AD Harry Sheehy: Don't throw tennis balls after the first goal
Dear Dartmouth Community,
Tonight our men's hockey team will play a game against Princeton University that has big playoff implications. It is the start of an exciting weekend that has Dartmouth playing Quinnipiac, the #1 ranked team in the nation, tomorrow evening.
Many of you know of the "tradition" of throwing tennis balls after the first goal against Princeton. In the past, referees have overlooked the first "throw" but in recent seasons this silliness has spread to the second, third and fourth goals and Dartmouth has been penalized. This, I believe, makes us the only school in the nation that possesses a "tradition" where our own fans knowingly hurt their team. This, in and of itself, should make us think twice. How sad it would be if one day this "tradition" cost our team an Ivy Championship, home ice in the ECAC Tournament, or worst of all, a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament. That chance exists this year.
The catalyst for this email is not only the embarrassment that this "tradition" causes (and make no mistake this embarrasses many in our community), but hockey student-athletes who want a fair chance to succeed. This "tradition" has the potential to hurt our team when it matters the most.
The start of the second verse of our Alma Mater states, "Dear old Dartmouth, set a watch......lest the old traditions fail." I am fairly certain the author was not referring to throwing tennis balls. Here's to wishing the men of Dartmouth hockey a great, successful weekend.
Go Big Green!
Harry Sheehy | Director of Athletics and Recreation
Dartmouth College Athletics Department