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Arkansas and hockey are not two words you automatically put together, but the University of Arkansas Men’s Hockey Club is set to begin their eighth season on the ice this month.
Razorback Hockey in the Natural State began in 2007, when the first club members played a limited game schedule. In 2008, the team joined the Southeastern Collegiate Hockey Conference (SECHC) and made history as the University of Arkansas’s only sport on ice.
The Razorback Men’s Hockey Club isn’t one of the 19 NCAA sanctioned sports at the University of Arkansas. Instead, it’s one of 30 club sports regulated by the university but administered by student officers. The hockey team recruits all year long and has succeeded in drawing excellent players to the program using the New Arkansas Non-Resident Tuition Award Scholarship. This award allows students from states bordering Arkansas to have most of the cost of out-of-state tuition waived, and it has permitted Coach Brian Gallini to build an incredibly successful hockey program.
Since 2009, the team has gone 161-48-4 in the SECHC, made three trips to the Division III National Tournament and won five SECHC conference playoff tournament championships. This year, Razorback Hockey will make history again as it fields two teams, one at the Division III level and the other in Division I. They are the first SEC hockey club to have teams competing in two divisions.
The Ice Hogs have a great fan base that has steadily increased since the club’s inception. All home games are played at the ice arena at the Jones Center for Families in Springdale. The upstairs bleacher seats will hold 350 fans, and the team also sells standing room only tickets for those who want to see all the excitement rink side, including all that checking into the glass.
“We want the University of Arkansas to grow into college hockey’s southern capital,” Coach Gallini says. “Hockey is a fast, up-tempo game that is highly addictive for fans once they attend.”
Fans will have many opportunities to check out both the DI and DIII teams this year. The puck drops on the first game Sept. 11 and continues through February. Single game tickets can be purchased for $10 (general seating) or $5 (standing room only) at the ice arena door beginning one hour before game time. Children 12 and under are free.
All games are also broadcast on UATV and fans can keep up with the action on Twitter by following @RazorbackHockey. Arkansas Hockey also maintains an excellent website with both DI and DIII schedules.
Coach Gallini challenges everyone to come out for a game. “Our home games provide a chance for students and families alike to watch a team on the rise that works hard every shift to positively represent the University. The atmosphere is an exciting one given the fast pace and the crowd. Come once and you’ll come back.”
Bring a jacket to the games and be ready for some heart-pounding, glass-thumping action as the University of Arkansas Men’s Hockey Club takes the ice this season.
Important Information
Location: All Razorback Hockey home games are played at the Jones Center for Families at the ice arena at 922 E. Emma Ave., Springdale, AR 72764
Cost: Tickets are $5-$10. Children 12 and under receive free admission.
Dates: Home games are Sept. 11, 2015 – Feb. 13, 2016. Full schedules are here.
Social Media:
Website: arhockey.westernchl.com
Twitter: @RazorbackHockey
Facebook: RazorbackHockey
Sports photography by Edward Matthews and used with permission.
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