{"id":104641,"date":"2025-09-19T22:53:15","date_gmt":"2025-09-20T02:53:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=104641"},"modified":"2025-09-25T08:53:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T12:53:00","slug":"badgers-fans-light-up-downtown-st-catharines-at-steel-blade-classic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2025\/09\/badgers-fans-light-up-downtown-st-catharines-at-steel-blade-classic\/","title":{"rendered":"Badgers&#8217; fans light up downtown St. Catharines at Steel Blade Classic"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Downtown St. Catharines pulsed with school spirit Friday night as 3,700 fans packed the Meridian Centre for the 26th annual Steel Blade Classic.<\/p>\n<p>The signature <a href=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/homecoming\/\">Homecoming<\/a> event once again proved to be about far more than hockey, with students, alumni, staff, faculty and community members coming together in a sea of red and white to celebrate Brock pride and mark the start of a new men\u2019s hockey season.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Steel Blade Classic is a true showcase of what it means to be part of the Brock community,\u201d said Melissa Krist, Executive Director, Brock Sports and Recreation. \u201cYou can feel the energy the moment you walk into the Meridian Centre. It\u2019s about tradition, pride and being part of something bigger than yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>From the lineups outside of the arena to the roar of the crowd inside, the evening highlighted the sense of belonging and camaraderie that has made Steel Blade a Niagara staple since its launch in 1999.<\/p>\n<p>It also marked a special moment for the program, as the Steel Blade Classic helped launch the <a href=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2025\/09\/steel-blade-classic-to-usher-in-milestone-season-for-brock-badgers\/\">60th season of Brock men\u2019s hockey<\/a>, a milestone that enhances the legacy and tradition behind the program.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Steel Blade Classic is unlike any other game we play,\u201d said Brock men\u2019s hockey head coach TJ Manastersky. \u201cIt\u2019s about so much more than what happens on the ice. It\u2019s about sharing this moment with our students, our treasured alumni and the entire Brock community.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe energy in the building pushes our team to rise to the occasion, and it\u2019s a memory our student-athletes will carry with them long after the final buzzer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brock lost a spirited game by a score of 5-1.<\/p>\n<p>After Guelph\u2019s Nolan Degurse opened the scoring, Brock fourth-year Sport Management student Holden Rogers tied the game late in the first period to the delight of the red-and-white crowd.<\/p>\n<p>From there, the Gryphons pulled away with goals from Giordano Biondi, Griffin Wilson, a second from Degurse and a late empty-netter from Kaeden Johnston.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the final score, the game once again served as a celebration of Brock pride, uniting students, alumni, faculty, staff and community.<\/p>\n\n\t    <style type='text\/css'>\n\t        #gallery-2050244276 {\n\t            margin: 0 auto 50px auto !important;\n\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2050244276 ul {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: 0 !important; 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They are joined by two other inidviduals and Brock's mascot, Boomer the Badger.\">\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li class='gallery-item'>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Stephen_Leithwood_192025-Steel-Blade_0016-1600x1067.jpg\" title=\"Thousands of fans packed the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines on Friday, Sept. 19 to watch the Brock Badgers take on the Guelph Gryphons in the annual Steel Blade Classic.\" data-featherlight=\"image\" class=\"gallery-2050244276\">\n<img src=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Stephen_Leithwood_192025-Steel-Blade_0016-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" alt=\"Three women hold Brock Badgers thunder sticks \u2014 large inflatable sticks meant to be hit together during a sporting event \u2014 while sitting in a busy arena.\">\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li class='gallery-item'>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Stephen_Leithwood_192025-Steel-Blade_0026_1-1600x1067.jpg\" title=\"Thousands of fans packed the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines on Friday, Sept. 19 to watch the Brock Badgers take on the Guelph Gryphons in the annual Steel Blade Classic.\" data-featherlight=\"image\" class=\"gallery-2050244276\">\n<img src=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Stephen_Leithwood_192025-Steel-Blade_0026_1-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" alt=\"A woman in a Brock University sweatshirt holds a hockey stick while standing on the ice in an arena, preparing to hit a hockey puck.\">\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li class='gallery-item'>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Stephen_Leithwood_192025-Steel-Blade_0006_1-1600x1067.jpg\" title=\"Thousands of fans packed the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines on Friday, Sept. 19 to watch the Brock Badgers take on the Guelph Gryphons in the annual Steel Blade Classic.\" data-featherlight=\"image\" class=\"gallery-2050244276\">\n<img src=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Stephen_Leithwood_192025-Steel-Blade_0006_1-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" alt=\"A man with an exaggerated red foam finger with the Brock Badgers logo on it stands in front of a yellow school bus.\">\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li class='gallery-item'>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Stephen_Leithwood_192025-Steel-Blade_0011-1600x1067.jpg\" title=\"Thousands of fans packed the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines on Friday, Sept. 19 to watch the Brock Badgers take on the Guelph Gryphons in the annual Steel Blade Classic.\" data-featherlight=\"image\" class=\"gallery-2050244276\">\n<img src=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Stephen_Leithwood_192025-Steel-Blade_0011-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" alt=\"Brock's mascot, Boomer the Badger, stands with his paws in the air in a busy hockey arena.\">\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li class='gallery-item'>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Mackenzie_Gerry_192025-Steel_Blade_0004-1600x1067.jpg\" title=\"Thousands of fans packed the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines on Friday, Sept. 19 to watch the Brock Badgers take on the Guelph Gryphons in the annual Steel Blade Classic.