Wesley Stickelmaier can be heard shouting out insults Friday nights on campus. He does not do it at bars after having too much to drink, but at the University Ice Arena to support the Illini Hockey Club.

Stickelmaier is the president of the Harassing Illini, a student organization whose members yell out unflattering remarks to the opposing team at Friday night hockey games.

“The purpose of the club is to support the Illini hockey team by putting down the challenging team,” he said. “We try to make their focus wander so they’ll become distracted and not play as well.”

Stickelmaier, senior in FAA, said this is his third year as a part of the Harassing Illini, and that he became president last semester after its founders graduated. He said he was able to fill the role because he demonstrated a great deal of passion toward the group’s objectives.

“I always made sure I was being as loud as I could, doing the best job I could to harass the opposing team,” Stickelmaier said. “I also work at the ice arena, which makes my involvement in the group even more fitting.”

At the ice arena, Stickelmaier works about 20 hours a week driving the Zamboni, a machine used to resurface the ice.

“I had my first hockey game driving it a couple of weeks ago,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun, something I’ve always wanted to do – getting to drive the Zamboni is a fulfillment of a lifelong dream.”

Stickelmaier said that before each game, the club’s head of research hunts for information, mostly on the Internet, about the opposing team and its individual players.

“Some of the information he is able to get makes harassing them all too easy sometimes,” he said.

Stickelmaier also said the club focuses on harassing some players more than others, depending on their position or personal information.

“Goalies are always nice targets,” he said. “You know you’re doing your job if you get a reaction from them.”

When it comes to formulating insults to direct at opposing teams, Stickelmaier said he likes to be as creative as possible.

“One example would be if you found out the name of a player’s sister, you could yell out at him, ‘You go down easier than … insert sister’s name,'” he said. “We try to get as personal as we can.”

Stickelmaier said the players often get annoyed and shout insults back at the group, but that no physical interaction is allowed between the Harassing Illini and the players.

“So far, we haven’t had anybody thrown out of the game,” he said. “That’s something we’re proud of.”

Matt Johnson, vice president of the Harassing Illini and senior in applied life sciences, said Stickelmaier is a good leader for the group because of his dedication.

“He’s pretty hard-working and likes to have fun, and is also very laid-back and sarcastic,” Johnson said.

Ashlea Brandenburg, treasurer of the Harassing Illini and junior in LAS, recalled one game at which Stickelmaier displayed his leadership skills.

“At a game last year, the ice arena staff started kicking out three rows of random fans, not from our group, because they were supposedly being mean,” she said. “Wes went down and talked to the staff and got them to let the people stay – he said they could just come sit and yell with us.”

Brandenburg also said Stickelmaier’s personality is fitting for the president of the club.

“Wes is very much the Harassing Illini type – easy-going and funny,” she said. “I can remember him screaming his lungs out all day on Quad Day about his cowbell – he has a cowbell he is obsessed with.”

Chris Diaz, head of research for the club and sophomore in LAS, also said Stickelmaier’s sarcasm is a good leadership quality and source of entertainment for other members of the Harassing Illini.

“One time that was pretty funny was when Wes started giving this opposing player a lot of crap about a mullet he had,” Diaz said. “The guy got pretty worked up and started challenging the crowd to a fight.”

Stickelmaier said when he is not harassing, working the Zamboni or studying architecture, he enjoys playing sports.

“A lot of my time goes to classes and work,” he said. “But I guess when your work is driving Zambonis, it kind of feels like your free time anyway.”

Stickelmaier said the Illini Hockey Club team has been undefeated in Friday night home games since the Harassing Illini began in 2002. While he said this is mainly because of the team’s excellent playing, he said he would also like to think it was related to the efforts of Harassing Illini members.

“I don’t know if you can really express yourself through harassing, but it’s great way to kick back, have fun and support the Illini hockey team,” he said. “Even if you figure they’ll win anyway.”