Crusaders out and about for field hockey

While the Cherry Crusade is known for its large sections of Temple students at football and men’s basketball games, its allegiance to Temple athletics goes beyond the revenue sports. On Friday, the Crusade had a section sitting in the bleachers cheering on the field hockey team against Rutgers.

Sophomore Yale Alpert led the Cherry Crusade throughout the game as he donned a cherry Temple T on his cheek.

“We always like coming to the non-revenue events,” Alpert said. “We think that every team should be supported.”

Alpert, who is in his second year with the group, did acknowledge the Cherry Crusade doesn’t usually make it out to the Ambler campus for the sporting events regularly held there, but said they make every effort to get to most of the events on the main campus.

While it may be easy to look to the fact that field hockey being nationally ranked is a reason for the Cherry Crusade’s support, Alpert was quick to point out they stand by the Owls through and through regardless of wins and losses.

“Even [if] this team is unranked we’ll still be here to support because that’s what we are, and that’s what this organization is based on, supporting Temple’s teams no matter how they’re doing,” Alpert said.

Alpert also pointed out that while there was a double-digit number of Crusaders at the game, there were several that did not make it out to Geasey Field on Friday afternoon and he said they’re still trying to establish a good draw in numbers from freshmen and other new members.

“I think people are more excited because they’re playing so well and they have that little number to the left of Temple when you look at the score,” sophomore Sam Forman said when talking about the impact field hockey’s national ranking has had on the Cherry Crusade.

“What we do and what we aim to do is show the support that every student athlete at Temple deserves.  When you wear the cherry and white and you put those six letters on your chest and that T on your chest that’s such a big deal,” Forman added.

The Cherry Crusade’s efforts in supporting the field hockey team on Friday were rewarded as the Owls pulled out a 2-1 victory over Rutgers.  As the clock wound down and it became evident the Owls were going to hold on, the Crusaders burst into the signature “I Believe” chant as another game was in the win column for Temple.