USU Hockey

"I'm on a highway to hell...We are the champions, my friends...Those girls, girls, girls"

Classic rock radiates through the Eccles Ice Center sound system as hockey players warm up. It's five minutes to game time. The music reminds me of my days as a freshman in the EHS weight room. The senior boys that year knew good music.

Tonight for my first USU Hockey game, it's Weber vs. USU. I'm so excited to be in a hockey rink that I trip up the stairs on the way to our seats. Later on, the cold bites into the bruise that has formed on my shin. As the buzzer sounds to start the game, Kara and I nuzzle under a blanket with her sister Kami and friend Amy. I love hearing the sound of blades against the ice. I can feel the dull chill in the air in my chest and toes.

Pucks fly and sticks crack. Let's go Aggies, let's go! Let's go Aggies, let's go! The crowd roars to life with every goal. A scuffle turns to blows as gloves are discarded. A Weber player pummels a USU player's face into the glass on the left side of the rink. Two Weber players are thrown out of the game. As play progresses, I continue to cheer my guts out. I decide that #22 is my favorite player. I mean come on, his last name is Arsenault, you can't get much cooler than that! Plus he's a captain and plays with great intensity and fire. My eyes dart from left to right, right to left, as I follow the path of the puck. All this feuding and fun just to see who can get a puck in a net the most. I love it. The energy is indescribable.

More fights ensue after the first period of play. At one point, 6 Weber players and 6 USU players are each put in their respective penalty boxes for foul play. Those penalty boxes are made for 2 or 3 people at the most, not 6 fully padded, angry hockey players. It was quite the sight.

In the end, the battle was worth it, with USU winning 8-5. Take that Weber! What a fabulous way to spend a Friday night.