Sarnia Sting fans started lining up outside The Hive at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday to buy tickets for the upcoming OHL Western Conference Final.
By 9 a.m., hundreds of fans weaved around Progressive Auto Sales Arena and Lambton College for the presale event from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Lynne Mazurek and Sabrina Rice, two longtime fans, were at the front of the line just outside the box office, decked out in their Sting gear.
Mazurek told Sarnia News Today that she's certainly confident in the hockey club.
"I think they have a terrific chance," said Mazurek. "It's history in the making. So far, we're awesome. Nobody's going to beat us."
The Sting will faceoff against the London Knights in the conference championship. Games one and two in London go Friday and Sunday, while games three and four in Sarnia are set for May 2 and 3.
Mazurek has been to all of the Sting's home games this postseason and she's even joined the club away from The Hive.
"I'm a season ticket holder and I've been to all of them," she said. "We went to Saginaw, we went to Guelph. It's just been incredible."
Rice, who's lived in Sarnia for 13 years, has also attended every Sting home game this postseason.
"The atmosphere has been pumpin'!" said Rice. "We're extremely excited. We can't hold in our excitement any longer."
Sting fan Jeff Astolfi showed up later in the morning, at around 9:30 a.m., once the large line had already formed.
Astolfi's son had told him that there was no need to get to the box office before it opened.
"He was wrong," laughed Astolfi.
Astolfi has lived in Sarnia his whole life and has been a fan of the club since they arrived in Sarnia. He said he's never seen such a good Sting team.
"And they have never made it this far before, so it's very impressive and exciting," he said. "London's a tough team, but I think if the Sting are ever going to do it, this is the year to do it."
Astolfi believes The Hive will be buzzing when the Sting return to Sarnia.
"Oh, it's going to be alive," he said. "The roof is going to come off of this place."
As always, you can listen to all of the action on CHOK (103.9 FM/1070 AM).
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