Security members had to deal with some rowdy UNB students about halfway into the second period of the UCup semifinal match-up between the V-Reds and St. FX.
The UNB students were chanting profanities and holding up signs that said “Hey X, no means no,” “PUCK X” and “Cook uses [Snapchat] filters.” Holden Cook plays for the St. FX men’s hockey team.
The Brunswickan tweeted out a photo (the one used in this story) with a brief description of what had happened. However, Andy Campbell, communications manager of Varsity Reds Athletics, told The Brunswickan to take down the tweet. The Brunswickan ended up deleting the tweet.
The private security company hired for the tournament refused to comment and said they couldn’t comment on incidents dealing with public relations.
Kyle Patterson and Chris Roos were two of the students who witnessed the incident. They said that there was a poster with photos of the St. FX goalie, Chase Marchand, and his girlfriend. Roos maintains that he did not hold a poster nor shout profanities.
According to Roos, the security members told the students they couldn’t have their poster because “TSN or Sportsnet didn’t want the signs and that we can’t hold up pictures of the goalie and his girlfriend.”
Although the purpose of their poster was to distract the opposing team, Patterson and Roos said the students didn’t mean to be offensive.
“We do what we do to get in their heads, right?” said Patterson. “If they’re going at us, looking at us, in the stands with our signs, we’re doing what we can to make our team win.”
“It makes no sense. If this game was being played at St. FX, They’d have equally as many signs as we do,” Roos added.
Patterson and Roos were both allowed to keep their seats, along with the other students, just not with the poster.
“We’re in our seats and we’re gonna do what we want in our seats. So it makes no sense to us,” said Roos, who thought the students should have been allowed to keep the poster.
Roos and Patterson have had their tickets for the tournament since the fall, and were only two of many UNB students who went to cheer on their team.
“We love UNB, right? We want our team to win. We’re the best hockey team,” said Patterson.
Roos and Patterson both plan to be at the UCup final tomorrow. When asked if they would bring to the next game, they had only one reply:
“That’s a surprise,” Patterson said.
With files from Caroline Mercier and Brad Ackerson
Correction: And earlier version of the story said that UNB Security was involved in the incident. The security members who addressed the students were actually from a private security company that was hired for the UCup tournament.