Ryan Gaitley: the voice of UMD Hockey

As the voice of UMD hockey, Ryan Gaitley single-handedly leads the student section every home game at the Amsoil Arena. 

Ryan Gaitley triumphantly leads the UMD student section. Photo courtesy of Gaitley

Gaitley takes the crown as the king of the UMD student section. His spirit and energy are contagious, but his dedication is admirable. He doesn’t remember the last time he missed a game. 

As a fourth-year student now, Gaitley embraced his unofficial role as tailgating captain in his second year at UMD. He’s seen a lot of changes not only with the hockey team but also the variety of students that attend the games. According to Gaitley, this year’s student attendance has gone down compared to his freshman and sophomore years.

“A lot of kids don't realize that this is an experience you're only going to get once,” Gaitley said. “Don’t rush the college experience, even the bad parts”.

Gaitley shared how he wouldn’t describe himself as the “cool kid” in highschool, but he wanted to put himself out there going into college. “Why not me?” Gaitley said, “I fell in love with the aesthetic, and the experience of going to the games,”

Gaitley isn’t an average guy. He goes to every home game and leading not only the student section but the entire Amsoil arena. He mentioned the legacy of chants hasn’t stuck well with the freshman or sophomore class, but he hopes to bring life back into the arena for the Bulldogs. 

Luckily for the student section, Gaitley is planning on continuing his education for one more year at UMD. Since his reign is coming to an end after his fifth year he plans on passing the baton, or his flag, to a new group of students who can keep the spirit alive. 

If you haven’t seen Gaitley in his element you can experience his charisma and support the Bulldogs at the Amsoil Arena. As attendance has dropped the hockey team needs the student section’s help to maintain the good record the Bulldogs have had this season.