and this rule does not apply in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter or in overtime (which has its own unique rules in the G League, though that didn't come up because 21-point margin)[^5]. I think this helped shorten the game a bit, as it ended sometime around 9:15 PM (I was expecting to be out MUCH later than I was, which helps because we're getting buried in snow right now).

(And if you’re wondering about the Nets’ G League team, they’re at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. That’s a bit too far for me I think...)

### MERCH

I’m not sure if it’s surprising or not that G League teams sell merchandise - after all, it is a way to connect fans to the team (and also something they can get signed after games).

What isn’t super surprising, however, is the fact that said merchandise...is okay at best. At the game, it's sold at a table near the entrance of the auditorium (i.e. NOT in the lobby), and it's mainly a fairly limited selection of hats, shirts, and a few novelties (by which I mean only three: a mini basketball, a teddy bear, and a rally towel). I did see a photo somewhere online of the merch table having jerseys, but none were available at the game I went to.

I personally found that a number of the items felt like they were overpriced, but one thing to note: it seems that unlike other fan amenities here, the merch table is controlled by Madison Square Garden Sports (AKA the controlling company that owns the Knicks). They use MSG bags if you choose to get one (I didn't), and thanks to the company's relationship with Chase Bank, you can get a small discount if you use a Chase debit or credit card when you buy things.

---

*As a small side note, St. John's men's basketball also plays at MSG (plus one specific women's game); there's a game in a few weeks that I am thinking about going to (either that or the women's game), but tickets are surprisingly pricey because MSG (and also probably Rick Pitino[^6]).

---

[^1]: The only other league I can think of is the Gainbridge Super League - a women's soccer league [I saw once](2025-11-09_bkfc_womens).
[^2]: Fun fact: there’s a “San Diego Clippers” currently in the G League - if you know basketball history, then you’ll know why that is SUPER ironic...
[^3]: I had read online that they were cash only (and I did pay cash), but it seemed like they could have taken card.
[^4]: It's a good thing I went to that game, as a few days before this was posted, the rumored move to Canada was seemingly confirmed.
[^5]: Another rule that came up: both teams get two challenges a game, and to challenge a call requires using a timeout - irregardless of whether or not the challenge is successful (i.e. winning a challenge does not "return" your timeout).
[^6]: Personal story time!<br>When Pitino was coaching Louisville, they had a practice in my high school's gymnasium during my senior year - I distinctly remember seeing him in sweatpants and thinking it was kinda funny. Louisville ended up losing to Seton Hall that evening, and coupled with another team losing at Seton Hall a few days later, I made a comment that more teams should practice at our high school.<br>_Source: trust me bro aka Facebook posts from when I was in high school (aka when I was EXTRA cringe)._


My first "Minor League Basketball" game

Westchester Knicks (NBA G League) @ Westchester County Center (White Plains, NY)


### *[26 IN 26 STOP 2](26in26list)*

_\*This trip occurred on January 17, 2026._

Before I dive into the specifics of BU's women's hockey team, I should probably give a few details about NCAA women's hockey as a whole (something I probably should've read more about before visiting [Princeton](2025-11-16_princetonhockey#womens)...).

For starters, there wasn't an "official" NCAA women's hockey tournament until 2001. Prior to that, there were a number of schools that had women's hockey teams, but there was no "official" championship until 1997 (a tournament that technically wasn't NCAA sanctioned). Despite being around for about 25 years, the NCAA women's hockey tournament has only been won by five schools: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Minnesota Duluth, Ohio State, and Clarkson (a school in Upstate New York); all of them have multiple championships.

Hockey East started its women's conference in 2002, but Boston University wasn't one of its original members. While there was an existing club team for women's hockey, it wasn't until 2005 that the program became a D-I program (and thus joined Hockey East). They haven't won a national championship (again, only five schools have, and all of them are in states that touch the Great Lakes), but they have been to the national championship game twice - which is the same amount of finals as the rest of Hockey East combined[^1]. The school also doesn't have a Patty Kazmaier Award winner (the award for the best player in women's college hockey) despite having Marie-Philip Poulin - widely regarded as one of the best players in women's hockey today - as an alum[^2]. What they do have, however, is an arena all to themselves: Walter Brown Arena.

![An image](/images/2026/20260117-wba.jpeg)

Walter Brown Arena opened in 1971, and is named after the original owner of the Boston Celtics (who retired the number 1 in honor of him). When it opened, [Boston University's men's hockey team](2025-10-04_buhockey_mens) moved in from what eventually became [Matthews Arena](2025-11-30_northeasternhockey_mens), and played here until they “outgrew” the just under 4,000 seats of the arena and moved (again) to Agganis Arena (where they play now). Coincidentally, the move occurred right when the women's team became a D-I program, so they basically got an arena all to themselves - something which is quite rare in D-I women’s hockey (case in point: it’s the only “women’s only” arena in Hockey East). Part of the reason the women got Walter Brown: it's part of an athletics complex which includes the school's basketball arena (which is on the top floor of the complex - leading to its nickname of "The Roof"). Also, fun fact: the arena (along with BU's soccer/lacrosse stadium) is on the site of the old Braves Field - where the now-Atlanta Braves played from 1915-1952[^3].

