Painted screamers pump up fans at hockey games

Compared with many colleges and universities, UNH doesn't have many traditions (unless you consider parking tickets a tradition). We don't have a naked road race or a crazy school sponsored holiday, or a spot on campus that's supposed to be good luck. But one group of friends is taking one of UNH's favorite traditions—hockey—and taking it to a whole new level, maybe even starting their own tradition.

If you've been to a men's hockey game in the last couple of months, you've seen them—they're the guys without shirts and in full body paint, even when temperatures dip into the teens. They call themselves the Elite Men's Club Seventh Man and although their numbers fluctuate, the core group is made up of sophomore Kevin Schroeder, junior James Karanasios, senior Craig Martin, senior Sean Kelleher, sophomore Tyler Colvin and senior Hao Hoang.

Karanasios said that the body painting and cheering started on the spur of the moment.
"We just decided that we wanted to get the crowd riled up," Karanasios said. "We want to make the Whitt the hardest place [for visiting teams] to play college hockey."

Martin says that the EMC Seventh Man is becoming a fixture at the hockey games. The guys say they feel a definite difference in the energy level of the crowd.

"The crowd progressively recognizes us and gets more excited—even the parents do," Martin said. "On our way to the games, we've got people cheering out their car windows, honking at us. It's great."

Schroeder recalled one cold night when the group was running late and they got a friend to drive them to the game in his pickup truck.

"We were all in the back of the truck, all painted up, with our shirts off-- it was 25 degrees out--and we drove all around campus and everyone was cheering and yelling at us, getting fired up." Schroeder said. "And that's the goal, just getting everyone fired up again."

The EMC Seventh Man says that they want anyone and everyone to follow their lead and show their school spirit at hockey games and other sporting events. They say they would like to see the entire arena as excited as they are.

"We're calling all Wildcats." Karanasios said.

 So far, it seems to be working. The Wildcats haven't lost a home game when the EMC Seventh Man has been in attendance (although they've tied).

"When we paint, they don't lose." Schroeder said.

"Knock on wood." Martin added.