Although temperatures decided to drop a little later than expected this year, there is one place in Tucson that has been ice cold on the hottest days since 1978.
Arizona hockey, formerly known as the IceCats, has existed for the last 46 years, yet it never seems to find itself in conversation among the masses of students. Regardless, the team has built a large legacy considering it is an off-campus event.
Arizona hockey plays in the West Collegiate Hockey League, similar to other Arizona teams playing in the Big 12. The overall league is the American Collegiate Hockey Association who hosts the National Hockey Championship. The difference between Arizona hockey and other Arizona sports is that hockey is in a lower league of play and not a sanctioned team under the NCAA, meaning that Arizona plays at a lower level than the biggest collegiate teams.
Arizona athletics has many fun and creative traditions, most notably a dance done to Darude’s “Sandstorm.” To any Arizona fan, it would seem like a staple to do during a game.
While the Sandstorm dance has been a staple at most Arizona sporting events, it has also integrated itself into Arizona hockey games. Head coach Chad Berman and super fan Joe Paglia both said the dance became routine amongst the fans as if the chant simply manifested based on the energy brought by fans.
The most brassy of the chants used by the crowd is after an Arizona goal. The crowd chants “Goalie you suck!” several times. A common chant used in hockey involves the crowd yelling the last name of the opposing team’s goalie whenever a goal is scored to shake the spirits of competitors.
Although this chant is popular, Berman mentioned said he dislikes it because it lacks the sportsmanship that he strives for in the program.
Paglia, however, said the chant is only fun and simple banter from the crowd to the opposing team.
The hockey legacy is on full display in the banners highlighting previous conference championships and retired numbers that hang in Tucson Arena. The two West Collegiate Hockey League banners represent the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons where Arizona took home the Champions Cup.
The two retired jerseys belong to #16 Kelly Walker and #21 Jeremy Goltz and serve as commemorations of their achievements. Walker holds the record for most points of any UA player with 114 total. Goltz was a former player who returned as an assistant coach in 1995 and stayed with the UA for 10 years.
Of course it wouldn’t be a UA sport without a burning desire to beat the school up north. Both Arizona and ASU have a rivalry series called The Cactus Cup. The teams play in a series of seven games throughout the season. The winner is determined by who can win four of the seven games and take home the Cactus Cup. Arizona has a streak of 7 years and is up 2-1 in the current series.
Beyond the rink, Arizona hockey has a history of being a generous program.
The most notable among all of the program’s achievements is their consistent achievement with the ACHA’s Division 1 Community Service Award. They continuously receive the award for their hard work in helping the Tucson community.
In 2023-2024 the team was highlighted for raising $2,000 for the Marana School District, $6,000 on their Pink in the Rink night for Arizona Cancer Centers and $1,000 for a local youth hockey program’s expenses.
Arizona hockey also allows free entry for service members on military night and will pack two SUVs with stuffed animals from their Teddy Bear Toss for Aviva Children Services.
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