In ice hockey there are six positions that skaters take on the ice. There is the goalie, the center, the left and right wing and the left and right defenseman. For the Arrows, these six positions on the ice consist of not only boys, but a few girls as well.
Currently, two girls, junior Erin O’Neill and sophomore Marisa Drener, are on the Arrows’ team roster. "It’s kind of weird being one of the only girls on the team, but everyone just takes you as a good player if you try hard," says O’Neill, who plays defense for the Arrows.
Hockey is a very fast-paced game. It is not only a tricky game to learn because of the skating, but the speed and intensity of it make it a very aggressive sport. Hitting on the ice is actually encouraged. "It’s the only sport where you are actually allowed to punch someone, and you just go to the penalty box for five minutes for it," says sophomore Kevin Phillips, who plays defense for the Arrows.
While the sport is physical, hockey demands that skaters are constantly thinking tactically; there is a reason for bringing in someone against the walls. "The contact allows you to get ahead of the other players and get an advantage," says sophomore Kyle Nicholas, center for the Arrows.
Learning how to play is a multiple-step process. "[Hockey] is harder than other sports; it’s different, in my opinion. You first have to learn to skate, then how to handle to puck, and then do all that while skating, whereas other sports you’re just on your feet," says Phillips. Skating aside, hockey is most similar to lacrosse since both are team sports in which participants use a stick and try to score in a net and, of course, physical contact is permitted.
One obvious difference between the two sports at the high school level is that ice hockey is only a club. A few reasons for this is because of how much money it costs in order to get time on the ice, as well as the fact that hockey is still a growing sport and not many know how to play. However, the main cause of it being a club sport is the liability issues of sanctioning such a physical sport.
Despite hockey’s reputation as a "tough guy" sport, the girls on this team still seem to want a piece of the action, even if that means playing with the boys. "The shots from the boys are a lot harder, with more intensity, and they talk more on the ice. They aren’t afraid to really go after the puck," says Drener, the second girl on the team and one of the goalies for the Arrows.
Drener and O’Neill have had quite a bit of experience playing hockey, and for them playing with the boys is a must; they wouldn’t play any other way. "I got used to playing with boys so quickly because that’s the only way I know how to play," says O’Neill.