A January 17 story in USA Today noted the 50th anniversary of Appleton Arena at St. Lawrence, and called special attention to the unique way that home-team goals get celebrated.
Sound the horn: Appleton Arena is 50
By Andy Gardiner
USA TODAY
Anyone who has wandered through Canton, N.Y., and happened to catch a hockey game in the cozy surroundings of St. Lawrence University's
Appleton Arena knows about The Siren.
Some rinks have bells. Some have whistles. But only Appleton has the
blaring horn that cuts loose after every Saints goal. It was donated by a
member of the school's booster club who happened to be a fire chief.
With the Saints' career home record of 449-239-31, that siren has created
a lot of noise over the years.
Appleton will celebrate its 50th anniversary Saturday when St. Lawrence
hosts Dartmouth. It is an appropriate rendezvous: The Big Green were the
first team to visit Appleton, on Jan. 20, 1951.
Named after Charles W. Appleton, a judge and graduate of the Class of
1897, the arena seats 2,599. Built for an original cost of $400,000,
Appleton has profited from a series of renovations that added locker
rooms, enlarged the ice surface and buffed up the lobby.
But the basic nature of the rink has survived intact. It has a well-earned
reputation within the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference and
throughout college hockey as a place where the game flourishes.
''It's an old-time college hockey atmosphere -- up close and personal,''
says Colgate coach Don Vaughan, who played at St. Lawrence.
''Everything's dark -- it's almost like a cave.
''I tell my players to be ready for noise when we come to Appleton. It can
get really loud and really crazy. But it's one of the best places in the
country to play.''
Only 12 of St. Lawrence's 32 games this season are at Appleton, so the
siren has had few chances to perform. The Saints would like nothing better
than to give it a workout Saturday and gain a little revenge against
Dartmouth.
The Big Green won that initial game in 1951 4-3.