It,s Saturday night and my friends, family and I were hanging around pondering what to do for the evening. Money is tight and we also needed to incorporate a fun activity for my seven-year-old niece to enjoy along with the adults. The suggestion was to go see a Lowell Lock Monster Hockey Game at the Tsongas Arena. I just so happen to have a schedule that I conveniently picked up at the local Dunkin Donuts. At seven o,clock the Monsters were playing the Providence Bruins. All five adults and my seven-year-old niece hopped in the car and took a short drive to Lowell. Parking was inexpensive and relatively easy to locate ($5 is the highest price that I noticed). Attending a Lock Monster game is cheaper then going to see the Bruins game and is as much fun if not more fun.

Tickets were easy for us to purchase at the door upon arrival but advance purchases are available in lieu of waiting in line. The price for an adult ticket was eleven dollars and for a child was nine dollars. A far cry from the twenty to seventy dollars seats to see the Boston Bruins play at the Fleet Center (www.BostonBruins.com) Some of the lower priced seats purchased at the Fleet Center come with obstructed view but a comfortable view is permitted from every seat at the Tsongas arena.

The crowds scurried to their seats excitedly. Along the way they make subsequent stops at each of the booth due to of the hypnotizing smell of hot-dogs, pizza, freshly popped popcorn, and warm pretzels. My niece is excited to have her fresh popped popcorn and refreshing cup of Pepsi. We find our way to our seats weaving past the refreshment lines and Alcoholic beverage lines. The arena is bright with lights and the announcer is about to introduce the young lady who will captivate the crowd while singing the National Anthem. Her voice sounds magical as it bounces of the high metal beamed ceiling. After the national Anthem the team players are introduced, whistles are blown, and the game is on the way.

During the game there are many attractions happening all around. The man yelling "Get your hot-dog here! and someone else yelling, "Pepsi here! There is another person dressed up in a Lock Monster outfit throwing T-shirts around and a section of the crowd stands anxiously awaiting a T-shirt to be thrown in their direction. In between each period there is always some form of entertainment for the crowds happening on the ice. There is a contest such as "Chuck a Puck. Pucks can be found at the entrance of the arena where a stand filled with orange, foam pucks can purchase for a buck. They all have numbers on them marked in black. Fans are assigned a puck with a number. A the end of the 2nd period every one throws their puck into the middle of the ice rink trying to have the puck with their number land on a piece of card board place on center ice. If the puck reaches the cardboard that person could be the lucky winner of two hundred and fifty dollars. Image what its like hundreds of these orange, foam pucks being chucked from the crowds onto the ice, hundreds of them all at once. That is one form of entertainment. They also have people throwing shirts into the sections that scream the loudest. People stand; clap and scream till they,re blue in the face in order to get the attention of the person throwing the T-shirts from the ice into the screaming crowd.

The hockey game resumes, passionate fans yell at the referees when bad calls are made, "Hey ref open your eyes, they,d say. The tough hockey players fight for the puck as it slides from one side of the ice to the other. With all the tension of getting the puck in the goal, fights break out sporadically between the opposing teams and the crowd gets even more excited over the swings and hits. When a goal is scored, fans stand and yell with excitement. By the end of the game we are happy we came. My niece,s tummy is filled with Pepsi and freshly popped popcorn. My friends and family have been consumed with beer and pizza. With all that fun and excitement, we conclude our night at the Tsongas Arena. My niece had so much fun, she keeps asking, we can come again?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Background by::