The most notable feature about Walter Brown - especially compared to Agganis - is the lack of end seating: ALL the seats here are along the sides, and the entrances to the arena are on BU's defend twice end. Each section in the arena has a "lower" and "upper" seating area; the "lower" area has individual seats, and the "upper" area is bench seating. The end with the entrance also has a lot of standing room, which in a sense, is fairly similar to the standing area in [Bridgeport](2026-01-12_bptislanders).

Also, old photos of the arena featured an old school electronic scoreboard, but in 2024, the building received massive upgrades - one of them replacing the scoreboard with a modern video board; in fact, the women's team spent half of a season at Agganis to accommodate these renovations. However, the strangest thing I found was in the men's bathroom, where there's a certain machine much, MUCH more likely to be found in a women's bathroom (but also urinals, so it's highly unlikely women are in there that often).

In a lot of ways, it's a minor miracle that this trip occurred AND that it's "_26 in 26_ eligible". I had intended to see the women back in December (along with [one final visit to Matthews](2025-12-13_farewallmatthews)), but ended up being unable to due to a schedule mix up and a vintage market (which I only found out about that morning)[^4]. In addition, I had made other plans for this weekend, but something came up which not only made those plans unfeasible, but opened up THIS opportunity. Tickets are rather inexpensive for hockey IMO, but do be forewarned if you want to come to a game: the Ticketmaster shenanigans are rather INSANE here...

This is not only the first time I've seen a Hockey East women's conference game, but in addition, it features the conference's sole women's only member: the [College of the Holy Cross](2025-10-21_holycrosshockey_mens) (the men are in Atlantic Hockey America)[^5]. Apparently, the two schools have a rivalry trophy known as the "Turnpike Trophy" due to them being in the Patriot League for other sports; the winner is based on whichever school wins more events against the other across all sports (BU has won it every year its been contested, and it typically isn't close).

To my surprise, there was a band at this game (and only about a dozen other students). However, the crowd seemed a lot more behind Holy Cross, and the Crusaders ended up winning 4-2 - their first win in the Turnpike Trophy series this year. Before moving on, however, I should mention that this is the first college hockey game I've been to since I don't know when where they used the red/green lights behind the goals (the red lights signal that a goal has been scored, and the green lights signal the end of a period/intermission), and this arena also has one of the things I really liked from Agganis: Boston University's patented system for determining which end they're defending each period:

![A photo of a banner that says "GOALIE"](/images/2026/20260117-goalie.jpeg)

<figcaption>hung near the entrance for the first and third periods</figcaption>

![A photo of a banner that says "SIEVE"](/images/2026/20260117-sieve.jpeg)

<figcaption>hung near the entrance for the second period. The reason the scoreboard says "1" is because this was during the intermission between periods.</figcaption>

### MERCH

There were only three open concession stands here: the "main stand" with "regular stadium food", a stand selling alcoholic beverages, and a Dippin' Dots stand, where you could get a novelty ice cream helmet! Here's the thing, however...that helmet was the only "merch" available at the game. There were two closed "stands" in the concourses that looked like they my have sold merchandise back in the day, but neither one was open (and there was one concession stand that was closed).

Of course, if you're looking for Boston University stuff, the bookstore isn't too far: it's basically right across Comm Ave (having moved there from Kenmore Square some time ago) and features a TON of hockey merch since it's BU's top sport. I thought about taking a look at it before the game, but opted not to due to cold and snow (though I've been there quite a bit in the past for jerseys and other stuff). I should mention, however, that I recall seeing things at the men's game I went to in 2023 that I never saw in the bookstore (and I'm not just talking about the media guide).

---

A few final notes on this trip:

1. I wanted to see Northeastern's men here since they were going to be playing a "home game"[^6] the day this was published and it was FREE ADMISSION, but then New England Winter decided to winter REALLY hard...

2. I had thoughts about visiting Providence College since they were home as well, but they were taking on Boston College which, for some odd reason, means WILDLY EXPENSIVE ticket prices[^7]...

---

[^1]: Two schools with one appearance each - coincidentally, those schools are Boston College and Northeastern.
[^2]: Boston College has had two, Northeastern three, and somehow, Harvard is tied for the most winners in the country with SIX.
[^3]: Not-so-fun fact for Clevelandtown baseball fans: Braves Field is where the team clinched its last World Series title...
[^4]: Speaking of vintage markets, I would've gone to one today had this trip not happened!
[^5]: Hockey East has two men's only members: the two UMass schools ([Amherst](2025-10-05_umasshockey) and [Lowell](2025-08-29_bosfleet&umlhockey)).
[^6]: The Huskies are using various arenas as "home" venues for the rest of this season (though oddly, one of the arenas had to back out). BTW, don't ask how things have been going for them since my visit back in November...
[^7]: The lowest price I saw the day before the game was $70!

