The roaring energy and hard-charging spirit of the Huskies’ most devoted—and loudest—ice hockey fans will return to TD Garden Monday night as the men’s team takes the ice aiming for their consecutive fourth Beanpot victory.

Unwitting spectators, you have been warned.

“For those experiencing it for the first time, especially at a Beanpot game, when you hear that crowd, it is just a wave of sound. It’s nuts,” says Ethan Fasking, a fifth-year computer science and physics major who’s helped run the DogHouse for the past several years. “It’s an incredible feeling.”

Amid the chaos of COVID-19-based cancellations and crowd restrictions, Northeastern’s dedicated fans and pep-band members remained committed to connecting and engaging students, upping their social-media outreach and doubling down at games where the crowd and the team needed an enthusiastic pick-me-up.

The NU Pep Band’s most powerful and infectious weapon is “Stacy’s Mom,” a Fountains of Wayne song that’s become the team’s de-facto anthem.

“My very first Beanpot when we played ‘Stacy’s Mom’ and the crowd all started singing, it was so surreal. I’ve never experienced something like that,” says JoJo Brennan, who’s played the flute with the NU Pep Band since she started at the university five years ago.

“It’s one of my favorite parts of a game. Often the crowd has been asking for ‘Stacy’s Mom’ for the whole whole game, and when we finally play it everyone just erupts into song. It’s wonderful,” says Brennan, a fifth-year communications major.

Don’t be fooled by the smiles and raucous cheering, however. Both the DogHouse and the NU Pep Band take their jobs seriously. That includes at least a few hours a week preparing the team’s banner, making supportive signs for the home team (and less supportive ones for their opponents), and, for members of the band, working out logistics to ensure the 40-plus players and their instruments are delivered to the right place.

“I take great pride in being part of the university pep band. And when we show up to these games, it’s really nice to see other people take pride in our band, too,” says Gracie Rosenbaum, a fourth-year biology major.

Both organizations have continued to support the team remotely and keep fans engaged despite the Beanpot cancellation during the 2020-2021 season and a two-month stretch without spectators in late 2021.

“I have mixed feelings,” says Mark Rotering, a DogHouse member who’s part of the fan group’s leadership team.

“I’m really excited that we can get back into the arena, and we’ve had a huge turnout so far. But on top of that there’s these feelings of nervousness, because you want to make sure the crowd is amped up and ready to cheer the team on,” says Rotering, a third-year bioengineering major.

“The stakes are high. We’ve won three times in a row. What happens if we don’t win this? There’s a lot to consider,” Rotering says.

The Beanpot final game will see the Huskies face off against Boston University’s Terriers, and the timeless rivalry between the teams also extends to the fan base, says Owen Welch, a DogHouse member.

“Compared to the other Beanpot schools, I think BU’s fans are the most active, which is why I like being rivals with BU, because they’ll give it back,” says Welch, a third-year physics major. Boston College and Harvard also participate in the annual hockey tournament.

And yes, superstitions are a thing for many in the DogHouse leadership. Fasking has a hockey-style jersey that reads “Wendy’s” that he wears under his Northeastern jersey. Any discussions of the Huskies and players’ future, as in after the Beanpot championship, are also frowned upon.

“I was taught my freshman year in the DogHouse that you always wear black. So when it comes to the Beanpot, it’s black socks, black underwear, black pants, black shirt, black jersey,” says Welch.

Both the DogHouse and the NU Pep Band have the same goals—to whip up the crowd and support the Huskies the best way they can.

“We all show up, and we all support each other in making sure that we bring out the best in the crowd,” says Rosenbaum.

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