Something stinks, and it’s not the hockey team. Last Friday, Briar Woods Hockey faced off against Riverside High School in their last regular-season game. 

The action on the ice was stalemate throughout the first period of the game, until Riverside fans tossed a fish onto the ice during play, continuing a long-lasting tradition. For some Briar students, topping Riverside was benefishal, and that meant bringing a ten-pound carp into the ice house and tossing it into the Riverside student section. This roused Riverside fans, prompting them to pick up the fish and throw it back at Briar students. One anonymous Junior said “[the fish] felt slimy, and [she] was shocked when [she] felt [the fish] touch [her]. [She] couldn’t stop smelling fish for the rest of the night.” This inevitably led to a series of fights, and as a result, two students were detained by Loudoun County Sheriffs. Officers are typically at all of the games to help control the rough and rowdy fans. When asked if the fights affect the team, one Junior hockey player said, “Honestly, we can’t really tell what goes on in the student sections during the games, but I do think that the throwing of the fish onto the ice is a little annoying because they have to stop play and wait for the Zam guy to come out and scoop him off the ice.” Both students were released after being questioned by Ashburn Ice House Management and were not allowed to reenter the game. The Falcons ended up falling to the Rams with a score of 7-2 after a long run of 5 goals in the third period from Riverside. 

Briar Woods ended their season with a record of 5-4-1 and captured a 7th place seed for the playoffs. The Falcons will play the Independence Tigers on Friday, February 18 at the Ashburn Ice House @9:00pm. This is a win-or-go-home matchup that looks to be in favor of Briar Woods as the Tiger’s top two players are out with injuries. The winner of that game will move into the quarter-finals and play Yorktown High School. The regular season may have just finished, but things are still heating up for Briar Woods Hockey as they are looking to make it back to the State Championship game and finally come away with a state title. 

Although many fans still have a fishy taste in their mouth from the recent loss to Riverside, it’s looking like Briar Woods will make a good run in the playoffs. To stay posted on game times, spirit outs, and locations, follow @bwhs.hockey on Instagram. You won’t want to miss these exciting upcoming matchups!