actoi
>n st
here
losei
■er:.
aney«
Aggielife
The Battalion
Page 3 • Monday, March l, 2004
drivi
Ice, Ice Baby
Hockey team members go out of their way in pursuit of their passion for ice
By Jose Cruz
THE BATTALION
licr h;
IV e OK;
''tanilt;
a p
Dili,
ave is
nee fc
is era;;
)inu;
areal;
wks:
lion an
ils«]
Iheda
lasmi
>as ver
ch is 2
seen i!
actual!;
ihesn
rornt
ireser.
s of th
of tk
he late
irevifi
lersml
md lid
sue?
yoal
:nm.
’ ari
ichani
Phillif
of th
imatioi
I travel
^en Colin Spence, a wildlife and fisheries science
tiaduate student at Fexas A&M. moved to Texas from
Canada, he thought his hockey-playing days were done.
Although Spence’s decision to move to Texas was purely
academic, he quickly realized that A&M would satisfy his
athletic needs as well.
If it wasn t lor the (Student Recreation Center) club
team, I wouldn't be playing hockey,” he said.
Spence grew up in C algary. Alberta, Canada, and recently
moved to Texas to pursue a graduate degree. Spence said that
in Canada, hockey is considered the most popular sport.
I started playing when I was 5 years old in a community
league."Spence said. “In Canada, hockey is a part of the cul-
mie.Everyone grows up around hockey so it's only natural
thatyou start playing at a young age.”
TheRec Center otters students a chance to play organ
ized l eam sports that compete with other universities
around the state. The sports range from archery to volley-
hall. The ice hockey team is growing in popularity every
ftar und will finally have an ice rink close to the
University.
Most players on the Aggie Ice Hockey team began
playing hockey at a very young age. Peter Hince. a senior
political science major, started playing street hockey at
$9.
“Islatted playing when I was living in Virginia. Growing
up. we really didn t have a problem finding ice rinks to play
e Hince said. Some of the players have been playing ice
hockey as early as the age of 3.”
Those passionate about playing hockey in Texas, howev-
it, may find it difficult to find a place to play. Among the
imysports club teams the Rec Center offers, ice hockey
seems an unlikely sport lexas students would play. Texas is
not a state that is regarded as being a center for ice hockey,
because historically ice hockey has been played in colder
climates.
Many Texas players said they had difficulty finding a
placetoplay growing up.
"towas only one league in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area,
aaiI had to drive 45 minutes to get there,” said Thomas
%heard a freshman construction science major.
However, the popularity of ice hockey in Texas has grown
tremendously in the past decacle.
"A lot of people don't know this, but Texas actually has
the most number of pro ice hockey teams of any state,” said
Nick Hanson, a junior computer engineering major.
David Tedone, a freshman business major, said that 10
years ago there were no teams, but now there are college and
even high school teams in Texas. According to many play
ers, it is the speed and aggressive characteristics of ice hock
ey that make it one of the fastest growing sports in Texas.
Tedone said his first experience with ice hockey came from
a P.E. class in high school.
College Station will see an effect of the rising popularity
of ice hockey when the Wolf Pen Creek ice rink is complet
ed later this year.
Hansen said he was surprised when he heard the news
about the new ice rink.
“We have been looking forward to someone building a
rink for us, and we got close last year, but it was never final
ized. I’m really excited; there's a lot of people involved in
making the new rink a reality,” Hansen said.
The players seemed enthusiastic about the new ice rink
being built in College Station. The Wolf Pen Creek facili
ty will serve as the home rink for the ice hockey team in
the future.
Currently, the players travel to Houston for home games
and practices at the Willowbrook Aerodrome complex.
The team usually leaves College Station at 7 p.m. and
doesn't get back until midnight, Tedone said.
Most other teams they play against have their rinks very
close to campus. The A&M team however is forced to only
practice once a week due to the location of the rink.
“It's hard to maintain the intensity before a game sitting
in a van for over an hour on the way to a game ” Spence said.
The new rink will afford the team more time on the ice
and more opportunities for expansion.
“I think with the new rink we will improve as a team. We
will get to practice more, develop team chemistry and
expose the school to ice hockey,” Spence said.
Tedone agreed and added that he thinks the new rink will
also serve as a good recruiting tool for the team.
The team said it was enthusiastic about next year’s sea
son, even if it meant having to work harder at time manage
ment. The long season begins in October and ends in
February, forcing the players to budget their time over the
course of two semesters. Many Aggies play on club teams
mostly for fun. but don't underestimate the ice hockey club
team’s competitive edge.
“We take it seriously. I've seen some club teams that
don’t take it that serious, but we do,” Hansen said.
Courtesy oe • A&M ICE HOCKEY TEAM
Francois Gentis, a junior international studies major, speeds across the ice while
attempting to keep the puck away from opposing players on the University of North
Texas team. The Texas A&M ice hockey team drives into Houston several times a week
in order to have a practice facility.
sfflbo
las als
onliP"
)onot;
st to':
ekly
t,Bry»
1999
iu suf
s
k
tHE MUSICal
BOISTEROUS, CHARGED... ITS RED HOT:
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
EXHILARATING
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
COMPLETELY UPLIFTING
THE MIAMI HERALD
Broadway Series
Sponsored by:
Central Texas ENT
lenlralT^xasiNT
Tuesday and Wednesday,
March 9 and 10 at 7:30 PM
Rudder Auditorium
TICKETS: 845-1234
vvww.MSC0PAS.org
KKlOPAS I
Three Decades of Performing Arts
iflaliten I entertain I inii
NEED A
TUTOR?
Go To
AGGIETUTOR.COM
Where the real tutors are.
One-on-One Personalized
Tutoring at Reasonable Prices
www.aggietutor.com
The
Battalion
IN PRINT
ONLINE
ON RADIO
News
Sports
Opinion
Mailcall
Aggielife
Photo
g Graphics
q Comics
O AP News
C Classifieds
(0
-Q
CD