News Detail

11/18/2014

Ice Girls combines ice-skating, dance and cheerleading, three favorite things for freshman criminology major Brittany Fialkowski of Bohemia, N.Y. When she came to SUNY Cortland, she decided to launch a club that brings all that to her campus.

The Cortland Ice Girls were officially added as the 35th member of the Sport Club Program at SUNY Cortland when they were unanimously voted into existence on Oct. 8.

The club's goal is to create a unique, spirited experience for the fans. Ice Girls deal with game day operations, interact with fans and put on performances. Their public debut will be on Sunday, Nov. 23, for the Men’s Club Hockey game against SUNY Oswego at 3 p.m. at SUNY Cortland's Park Center Alumni Arena.

Fialkowski explains how she conceived of the club.

“At home I practically lived at my ice rink. I would see every single Stony Brook (University) hockey game, look into the stands and see these Ice Girls performing for the crowd. From that moment I wanted to be them.”

Fialkowski was disappointed when she came to the campus this fall and saw that there wasn’t an Ice Girls club. So she started it herself.

"I never got the chance to do all three things at once when I was a kid,” said Fialkowski, a Long Island native. “Dance took over everything. But now I get the chance to do all three.”

Trying these three activities all in one is a “definite” reason for the Ice Girls, said Fialkowski.

The 13-member club of first-year students, sophomores and juniors will be adding a whole new spirit section at the Men’s Club Hockey games. They perform on the ice in between the second and third periods of the games, and remain in the stands for the rest. They dance and cheer during face offs and when Cortland scores as well.

Members of the club hope to participate in men’s varsity hockey games in the near future as well.

For more information about the club, or to join the club, contact Fialkowski.

Prepared by Public Relations Office intern Paul Barchitta