What better way to show your RedHawk spirit than to go to a Miami hockey game? Spend one Friday or Saturday night at Steve Cady Arena and you will understand why Miami is known for its hockey rather than football or basketball. With a loud, enthusiastic band and die-hard fans that will spend hours outside Goggin Ice Arena to get a seat right by the glass, hockey games are the life of campus on weekends.
So maybe you’re thinking, “this all sounds fun and all, but I don’t know much about hockey or Miami’s team.” Have no fear, Miami’s Her Campus guide to hockey is here! So bear with me, and if you’re interested in impressing that certain boy with all the amazing hockey facts you’re about to pick up, then keep reading.
The Team
Miami’s hockey team, led by Head Coach Enrico Blasi has 44 players on its team, including 11 freshmen and senior Marc Hagel who transferred from Princeton to use his final year of athlete eligibility.
Last season, the RedHawks finished third in the CCHA tournament, continuing on to the NCAA tournament where the team lost in the first round to the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. Of last year’s senior class, goaltenders Connor Knapp and Cody Reichard, Chris Wideman, Cameron Schilling, Will Weber, Trent Vogelhuber, Alden Hirschfeld, and Matt Tomassoni were part of the ’08-’09 team that made it to the NCAA Championships, losing 4-3 in overtime to Boston University.
This year, freshman goalkeepers Jay Williams and Ryan McKay must fill the very large skates of Knapp and Reichard. Sophomores Blake Coleman, and Alex Widemen, and freshmen Riley Barber and Kevin Morris are showing strong leadership this season, earning six of the eight goals that clinched the first home series win of the season against Colgate. Perhaps this year’s underclassmen will bring about another hockey Cinderella story for Miami. With a few impressive wins under their belts already this season, it’s not too much to wish for, right??
Time will only tell with that one. In the mean time, here’s a quick rundown on some rules you need to know so that you can follow one of Miami’s hockey games!
The Game Rules
Like any other sport, the point of hockey is to beat the opposing team by scoring more points. At the start of a hockey game, each team has six players on the ice: three forwards, two defensemen, and a goalkeeper that protects the net at all times. A face-off – where a referee drops a black puck between two opposing forwards – begins the game.
Three 20-minute periods make up one hockey game and throughout these periods players can be called for different kinds of penalties and will have to sit out for a set number of minutes. Penalties are considered either major or minor. A few common penalties include:
? Tripping: Using a hockey stick, foot, or another body part to trip an opposing player
? High Sticking: hitting a player with a stick above shoulder level
? Cross-Checking: hitting an opposing player when both hands are on a hockey stick that isn’t touching the ground.
Still with me? Okay, keep reading.
Most minor penalties prevent a player from re-entering the game for two minutes. Major penalties, such as blatantly hitting an opposing player in the head, last for five minutes, and depending on the danger of the play could get the player thrown out of the game.
While a penalty is going on, the team that was called for a penalty must play a man down for the amount of time allotted. The team not called for the penalty is considered to be on a “power play,” attacking the team that is a man down. When the opposing team’s penalty is over, the team is considered to be back to “full force.”
As the game goes on, all six players on a team must work together to pass the puck through the three “zones” split up by two blue lines of the ice to score a goal. Players must move the puck through the “defensive zone” closest to their own goal, into the “neutral zone” in the center of the arena, and into the “offensive zone” to try to score.
The Chants
There’s one last thing you need to know before you’re a Miami hockey expert: the chants! Chants begin early during the games when the opposing team is announced. Fans turn around so their backs are facing the arena, and as opposing players are announced fans shout, “Who cares!” Other cheers include “Let’s Go RedHawks,” and another chant that is done following each Miami goal. This video outlines all the common chants that are done during Miami hockey games!
If you’ve gotten to this point, congratulations! You officially know some of the basics about Miami’s hockey team and about the sport of hockey, in general. To learn more, you can visit the team’s homepage, and follow the team on Twitter: The Brotherhood at MiamiIceHockey.
Get to a hockey game and show your school spirit!