Hockey reporter Eric Fish shares his experiences from Albany, N.Y., the site of the NCAA East Regionals.
It was nice walking around a city and hearing nothing but hockey talk. That's the kind of atmosphere Albany had for the NCAA East Regionals and for the most part, the city did a good job of hosting the event, although attendance wasn't as high as the other regionals.
Outside of Pepsi Arena, you'd find hockey-related activities for people of all ages to participate in, and inside the rink was very likable. The NCAA did a satisfying job as far as media accountability, as well.
What amazes me about every arena I've been to is that one fan who wears a Michigan hockey jersey to the game, regardless of whether the Wolverines are playing. It makes me want to laugh at how pathetic they are at the same time.
We stayed in the downtown section of the city, which was about a block away from the arena. The downtown area was nice, but small, only accounting for a few blocks with actual things to do.
The highlight of the trip came Saturday night when we were walking downtown attempting to find a restaurant. While pondering our options, we were greeted by a man — who claimed to be 50 years old — wearing a Cornell sweatshirt and a Michigan baseball cap. The guy gave us the unofficial tour of Albany in about 10 minutes just by word of mouth. He also told us what areas to stay away from in the city, his profession of work, how he spends his free time and where his daughter goes to college. It was like we had known the guy our entire lives.
The restaurant/bar combo of Jillian's became our favorite site for Albany nightlife during our visit. We ended up there every night on our stay and had a great time soaking in the environment. What was also nice about Albany was the nonsmoking policy in restaurants and bars. I could bring my coat and not have to worry about it smelling like an ashtray for two weeks.
Although it was a fun way to spend a weekend, Albany had nothing on East Lansing nightlife. Then again, very few places do.