The Hockey East version of "No Boys Allowed"

Boston University Terriers Women's Hockey (Hockey East) @ Walter Brown Arena (Boston, MA)


### *[26 IN 26 STOP 1](26in26list)*

_\*This trip occurred on January 11, 2026._

_Also, since this is my first trip of the new year, this marks the debut of the "FIRST VISIT" badge - an idea that came from a pin I got at the [Gotham FC](2025-09-08_gothamfc) match I went to last year, though I'm not sure it's my "best" work (visual art isn't exactly my thing)._

If you’re like me, you might be surprised to learn that Bridgeport is the largest city in Connecticut. Approximately 40 miles from the Bronx (aka the edge of New York City), it was a major manufacturing city back in the day, and while that industry has largely died out, it is still a major part of the New York City metropolitan area.

In 2001, the city of Bridgeport, CT received an American Hockey League team: the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. They were successful right out the gate - making the Calder Cup Finals (the AHL’s championship) in their very first year before coming up short (how Vegas of them). Unlike Vegas, however, the Sound Tigers were never able to come close to replicating that success - the furthest they’ve been since that inaugural season is the second round (proper) of the playoffs, and they’ve only been there once: the year after they lost the final.

In 2021, the team rebranded and became the Bridgeport Islanders (they’ve been the AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders for their entire history, and were purchased outright by the NHL team in 2004). Since the rebrand...things have not gone well. They’ve been near the bottom of their division pretty much every year (with a random playoff appearance because...sure), have been bottom 5 in the AHL in attendance each year (though the decline began before the rebrand), and in 2024-25, they had their worst season to date - winning only 15 games overall while setting the mark for fewest home wins in a season for an AHL team. In addition, in the summer of 2025, rumors began circulating about a potential sale and move of the team to Hamilton, Ontario - where a newly renovated arena that ALMOST got an NHL team back in the day seeks a "prime" tenant (because as popular as the Toronto Rock may be, it's hard to consider the NLL a "marquee" draw)[^1].

When I started thinking about making this trip, I wasn’t super sure about it: it’s around an hour and a half from me, and I feel like I’ve heard that Bridgeport isn’t exactly the best place around (like a lot of former manufacturing places)[^2]. With the rumors about the move, however, I figured that if I didn’t do it SOON, it may never happen. Thankfully, they had a decent amount of Sunday games available (i.e. the only day of the week teams play in the afternoon), and they all started at 3, so I figured this would be worth a go. Originally, I had planned for this trip to occur back in 2025, but then I decided to push it back to 2026 around the time I started planning for the _26 in 26_ challenge (among other reasons). Strangely enough, this is actually my first ever AHL regular season game: I've been to two other AHL games before: one in Providence prior to starting this blog (which I didn't write about at the time unlike the college hockey games), and one in the [Lehigh Valley](2025-10-06_lhvphantoms) - both were "preseason" games however.

Since attendance has, as mentioned earlier, been on the lighter side, I decided to "try my luck" at the arena box office with pricing (i.e. see if I could avoid Ticketmaster shenanigans), and I got a standing room only ticket for less than I would have buying it online (I'll discuss the SRO section more in a bit). I also had SOME thoughts about trying to find street parking since this game was on a Sunday, but I was SUPER unsure about safety, so I opted to just play it safe and park in the arena lot (though it is quite pricey; I later found another lot in the area but further from the arena that wanted EVEN MORE).

Total Mortgage Arena (what a name) opened with the team’s debut in 2001. Originally just "The Arena at Harbor Yard", the arena is located near an outdoor music amphitheater which used to be a baseball stadium (at Harbor Yard)[^3]. In addition to the AHL franchise, it also hosted a few seasons of [Sacred Heart Pioneers hockey](2025-12-31_sacredhearthockey_mens), SOME [New York Sirens](2025-08-27_nysirens) in their first year (i.e. before they moved full time to New Jersey), several basketball teams/programs, a pro wrestling event or two (since WWE's headquarters is 22 miles away in Stamford), a few NHL preseason games, and was also the original home for Connecticut Ice - a college hockey tournament between the state's four college hockey programs (UConn, Yale, Quinnipiac, and the aforementioned Sacred Heart).

