It’s like stepping into a different world.
Calm on the outside and controlled chaos inside. Where it’s balmy and humid outside, it’s deep in the middle of winter on the inside. Despite the frigid temperature, players look out of sweat-fogged visors as their blades carve white lines through the ice. Every moment of practice, every rep and every huddle has this team locked in.
At the Chaparral Ice rink in North Austin, the UT ice hockey team straps on its skates and slides onto the ice for its twice-a-week 6:30 a.m. practice. Before much of the city is even awake, junior captain Lucas Robins and his teammates are in the arena preparing for an upcoming game against TCU.
The team had success last year, winning the regional competition for the first time in program history. With many returning veterans and an infusion of young talent, expectations this year are even higher.
“Last year we had a really talented team, and when our seniors graduated, … it was like, ‘Oh man, we’re going to take a big hit,’” assistant coach Bill “Doc” Doolittle said. “But now, we’ve got new guys like (Alex) Hollands and (Lucas) Marples who came in, and we don’t miss the guys that were here last year. It’s a little different chemistry, but it’s good.”
Doolittle has been coaching the team for 17 years now and has seen it through both good seasons and bad. His favorite memory was from 15 years ago. Every time a defensive player would step onto the ice, he would taunt them by waving his hand.
“You gotta love that, huh?” Doolittle said.
The anecdote reflects the spirit of club hockey. Success isn’t just about winning. This team creates a bond between players beyond the points they score on the ice. Through the ups and downs of a season, laughs are shared, memories are made and a brotherhood is formed.
“We have one of the closest teams I’ve ever been on,” Robins said. “Everybody gets to know everybody. We spend as much time together as possible.”
With strong chemistry and a skilled lineup, it seems that Texas ice hockey has the formula for a successful season. But there are still obstacles, and of course, one opponent in particular comes to mind.
“A&M’s always a tough one,” Doolittle said. “And we’re in the Texas Collegiate Hockey Conference, and we’re UT, so we’re everybody’s target. Everybody that comes into our house is coming with guns a-blazing.”
The Longhorns look forward to using this pressure as fuel to prove how far Texas ice hockey has come. They will open the season this weekend with two matches against TCU at the Chaparral Ice rink.
“Texas hockey has definitely been on the upswing,” Robins said. “It’s just (about) using all that momentum and doing as much as possible.”
With the city still asleep outside, players slide off their skates, wipe the sweat from their eyes and look out on the rising sun that seems to represent their upcoming season.
