Let’s face it: the Whitman Missionaries, in their various sports, just don’t receive the kind of support and fan base that bigger universities enjoy. It’s even more difficult for newer, smaller teams to gain support.
But on Saturday, Feb. 10, the Whitman hockey team, in only its second year of existence, received more support from cheering fans than ever before. The game, advertised as the “Whitties vs. Townies” game, pitted the Missionaries against the Walla Walla Adult League at the YWCA Ice Chalet.
The title of the event, however, incited some debate on the Whitman student listserv.
A student replied to an e-mail advertising the event, asking, “Must we continue to make such classist distinctions between ourselves and the rest of the people that live in the very same town?” This student went on to say that the advertisement of the game “increase[d] the notion of ‘us versus them,'” rather than merely focusing on the sport.
In another responded to the listserv, a self described “Twittie” (Townie as well as Whittie) defended the advertising event, writing, “There isn’t any negative connotation to [Townie] besides that which you give power to.”
The debate was brief. Erin Morris said, “The game was a friendly rivalry: I know every single townie I played against. I play in the Adult League, and I technically could have played on either team. The Adult League knew I was advertising the game as ‘Whitties vs. Townies,’ and they thought it was a great idea and encouraged me to do that to get more fans.”
Clearly, the tactic worked. Morris says, “It was the first time we had more than 10 fans. We had about 30 fans, which makes that rink packed! So the atmosphere was really fun to play in.”
Morris, a sophomore, joined the Whitman hockey team last year, and serves as the team’s coach, coordinator and valued team member.
She led the team to victory at the game, with a final score of about 17-7 (score was not strictly kept).
Morris explained, however, “While the score may have seemed lopsided, it was a pretty evenly matched game. With a rink so small, scores can get lopsided easily, because people can basically shoot from the middle of the ice.”
Teammate Julie Grimm, a first-year, added, “Because the game was on a small rink, the play has to be fast paced. People were a little tired, and we had had a game on big ice the night before, but I think that the friendly atmosphere kept the energy really high.”
Grimm asserted the friendliness of the game. She said, “Andy Coulson, a Whitman student, played for the townies and checked the Whitman team every chance he got. Also, a townie, Jason, who had played with us the night before, threw his glove at one of our players after a failed check. There was a lot of playfulness in the game, as any of those moves with people we didn’t know would have been reason for a fight!”
The game marks the first win in the four games of the Missionaries’ season thus far. With two games left to play, Morris hopes that the same level of support as the Feb. 10 game will continue, and added, “If you’re interested, we’re always looking for more players!”