In what I think is a first for indoor arenas on this blog, the main concourse is at floor level (i.e. the same level as the ice)[^4]; therefore, there are limited views of the ice from the concourse. In addition, it doesn't wrap fully around the seating area; I THINK the part that's "cut off" is where the teams' dressing rooms and zamboni garage are. The top of the seating bowl does feature a walkway to get around, but awkwardly, the only way to access it (generally) is from the seats (i.e. it's difficult to get to from the concourse - a situation made even more awkward by ushers blocking you from accessing the seats while the puck is in play). In addition, there's only three things going on here: A bar area in one corner, the press box on one side blocking "full 360" access, and a drinks cart in the standing room section I bought my ticket in. While it's called the "party zone", there's really not much of a party going on here...but you do get THIS actually pretty neat view of the ice:

![A view of Total Mortgage Arena](/images/2026/20260111-arenaview.jpeg)

The good news for the Bridgeport Islanders: the night before this game, they recorded their fifth home win of the season - one more than their total (4) from ALL OF LAST SEASON (which, again, was a league record for fewest home wins). The better news: a third period stretch of three goals in just over two minutes helped the team add win six against probably their biggest rivals (who they were tied at the bottom of their division with): the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers - only making things more intense). While it's difficult to gauge how much the crowd was getting into the game (partially because despite the reported attendance being close to 6,000, there were still a lot of empty seats), there was a fight during the game, which is always a crowd pleaser - for better or worse (and also signifies the "rivalry" aspect of this game).

Also, something I find kinda interesting: the Bridgeport Islanders use the same sequence of sounds that the New York Islanders use when they score - almost. For a few years (seemingly ever since they became the Islanders), they were using the same horn as the NHL team (or at least a recording of it), but this year, they're using a recording of their original goal horn (which sounds closer to the Buffalo Sabres IMO).

### MERCH

Before I continue, I should mention that I once bought a Bridgeport Sound Tigers puck in a somewhat unusual place: Worcester, MA! The team there (the Worcester Railers) is currently the ECHL affiliate of the Islanders, and I visited their team store one day and they had Sound Tigers pucks for some reason![^5]

Anyway, merchandise is tucket into  one of the corners of the arena (i.e. one of the ends of the"horseshoe" that is the concourse) - though I saw a photo of them putting a merchandise booth on the arena floor for a preseason event for season ticket holders. In honor of the fact that the current Bridgeport Islanders logo is based on the parent team's infamous "fisherman" logo from the 1990s, the store is called the "Bait Shop".

![An image of the team store's name: "Bait Shop"](/images/2026/20260111-teamstore.jpeg)

<figcaption>Do they sell tackle (or grapple)?</figcaption>

While most of the things you find here don't stray too far from what you'd expect at a hockey game (though the Islanders do sell game worn jerseys[^6]), I should mention that the team is celebrating its 25th year in Bridgeport by bringing back the Sound Tigers identity for a few games (read: games where the team wears Sound Tigers jerseys). As such, they had a number of Sound Tigers items - including a "signing board": a piece of (what I think was) plastic in the shape of a jersey with the Sound Tigers logo on it. I bring this up because the team signed autographs after the game (something I later found out only happens three times this season - this being the second time), and I considered getting one of these for the guys to sign...

...but why get the board when YOU CAN JUST GET THE JERSEY AND HAVE THE TEAM SIGN THAT?

![A photo of a Bridgeport Sound Tigers jersey signed by the team](/images/2026/20260111-signedjersey.jpeg)

<figcaption>Don't ask me who's who because I don't remember...</figcaption>

Totally worth the hour I spent standing in line - partially because it influenced my decision to try the nearby pizza place afterwards (since it was almost 7:00 PM by that point).

---

[^1]: It also doesn't help that there's currently no hockey team due to the renovations forcing the team that was playing there to relocate - and then said team liking their new home.
[^2]: Sadly, Bridgeport's decline has apparently "spread" to its suburbs: there's a mall in the area I thought about going to prior to the Sacred Heart game as it's a mile away from the school, but if me (slightly) misjudging traffic hadn't stopped me from visiting, the fact that <a href="https://www.ctinsider.com/connecticut/article/trumbull-mall-shooting-friday-fight-21263246.php" target="blank">SOMEONE SHOT A GUN THERE A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE GAME</a> did...
[^3]: I won’t get too deep into the tragedy of the Bridgeport Bluefish, but they were a founding member of the Atlantic League who folded after the city declined to renew their lease in 2017. Given that their stadium is no longer usable for sports, a return is not looking likely...
[^4]: The closest comparison to this would be how at [Merrimack](2025-10-10_merrimackhockey_mens), seats are accessed from a walkway around the ice; however, there are far more concession stands here than the singular concession stand in a lobby there.
[^5]: I also went to one of their games back in the day, but didn't write much about it back then (similar to Providence).
[^6]: And in what I can only describe as a "weird situation", they're NOT as heavy/big as the game worn jersey I got from the Providence Bruins - despite that one being NEWER than most of these jerseys.

