Hey Alumni!
It’s your Pep Band Manager, Dubs, coming to you with some updates about the year in the Pep Band!
When last y’all heard from me, we were gearing up for the whirlwind that is playoff season, and what a whirlwind it was. After withstanding the many jeers from fans up in the NorthCountry, we split the band between the men’s hockey ECAC Quarterfinals at home and the men’s basketball Ivy Madness tournament in NYC! Although our basketball team fell against Yale, the hockey team swept Harvard right out of Lynah, earning us a spot at Lake Placid. On the women’s side, we cheered on our hockey team as they swept Quinnipiac in the ECAC Quarterfinals, and made the trip to Hamilton as they fell against the Colgate Raiders. At Lake Placid, we pulled off a tremendous comeback against Dartmouth before sealing our ECAC championship against St. Lawrence. The band going absolutely nuts as the clock hit 0:00 is something I’m sure I and the rest of the band will never forget. We then pulled off a gutsy upset against Maine before falling to the eventual National Champion, Denver, to round out our season. Overall, it was a tremendous, albeit a little crazy, playoff season for the band, and created memories that will stick with us for a long while.
After the conclusion of the hockey season, things cooled down noticeably, although the pep band was still pretty active. We went to some men’s and women’s lacrosse games, had some fun social events, and played for both the vet school and MBA school exhibition hockey games! In the summer, we made appearances at Reunion, the Racker Rivals charity hockey game, and the Matterhorn Fit prospect showcase way down in Florida!
Going into the beginning of this year, I really wanted to maintain the massive amounts of enthusiasm for pep that had emerged last year. I’m proud to say that the enthusiasm has not just been maintained, but has even increased! Seeing 40 to 50 people show up to things like soccer, field hockey, and volleyball has made me very proud of how strong the band has become. I’m excited to see how we continue to grow over the next year!
As for this fall, we hit the ground running by going to various soccer, field hockey, sprint football, and volleyball events. Our hockey season began with an incredible sweep over highly ranked North Dakota, but the team has unfortunately faltered since then. However, a thrilling shootout win over Quinnipiac in the Frozen Apple was a nice way to cap off my term.
As I find myself staring at retirement, I find myself extremely proud of the state and strength of the pep band, both in musicality and raw enthusiasm and spirit. As we venture into 2025, I’m very excited to see how the band continues to grow into the best form it can be. It has truly been an honor and a privilege to be the Pep Band Manager.
Thank you all for a truly incredible year!
David “Dubs” Kaprielian ‘25