She may have only been 11, but it’ll stick with her forever.
Vanessa Puczko, now a second-year business student at Mount Royal University, won’t soon forget the first Stamps playoff game she ever attended.
Fondly reminiscing over Calgary’s Western Final win against the BC Lions in 2008, the lifelong fan of the Red and White can’t help but flash back to the vibe inside McMahon as an adolescent aficionado.
“It’s hard to forget that sort of support,” explained Puczko. “I don’t know if I exactly remember what the score was, but it’s easy to remember the energy.”
And while she hadn’t experienced Stampeders’ playoff football up until then, Puczko has had the chance to witness regular-season action since she was as little as can be.
“I was super young,” Puczko stated when recalling her early beginnings as a season-ticket holder. “My mom’s side of my family has had season tickets for about 40 years now. Basically, I’ve had them since I was born. My mom even has a picture of me in the Grey Cup when I was a baby. I think it was at Fanfest the year after we won.”
After countless games and an abundance of unforgettable moments, that particular divisional final featuring her beloved Henry Burris stands alone atop Puzcko’s figurative podium of playoff memories.
“I think that was the first playoff game I had ever gone to,” offered Puczko. “It kind of sticks in your mind when it’s the first big game you’ve ever gone to. I remember it being freezing. But it’s mostly the crowd’s energy (that I remember) despite it being such a cold Calgary winter day. Everyone was still so hyped up and full of support for the game.”
Counting down the time until she’ll be bringing the noise from her seats in Section E on Nov. 20 alongside her mom and uncle, Puczko has occasionally been able to experience the thrilling emotions of game days with a collection of close companions.
“There’s been a couple games where I go with my friends,” Puczko said. “I have two older sisters so sometimes we interchangeably take the tickets. There’s definitely been times where we’ve created new fans from that or just brought people who never had the chance (to go) before that but are Stamps fans.”
A post-season matchup is now right around the corner that will see either BC or Winnipeg come to town with everything on the line. And as Puczko knows full well, it doesn’t get any better than that.
“There’s more of a drive for everyone to be louder and to just show the Stamps that we’re there (for them),” proclaimed Puczko. “During the regular season, people are there a little more to just watch, whereas during a playoff game, people know we’ve got to win.”
Be at McMahon on Sunday, Nov. 20 and create one more memory. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m.
