From the early days of fall most Wahoos start craving the next Hokie match-up and hoping for a crushing victory. Such a victory might be celebrated at the Charlottesville Ice Park this Saturday.
At 4 p.m., the Men's Ice Hockey Club, currently ranked third in the ACCHL (Atlantic Coast Conference Hockey League), will play fellow league member Virginia Tech. Asst. coach Roger Voisinet said that victories in past U.Va/Tech hockey matches have been split equally between the two teams. He did however mention that the Cavs have the advantage of six ACC championships since they entered the league in 1996.
The ACCHL is compromised of seven teams including Virginia Tech, George Mason, Duke, NC State, North Carolina and Georgetown. The league's season lasts from September until February.
The team is supported by money from the Student Activities Fund, team fundraising and the dues each player pays. More money, however, is needed. "We would like to see more support from the adults of the community," Voisinet said. "We need more budget for marketing."
Despite the team's difficulties with marketing, they have no obstacles in getting enough support from the fans. "Attendance is great," Voisinet said. "We are putting up even more seats at the arena for the game against Liberty on Friday."
The Pep Band will be attending both the Liberty game today and the Tech game tomorrow. There's no charge for University students and general adult admission is six dollars.
Voisinet also added that the team and the coaches "are very excited about the upcoming ACC championships." The University will be hosting the championships for the third time between the 27th and 29th of February.
The team consists of 25 players, including one graduate student. "We usually have four or five graduate students but this year is an unusual one," Voisinet said.
The players come from all over the country but 50 percent of the team is composed of Virginians, making U.Va. the only school in the ACCHL with the majority of its players being in-state. In fact, league rivals Duke and N.C. State are comprised totally of out-of-state players. The team is headed by five coaches from such diverse backgrounds as Canada and Massachusetts.
Voisinet is aware that hockey is not one of the most watched sports at the University, but he assured that "even if it's not varsity, hockey is as exciting as any game at the school."
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