I visit the Bridgeport Islanders for the first (and very possibly only) time

Bridgeport Islanders (American Hockey League) @ Total Mortgage Arena (Bridgeport, CT)


With 2025 now over and 2026 underway, I figured I'd take one look back at it from the lens of what could have been: these are places/events I would have very much liked to go in 2025, but couldn’t fit in. I've been to all of these before, so they're not going to be part of my _26 in 26_ plan I discussed [yesterday](2026-01-01_26in26), but I may still visit them this year (and do plan on going into more detail if I do).

There are other events I thought about going to last year that didn't happen, but they're potential _26 in 26_ trips, so I'll hold off on discussing them until they either happen or we get to the end of this year without them happening.

### WHITEHOUSE FIELD (HARWICH, MA) - HARWICH MARINERS

I can’t pin down exactly when the Mariners were founded, but they entered the 2025 Cape League season as defending champions (though they lost in the semis).

Whitehouse Field is in the woods next to a high school AND a community center (which means that it’s probably one of the easier parking situations). This is one of the few fields where merchandise is not sold from the press box (concessions are), as it has its merchandise in a stand on the first base side. The Mariners also have an online store, but I haven’t seen any game hats there recently...

I TRIED to come here after the [Chatham game](2025-08-17_chaanglers) to scope their merchandise, but rain/thunderstorms ended the game before I could get here (it’s unlikely they would have been very accommodating of me when they’re trying to pack up).

### NEW BRITAIN STADIUM (NEW BRITAIN, CT) - NEW BRITAIN BEES<br>MUZZY FIELD (BRISTOL, CT) - BRISTOL BLUES

This one’s a bit of a two-fer: while the two stadiums were opened MANY decades apart (Muzzy Field in 1914, New Britain Stadium in 1996), they share one thing in common: they both used to host the team that is now the Hartford Yard Goats.

Both teams were founded in 2015, with Bristol joining the summer collegiate Futures League and New Britain joining the independent Atlantic League (as a replacement for the Rock Cats who had just moved). In 2020, New Britain joined the Futures League, but before fans could experience the excitement that would have been the Bristol-New Britain rivalry, the Blues moved to the New England Collegiate Baseball League (the same year).

I wanted to do a double dip and visit both on the same Sunday, as the two stadiums are fairly close to each other (both being west of Hartford), the game times are decently separated (1:30 and 5:00), and I REALLY liked Muzzy Field when I visited a few years ago. However, it was always going to be complicated logistically, and the only day I could do it was the day after the MLW event, so it ended up having to be cut.

_NOTE: While I could put other summer collegiate teams in here, these three were the only teams I had solid, concrete plans to visit (save for Harwich in some respects)._

### CLOVER STADIUM (POMONA, NY) - NEW YORK BOULDERS (FRONTIER LEAGUE)

I’m not sure what to say about the Boulders: they’ve been around since 2011, won a championship in 2014, and used to be on a super random television channel back in the day. Their stadium is probably one of my favorite independent league stadiums - mainly in that it’s far and away the newest one among the independent league stadiums I’ve been to (having been built in 2011). It’s got a fully walkable concourse, some fun things in the outfield, and even distance markers to get a sense of your walking/running speed!

The thing is, however, that I’ve been here a bunch of times before so when things started to get a little frantic for me, I didn’t feel quite as bad when I ended up having to cut this from my schedule (especially when you consider that there’s a parking fee).

### SKYLANDS STADIUM (AUGUSTA, NJ) - SUSSEX COUNTY MINERS (FRONTIER LEAGUE)

Skylands Stadium has been around since the 90s; it originally hosted a New York-Penn League team, then an independent league team that folded before the current independent league team (i.e. the Miners) were established in 2015.

I kinda think that this is a cool stadium. Yes, it’s a hike to get to and it’s in the middle of basically nothing, but I like the aesthetic of the place plus parking is free. However, for the longest time, the highway leading to here had massive traffic issues due to a sinkhole. That situation has been resolved, and I did plan a somewhat last minute trip here, but it ended up getting shelved.

### USTA BILLIE JEAN KING NATIONAL TENNIS CENTER (NEW YORK, NY) - US OPEN (FAN WEEK)

The US Open is one of the biggest tournaments of the tennis calendar. Every year in late August/early September, the tennis world descends on Queens, NY for the final Grand Slam event of the year.

I went to a day of the tournament back in 2014 with my family, but a lot has changed in the decade since then - namely, ticket prices being prohibitively expensive. However, there are events the week before the tournament starts, and they're open and free to the public.

I was strongly considering coming here for that (plus the fact it's next to Citi Field to check out the New York Mets team store), but had several things going on that week, so I ended up having to miss out.


A look back at some "missed connections" in 2025

Oh, the places you'll want to go to but can't fit


Happy New Year!