\" data-featherlight=\"image\" class=\"gallery-2050244276\">\n<img src=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Mackenzie_Gerry_192025-Steel_Blade_0004-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" alt=\"Three people and Boomer the Badger mascot stand holding a large check made out to the Brock University Students' Union's Food First program in the amount of $611.\">\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li class='gallery-item'>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Stephen_Leithwood_192025-Steel-Blade_0007-1600x1067.jpg\" title=\"Thousands of fans packed the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines on Friday, Sept. 19 to watch the Brock Badgers take on the Guelph Gryphons in the annual Steel Blade Classic.\" data-featherlight=\"image\" class=\"gallery-2050244276\">\n<img src=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Stephen_Leithwood_192025-Steel-Blade_0007-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" alt=\"Three people in Brock University hoodies and T-shirts smile while sitting in an arena.\">\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li class='gallery-item'>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Stephen_Leithwood_192025-Steel-Blade_0010-1-1600x1067.jpg\" title=\"Thousands of fans packed the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines on Friday, Sept. 19 to watch the Brock Badgers take on the Guelph Gryphons in the annual Steel Blade Classic.\" data-featherlight=\"image\" class=\"gallery-2050244276\">\n<img src=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Stephen_Leithwood_192025-Steel-Blade_0010-1-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" alt=\"Five men and Boomer the Badger mascot stand on the ice in an arena with fans in the background in the stadium seats.\">\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li class='gallery-item'>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Stephen_Leithwood_192025-Steel-Blade_0014-1600x1067.jpg\" title=\"Thousands of fans packed the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines on Friday, Sept. 19 to watch the Brock Badgers take on the Guelph Gryphons in the annual Steel Blade Classic.\" data-featherlight=\"image\" class=\"gallery-2050244276\">\n<img src=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Stephen_Leithwood_192025-Steel-Blade_0014-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" alt=\"A group of five men join Boomer the Badger mascot, standing behind the Steel Blade Classic trophy, a large, silver sword encased in a wooden box.\">\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li class='gallery-item'>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Mackenzie_Gerry_192025-Steel_Blade_0005_1-1600x1067.jpg\" title=\"Thousands of fans packed the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines on Friday, Sept. 19 to watch the Brock Badgers take on the Guelph Gryphons in the annual Steel Blade Classic.\" data-featherlight=\"image\" class=\"gallery-2050244276\">\n<img src=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Mackenzie_Gerry_192025-Steel_Blade_0005_1-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" alt=\"Brock Badgers men's hockey players on ice in a packed arena. One player lifts his glove to his ear, encouraging the crowd to cheer louder.\">\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li class='gallery-item'>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/SteelBlade-1600x1067.jpg\" title=\"Thousands of fans packed the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines on Friday, Sept. 19 to watch the Brock Badgers take on the Guelph Gryphons in the annual Steel Blade Classic.\" data-featherlight=\"image\" class=\"gallery-2050244276\">\n<img src=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/SteelBlade-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" alt=\"A packed arena full of people cheers during a hockey game.\">\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li class='gallery-item'>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/SteelBlade_5-1600x1067.jpg\" title=\"Thousands of fans packed the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines on Friday, Sept. 19 to watch the Brock Badgers take on the Guelph Gryphons in the annual Steel Blade Classic.\" data-featherlight=\"image\" class=\"gallery-2050244276\">\n<img src=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/SteelBlade_5-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" alt=\"A large group of people cheer while sitting in seats in a packed arena.\">\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li class='gallery-item'>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/SteelBlade_4-1600x1067.jpg\" title=\"Thousands of fans packed the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines on Friday, Sept. 19 to watch the Brock Badgers take on the Guelph Gryphons in the annual Steel Blade Classic.\" data-featherlight=\"image\" class=\"gallery-2050244276\">\n<img src=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/SteelBlade_4-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" alt=\"Fans cheer on a hockey team in an indoor arena.\">\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li class='gallery-item'>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Stephen_Leithwood_192025-Steel-Blade_0007_1-1600x1067.jpg\" title=\"Thousands of fans packed the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines on Friday, Sept. 19 to watch the Brock Badgers take on the Guelph Gryphons in the annual Steel Blade Classic.\" data-featherlight=\"image\" class=\"gallery-2050244276\">\n<img src=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Stephen_Leithwood_192025-Steel-Blade_0007_1-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" alt=\"A woman with a large foam finger on her hand cheers in a crowd full of people at an arena.\">\n<\/a><\/li>\n<li class='gallery-item'>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/SteelBlade_1-1600x1067.jpg\" title=\"Thousands of fans packed the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines on Friday, Sept. 19 to watch the Brock Badgers take on the Guelph Gryphons in the annual Steel Blade Classic.\" data-featherlight=\"image\" class=\"gallery-2050244276\">\n<img src=\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/SteelBlade_1-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" alt=\"A large group of people cheer while sitting in seats in a packed arena.\">\n<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr style='visibility: hidden; clear: both; margin: 0;'>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Downtown St. Catharines pulsed with school spirit Friday night as 3,700 fans packed the Meridian Centre for the 26th annual Steel Blade Classic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":104651,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[119,7484,3319,4767,1],"tags":[1195,4359,4326],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104641"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104641"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104641\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":104652,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104641\/revisions\/104652"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}