Extra security on tap for Sioux-Gopher hockey series

There will be extra law enforcement and security guards for this weekend's WCHA series between the Sioux and the Gophers. Last season there was a major incident between two fans that ended up sending a guy to the hospital with a head trauma. That incident sparked this blog post - Fan Behavior.

Grand Forks Herald --- In the shadow of a scuffle that left a hockey fan seriously injured last season, UND police and Ralph Engelstad Arena officials are beefing up security for the Sioux-Gopher games set for Friday and Saturday.

At both games, UND police will have three uniformed officers and two plainclothes officers in the arena. That’s three more officers than usual, Lt. Tracy Meidinger said.

“In the past, we’ve had a few problems,” he said. “This time, we’re trying to be a little more proactive and a little more visible.”

Meidinger said the additional officers come at the request of arena officials. “They’re interested in making sure this is safe, too,” he said.

Arena spokesman Chris Semrau said The Ralph typically has more than 20 of its own security officers at men’s hockey games. For this series, the arena will have four to six extra officers on duty.

“There’s a little greater attention paid to this weekend, but no major shift in approach,” Semrau said. “For the most part, fans behave very appropriately. There’s always a handful that may step out of line.”

After the UND-Minnesota hockey game Oct. 16, 2009, two fights broke out simultaneously on opposite sides of the arena, Meidinger said.