When I looked back at what I did in 2025, I realized that I saw these venues for the first time:

1. [(then) Wells Fargo Center - Philadelphia, PA](2025-08-27_phiwings)
2. [SHI Stadium - Piscataway, NJ](2025-08-26_rulacrosse_mens)
3. [Owen T. Carroll Field - South Orange, NJ](2025-08-25_setonhallbaseball)
4. [ShoreTown Ballpark - Lakewood, NJ](2025-08-08_jsblueclaws)
5. [Maimonides Park - Brooklyn, NY](2025-08-09_bkncyclones)
6. [Heritage Financial Park - Wappingers Falls, NY](2025-08-10_hvrenegades)
7. [Coca-Cola Park - Allentown, PA](2025-08-11_lhvironpigs)
8. [Hinchliffe Stadium - Paterson, NJ](2025-08-12_njjackals)
9. [Yankee Stadium - (The) Bronx, NY](2025-08-13_nycfc)
10. [SIUH Community Park - Staten Island, NY](2025-08-14_siferryhawks)
11. [Trenton Thunder Ballpark - Trenton, NJ](2025-08-15_trethunder)
12. [FirstEnergy Stadium - Reading, PA](2025-08-24_rdgfightinphils)
13. [PNC Field - Moosic, PA](2025-08-18_swbrailriders)
14. [Sports Illustrated Stadium - Harrison, NJ](2025-09-08_gothamfc)
15. [Middletown Sports Complex - Middletown, NJ](2025-09-14_njtitans)
16. [MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field - Montclair, NJ](2025-09-22_rbnyii)
17. [PPL Center - Allentown, PA](2025-10-06_lhvphantoms)
18. [Myslik Field at Roberts Stadium - Princeton, NJ](2025-10-19_princetonsoccer_mens)
19. [Powers Field at Princeton Stadium - Princeton, NJ](2025-11-15_princetonfootball)
20. [Hobey Baker Rink - Princeton, NJ](2025-11-16_princetonhockey)
21. [Jersey Mike's Arena - Piscataway, NJ](2025-11-25_rubasketball_womens)
22. [Jadwin Gymnasium - Princeton, NJ](2025-12-11_princetonbasketball)
23. [Martire Family Arena - Fairfield, CT](2025-12-31_sacredhearthockey_mens)

In addition, I saw these teams/events for the first time (at places I'd been to before):

- [New York Sirens](2025-08-28_nysirens)
- [Boston Fleet](2025-08-29_bosfleet&umlhockey)
- [MLW Wiffle Ball](2025-08-16_mlwwiffleball)
- [Banana Ball](2025-08-23_bananaball1)
- [Brooklyn FC](2025-11-09_bkfc_womens)

That is a surprising amount of new experiences looking back...but today, I want to look forward.

I've decided that my goal for this year is to see action at at least 26 new venues. I do not know what that will look like, but I'd like to try and do it.

I've had this idea for several months now, and it's evolved over time. For example, I was originally going to have it be "teams and/or venues", but in planning some of the games I want to go to in the coming months, I felt that it would be best to limit this to venues as on some level, a new team in an old venue didn't feel "right" to me (case in point: my plans include a few new teams in stadiums I've been to before, so I won't really have much to discuss regarding the venues themselves).

The biggest challenge in trying to do this: I'm running out of places to go. I've seen most of the "major" venues that are close to me already, and the few that I haven't don't quite come close to 26.

That's why I'm thinking a bit BIG for this.

Inasmuch as my big Australia/Japan trip to (finally) watch the AFL and NPB would help this IMMENSELY, I'm not ready for that yet. Of course, whether or not some the "big" plans I have will happen are yet to be seen, but hopefully things do happen (though one trip that will require a flight is already on my docket, and I have STRONG thoughts about a second one).

A list of all the new visits will be available on the main page of this blog soon, and this list will be updated throughout the year to reflect the places I visit (because you already know I'm going to be writing about them). There is a chance I could overshoot this (based on the trips and dates in my calendar/drafts so far), but we'll get more into that if the possibility arises...

P.S.: For any stat nerds out there, I crunched the numbers, and the teams I visited last year finished with a 20-18-1 record. This does not include:

- Any time a team that was featured on this blog appeared as a visiting team (which happened a few times)
- the MLW series or Banana Ball, since I consider those events to be more about the sport/league rather than the teams
- The result of MLS Next Pro's draw/shootout rules with [Red Bull New York II](2025-09-22_rbnyii) - a situation which also happens in college hockey, but one I managed to avoid this year.


A sport obsessed person's new years resolution

Introducing the 26 in 26


_\*This trip occurred on December 30, 2025, but there's also a little bit about a visit to the university bookstore on a date I forgot._

Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT (about 60 miles from the heart of New York City) is a rather small university...you’d think. However, it’s the second largest Catholic university in New England (behind good ol’ Boston College), and was one of the first Catholic universities to be staffed by laypeople (i.e. not priests/nuns/other religious men and women). It's also a surprisingly "young" institution, having been founded in 1963 (which means that there's a decent chance that some of the professors who teach there are older than the university itself).

