The latest trip came on Super Bowl Weekend as I went up to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, namely to check out the Mullins Center in Amherst. Since the game was not until nighttime, I started the journey an hour to the east in Worcester for some basketball, as Holy Cross took on American at 2 PM. The University is up on the hill a little south of the city and I began downtown, first at a small little museum detailing Worcester’s history. It’s “Free February” so that’s a nice start! It was a mild winter day, good for a walk around Worcester Commons after that. I’ve been here before when attending a hockey game at the DCU Center 13 years ago, but it was nice to check out the memorials and the beautiful City Hall once again. There were plenty of people milling about, so despite a bad reputation, I was not concerned at any point while walking.
Driving up to campus was wacky as Google Maps brought me a “shorter route” from I-290, exit 15. This meant driving by a midday Frat Party and then probably the steepest hill my car has ever been on via Boyden Street. The parking lot in front of the Hart Center was already packed as other stuff must’ve been going on, so I’m glad I got there an hour early. I’ve been to a game here before (also in 2010), but there have been renovations to the concourse and interior, so it was nice to return and give a re-review. Lots of purple in there, which is what I like to see. The building has a lot going on and the conjoining middle part is well decorated and classy. Thanks to Rocco’s for giving out free doughnuts before the game! Inside, the seating is disjointed, but it works. This is certainly one of the better atmospheres in the Patriot League and it was great to see a lively crowd.
I really think they helped the Crusaders as they were down to American by 4 – 8 points most of the game until the end. Down by two, Holy Cross got a stop and as Caleb Kenney broke down the other way, Matt Rogers inexplicably pulled his jersey. The refs reviewed it and deemed it an intentional foul. Kenney hit both free throws to tie it with 26 seconds left. Then as Holy Cross held for the final shot, Kenney was fouled with 2.7 seconds left and hit both free throws again to take a 58-56 lead, the Cross’ first since it was 2-0. Talk about calm under pressure! Rogers barely missed a half-court heave at the buzzer and the home side left happy. Rogers is somebody that has stuck out to me while watching Patriot basketball this season and has become somewhat of a heel in my eyes, so I was doubly happy. What an amazing finish and I had a smile on my face making the 1+ hour drive to Amherst.
Amherst is a college town, that needs to be used in plural form. There are three colleges within the city limits and it seemed like this led to high traffic as I arrived in the center Saturday evening. Streets were packed and it took awhile for me to find parking. I decided to skip dinner so I can make it to the Mullins Center early. Driving down speed bump filled Commonwealth Ave, I parked in the odd lot with solar covers, thinking I set myself for a quick out after the game. Wrong, it took me 15 minutes to get out. It’s a dumber exit towards Holdsworth Ave as the stoplight there slows everything down. This was a blessing in disguise, because I came back the next day for the basketball game and wanted to get out of there as fast as possible after the game. Reason: Getting home for the Super Bowl. While in traffic Saturday Night, I saw that the better play was to exit near one of the outlets towards Commonwealth Ave and that would really speed up dismissal.Â
Anyway, back to the game, I’ve been down on UMass because 1) They didn’t return my emails and 2) I hate the elitist #Flagship moniker. They use it because it is the primary campus in the University of Massachusetts system. I don’t know why it bothers me, but it does. It’s kind of like how Syracuse used to say they were “New York’s College Team”. I will admit though that the Mullins Center is a nice building. It seemed kind of bleh on TV, but it certainly looks newer than it’s age (1993). There’s a partially clashing brick concourse with concrete / gray siding inside. Outside of that, sightlines are solid and even though there isn’t an upper deck, the higher sections are a good spot to be. Love the maroon seats and the scoreboard. For hockey, a little more than half the arena was filled and the Minutemen beat UConn 3-1, despite two goals that were reviewed and taken off the board. The second UMass goal was a beauty. I was really impressed by the students as there were a ton of them there, something that should happen when you have 38,000 students.
The next morning, I did some work and then drove in to see a little more of Amherst in the daylight. It was less crowded and I ventured to Amherst College, a historic school. Campus is nice for a stroll and there is an archaeological museum that has an impressive fossil collection. Parking for it is weird though. After lunch in the center of town, it was back to the Mullins Center for a 2 PM basketball game against Rhode Island. The crowd was certainly less than the hockey game as that and the approaching Super Bowl probably had something to do with limiting it. Is UMass a Hockey School or a Basketball School? I guess it depends on who is better. Anyway, this was a wacky game as each team had a sizable leads. It looked over in the second half as the Minutemen built their lead to 14 with 5 minutes to play. It was 3:40 PM and I was whistling dixie as I’d get home in time for the Super Bowl. Then Jaden House went off. He went on a solo 10-0 run and that kept the game in the “foul and replay review territory” as the UMass lead was in the 3-8 point range with less than a minute to play. My frustration in the last five minutes taking thirty minutes of real time at least simmered by seeing a thrilling finish. UMass kept missing free throws and that gave URI a shot at the buzzer, but the attempt rimmed out.
Stadium and Arena Visits 