Vandals to face Vikings in men’s club hockey showdown
Many varsity collegiate teams are able to compete and practice over winter break between the fall and spring semesters, but for the Idaho men’s hockey club, that wasn’t the case.
Jackson Flynn | Argonaut The University of Idaho men’s club hockey team practices at the Palouse Ice Rink Wednesday in preparation for their upcoming home game Friday. The Vandals play the Western Washington Vikings at 7 p.m. at the Palouse Ice Rink. Admittance will be $5 for adults, $3 for students and teens 15-17 years old and free for anyone under 15.
Regardless of the lack of recent practice, the Idaho men’s hockey club will be in action Friday, less than a week after the spring semester started. The Western Washington Vikings will make the trip from Bellingham, Washington, to the hostile environment and close quarters of the Palouse Ice Rink to face the Vandals.
Most teams the Vandals play every year experience the hostility the Vandals’ home ice provides, but WWU hasn’t yet.
“Everybody is looking forward to it, so is Western,” Idaho coach Chris Storhok said. “They are excited about it. They’ve heard about our rink and everybody else in our league has gone through our rink at least once and this is their first time, so they are excited to be packed in here with the little rink and screaming fans.”
In an attempt to make up for the lost time, the team got in three practices earlier in the week, as opposed to the usual two. As the team practiced, the improvement showed, as they looked less and less rusty each day, Storhok said.
“They’ve won a national championship, they are a very high caliber program,” he said. “So for our team, this should be a great challenge for us. They don’t want to lose at home and they will really challenge us, so I am excited to see how they play Friday night.”
Jackson Flynn | Argonaut
The University of Idaho men’s club hockey team practices at the Palouse Ice Rink Wednesday Jan 14 in preparation for their upcoming home game.
These home games, although rare for Idaho, provide an opportunity to show the community that college hockey is a legitimate sport at UI and it gives younger hockey players in the area a glimpse into what they could do if they chose to follow that path, Storhok said.
The path in question is already evident when looking at the current team. Two of the current players started out in the Palouse Youth Hockey Association. The players are all role models for the young players in the community and they understand and appreciate it, Storhok said.
When the team walks off the ice at the end of practice, the youth hockey players, who practice after the UI club finishes up, grin as they catch a glimpse into what they potentially could do in the future.
Although there is a lot of community support for the team, Storhok isn’t expecting the turnout they had when they took the ice last month when they hosted Washington State, since Western isn’t as close as WSU. The crowd should still be rowdy and wild though, which is a fun environment to play in for the players, he said.
Joshua Gamez can be reached at [email protected]