There’s not a ton of information about their athletics department outside of the fact that they appear to be members of A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT CONFERENCES which vary by sport - though their primary conference is the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (or MAAC) - a very low profile conference in most sports. Of course, since I’m focusing on hockey for this post, I’ll just focus on that.

The team itself is in Atlantic Hockey America, so it’s not exactly a large player in the general college hockey scene (along with the rest of AHA). Case in point: according to Wikipedia, they've only had two alums reach the NHL, and the two have a combined 184 games in the NHL heading into the 2025-26 NHL season - with one of the two responsible for all but one of those games[^1]. However, they do have an interesting history (which seems to be a thing with hockey teams based in Connecticut that aren't the Yale Bulldogs).

The program started out as a D-III program in 1993, but was promoted to D-I in 1998 when the MAAC started a hockey conference (Sacred Heart, however, wasn't a full MAAC member back then). A few years later, the MAAC hockey conference disbanded and (essentially) became Atlantic Hockey (I went over this back when I talked about [Holy Cross](2025-10-21_holycrosshockey_mens); also, obligatory mention of <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/77/Atlhocklogo.png" target="blank">their former "Web 1.0" era logo</a>).

When the program started, they played at a community rink in Milford, CT - quite a distance from Sacred Heart’s campus in Fairfield. They played here for a surprisingly long time; it wasn’t until 2016 that the program moved a bit closer to home (and to something more reasonable for D-I hockey) - moving to Bridgeport’s (now) Total Mortgage Arena. They were in Bridgeport for a few years, and in 2023, the team got a new home much closer to the school’s main Fairfield, CT campus: Martire Family Arena.

![An image of Martire Family Arena](/images/2025/martirearena.jpg)

<figcaption>Gee, I wonder who plays here? If only their name was in giant backlit letters...</figcaption>

Opened on January 14, 2023, Martire Family Arena is the newest college hockey arena in Connecticut (by ONE DAY) and the second largest in AHA in terms of seating capacity (among the men's teams[^2]). Named after (what else) a donor (who happens to be a minority shareholder in the Vegas Golden Knights), it's honestly a REALLY nice arena - especially for the conference the Pioneers are in (and I feel like the same can be said of [the Bentley Arena](2025-10-25_bentleyhockey), which is coincidentally where I saw the Pios for the first time back in 2024).

The first thing you should probably know about the arena is that it's not on the school's main campus - it's about a mile away on the school's "West Campus". What's interesting, however, is that the parking garage (or at least the main one for the arena) is underneath some of the buildings on campus, and has (more or less) direct access to the arena - you can get from the garage to the arena without having to deal with whatever's going on outside! This is SUPER useful during hockey season, when it's typically no warmer that 40ºF outside (and sometimes raining/snowing as well).

If you enter from the garage (as it's technically the "secondary" entrance), you'll actually be entering at suite/club level (i.e. an upper deck area which is reserved as "premium seating") - there's a pair of staircases and a singular escalator (which is weird) leading down to the arena's concourse. The entire concourse has unobstructed views of the ice, so you can, more or less, see the game from just about anywhere on the concourse - though as I learned at a critical moment, some things can't be seen while in line for concessions.

Two of the walls of the arena are purely windows; apparently, the building has a system where the windows can be tinted to prevent glare (according to some videos I saw prior to this trip). Opposite one of these "massive window walls", the arena has two main concession stands in the corners on the "south" side of the ice (aka where the TV cameras are situated), and one of them (next to the arena's main entrance) features a pizza oven! I ended up getting a pizza about midway through the game, and it was actually pretty good (it had that "proper" Neapolitan texture/char). Above these concession stands are the aforementioned premium seating areas/suites; while SOME tickets were available for part of this section, they cost over $100, so it was a no-go for me (at least on this occasion). There are two smaller concession stands in the "far" corners of the arena (i.e. the corners opposite the main stands), but both were closed during this game.

Since I mentioned ticket prices earlier, I should ALSO mention that for twenty bucks plus Ticketmaster shenanigans, I got a seat two rows from the ice right on the red (center) line! For seats in the seating bowl, it's about $15 for end seats and $20 for side seats, but if you choose the top row, it's slightly more - though you get what I think is the best view of the game as well as a little table in front of you (similar to what I got the first time I went to [Jersey Mike's Arena](2025-11-25_rubasketball_womens)). However, be forewarned if you choose to sit next to a hockey team's bench: it smells AWFUL thanks to the physicality of hockey (there's a reason the only player who typically doesn't get any ice time during a game is the backup goaltender).

