This is not your typical hockey book.

There are plenty of books about goals, championships and legendary players.

This one is about the people in the stands.

Hockey’s Farcical Fans: College Fun in the Levity 1970s chronicles the adventures of the Farce, a group of University of North Dakota hockey superfans whose elaborate antics became part of the game itself.

Their inspiration came from the comedy and pop culture surrounding them—from Star Wars and Monty Python to Slap Shot, Saturday Night Live and the wonderfully irreverent spirit of the 1970s.

Their execution? Slightly less sophisticated.

From their signature yellow helmets to on-ice stunts and interactions with UND players, the Farce found increasingly creative ways to make hockey games more entertaining.

But underneath the comedy is a story about something bigger: friendship, college, fandom and a period of life that becomes more legendary with every passing year.

And then there was the Miracle on Ice.

Members of the Farce crossed paths with players who would go on to represent the United States at the 1980 Olympics, including UND's Herb Brooks–coached hockey connections, giving this decidedly unserious story a brush with one of the most serious moments in American sports history.