SUNY Geneseo students travel to see Sabres win on Friday
Photo Courtesy of Aiden Muller
Hockey season is well underway, and last weekend, on Friday, Nov. 6, SUNY Geneseo’s Department of Student Engagement and Geneseo Late Knight teamed up to bring SUNY Geneseo students to a Buffalo Sabres NHL game. The trip was a part of SUNY Geneseo’s Upstate Escapes program, which hosts trips for students to experience the many exciting places that the beautiful upstate New York area has to offer. Previous Upstate Escapes trips have included visiting Niagara Falls, Minnehan’s Fun Center, Six Flags at Darien Lake, Rochester’s Pawsitive Cafe for a cat yoga class, The Commissary in Rochester for a gnocchi making class, and other amazing spots throughout the upstate area, as can be viewed on Geneseo Student Engagement’s Instagram account.
Friday’s trip, like all Upstate Escapes adventures, came at little cost to Geneseo students, with tickets to the Buffalo Sabres vs. Columbus Blue Jackets game on sale for five dollars starting on Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. On Friday, the day had finally arrived for the eager students looking forward to the game! The bus, which transported students to and from the game, was also provided by Geneseo Student Engagement. It departed from the MacVittie College Union at 5:30 p.m., getting students to the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, where the Sabres play, in time for the game’s start at 7 p.m.
The trip was led by members of Geneseo Late Knight, another organization on campus which works to provide free or low cost opportunities for fun to SUNY Geneseo students, specifically on Friday and Saturday nights. A GroupMe was created for the trip so that all students had contact throughout the night and while boarding the bus; once at the game, the SUNY Geneseo students on the trip had the freedom to spend their time at the Sabres game however they liked. Some students sat and watched every second of the game, while others enjoyed purchasing snacks from the arena’s multiple food stands, which offered delicious trays of chicken tenders, fries, burgers, soft pretzels, chicken sandwiches, and other stadium foods.
Luckily for the students on the trip, the Buffalo Sabres made it an exciting game. As students walked into the stadium wearing their Sabres jerseys, sweatshirts, and other merchandise, they were greeted with a warm welcome—SUNY Geneseo was displayed on the list of groups at the KeyBank Center that night. Shortly after, the Sabres players made it an eventful night for fans. “Josh Norris scored twice, defenseman Owen Power had three assists and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2 on Friday night,” as documented by ESPN. Some fans in the stadium were even featured on the big screen above the rink in between periods, with an appearance from some SUNY Geneseo students on the trip.
Also that evening, the KeyBank Center and the Buffalo Sabres hosted their annual Hockey Beats Cancer night. Throughout the game, the team took opportunities to raise awareness and collect donations for cancer research and treatment, partnering with the Roswell Park Cancer Center, as documented on the official NHL website.
After an exciting night of cheering, SUNY Geneseo students made it back to campus just before midnight, and were able to say they kicked off their weekends—which were followed up by an exciting Geneseo Ice Knights win on Saturday evening—with a great, winning experience at the Buffalo Sabres game!