One fair warning if you're sensitive to loud noises: there's a set of real goal horns here (something surprisingly rare in New England), and in what I can only assume is an attempt to intimidate the visiting team, they're basically "aimed" right at the visitors' bench (which was right next to my seat). Also, before I talk about the game itself, I feel like I should mention that there was something rather interesting behind the net Sacred Heart defends twice: A desk which appears to be for pre/postgame shows. I have no idea how often it's used, however, as most college hockey broadcasts are purely the game itself...

![An image of a desk with a monitor attached to its front](/images/2025/martiredesk.jpeg)

<figcaption>Does Sacred Heart have a broadcasting school like Syracuse?</figcaption>

Anyway, now that I've talked about the arena, let's talk about this game - starting with the fact that this trip almost happened in October. I had originally thought about coming here on October 18th, and then saw a ticket deal for that day pop up, but felt the timing of a 5 PM game an hour and a half away from home wasn't quite right for me (plus the [Gotham FC Open House](2025-10-18_gothamfc2) made things a bit complicated). I still wanted to make a visit (as I thought the arena looked COOL in photos), so I ended up on this game/date, as the 4 PM start time felt a little bit better...and then the [Rutgers men's basketball game](2025-12-21_rubasketball2#mens) happened.

There was NO way this would top what happened that night, and I felt that ending the year on that note would be special. However, there were no other dates on Sacred Heart's 2025-26 calendar that I could feasibly swing (as I have plans for the only other afternoon game on their schedule), so I ended up right back at this game.

It is difficult for me to rate how the atmosphere for Sacred Heart hockey is, as classes were not in session during this game thanks to the between semester break and, for whatever reason, what I assume are student seats were not available for purchase at all (I've seen evidence that Sacred Heart has a band during games). However, there was a decent crowd on hand - even if they're more of a "Princeton" level crowd versus a "BC/BU/Northeastern" (due to the lack of students).

If you thought the history of Sacred Heart's hockey team was interesting, it's nothing compared to their opponent for this game: the Robert Morris Colonials from just outside of Pittsburgh, who were DISBANDED in 2021 and then brought back after massive backlash. Despite the Colonials getting two late goals to make things interesting, they were never truly in the game - partially as they got the aforementioned "goal horn in their faces" six times (though one of the goals was disallowed because...something; they didn't show the replay in the arena).

Also, a few final notes from this game:

1. Shoutout to the guy I saw in the AIC jersey - maybe one day they'll get to have a Robert Morris-like comeback...
2. #JusticeforCroixKochendorfer - you cannot let a dude with a name like that ride the bench the whole game - especially when you make a goalie change...
3. Sacred Heart's website indicates that women's hockey games are free - though a lot of that may be due to the fact that they're in a SUPER SMALL conference. It also likely means that there's fewer things open, and that suite level seats are unavailable...

### MERCH

During a drive from New Jersey to Boston (I forget when), I decided to visit the Sacred Heart bookstore on the main campus to see what hockey merch they had. Alas, the bookstore didn’t have jerseys - just sticks and pucks (which I got back then). I mentioned earlier that parking is more or less a non-issue for hockey games; however, it was when I visited the bookstore as I could not find regular visitor parking for some reason.

At the arena, there's a dedicated team store as you enter the concourse from the parking garage entrance. A quick check of Sacred Heart's online store before this game indicated that only "fan" jerseys were available, but the arena store had a few "replica" jerseys meant to emulate the jerseys the players wear (but fully sublimated - including the "Adidas shoulder dimples"); I ended up getting one of these sublimated replicas which features the number 63 on it - representing the year Sacred Heart was founded (thank goodness it wasn't 67 or 69).

One last note about jerseys: I have seen what I THINK are "deadstock" player jerseys on eBay (i.e. jerseys made for the team's players but unused), but none of them are my size (which may be due to the fact that they were made specifically for the players - and I've found that anything smaller than what is effectively a 2XL is RARE for player jerseys...).

---

![The Sacred Heart players salute the crowd after the game](/images/2025/2025salute.jpeg)

And with that...2025 is over. 

I could talk about how starting this blog and finally putting myself out there like this was a massive undertaking, but I think the best way for me to end this first "year" of Sportventures is by saying this:

[I have BIG plans for 2026](2026-01-01_26in26).

---

[^1]: I realize I probably should have mentioned this already, but pretty much every Hockey East school I've visited plus Harvard has a plethora of NHLers among their alumni. As for the other Atlantic Hockey schools I visited in 2023-24: Bentley seemingly has none, and Holy Cross also has two - and just like Sacred Heart, one of the two only played one game in the NHL.
[^2]: Penn State (who's men's team is in the Big Ten) has its women's team in AHA, and their arena (which they share with the men) is technically the biggest in the conference.

Sportventures

BU Women's Hockey (1/17/26)

Bridgeport Islanders (1/11/26)

Places Unvisited

26 in 26: An Intro

Sacred Heart Hockey (12/30/25)