Well, considering the talk about a possible West Coast hockey conference, I
thought it might be nice to share some history on hockey here at the U of A.
I gleaned this from the IceCats game program:
 
Coach Leo Golembiewski moved from the Chicago area to Tucson in 1979. He had a
record of 302-43-12 coaching the Lyons Township (LaGrange, IL) hockey team from
1972 to 1979.  He decided to start a club team here at the U of A.
 
12/1/79  First IceCat game played (Loss to USC 6-5)
4/5/80   Arizona joins Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Hockey Association
1/19/81  Arizona clinches first R.M. conference championship beating U of New
         Mexico 11-7
3/6/81   Arizona wins first R.M. Playoff Championship
3/15/81  Arizona sweeps Cal. State-Northridge for first home games ever at the
         Tucson Convention Center
2/20/82  Arizona clinches 2nd R.M. conference championship
10/23/82 Accept invitation to play in the National Collegiate Invitational
         Hockey Tournament.
3/5/83   IceCats place 4th in National Tournament.
3/12/83  Arizona wins 3rd R.M. Playoff Championship
1/28/84  Arizona clinches 4th R.M. Conference Championship
3/8/84   IceCats lose to Penn State 5-3, take 2nd place in National Tournament
10/9/84  Arizona becomes a charter member of the Pacific Intercollegiate
         Hockey Conference along with ASu, USC, Stanford, and California
3/2/85   Arizona wins first P.I.H.C. Playoff Crown.
3/10/85  IceCats win first National Title with win over Penn State, 5-3.
2/21/87  Arizona beats 18th ranked Div I University of Alaska-Anchorage, 7-4
         at the T.C.C. (Will someone please explain THAT to me?)
3/15/87  IceCats lose 2-1 to take 2nd place in National Tournament.
2/12/88  Arizona beats Kent State University (????????????????)
3/6/88   IceCats again are 2nd in National Tournament.
3/89     IceCats are 3rd in National Tournament
3/90     IceCats are 5th in National Tournament
3/2/91   IceCats lose 4-1 to NDSU, to finish 2nd in National Tournament.
2/29/92  IceCats finish 5th in National Tournament after going 0-0-3 in play.
2/20/93  Arizona beats Arizona State for the 47th straight time in front of a
         record crowd of 7158 at the T.C.C.
3/6/93   IceCats finish 4th in National Tournament
 
Golembiewski is now 275-56-8 with the IceCats.
 
Will there be a West Coast Hockey Conference?  I don't know.  But I do know
that there is hockey here in Tucson and the IceCats are fun to watch, good
entertainment for even those who are not true "hockey fans".  The crowd is
noisy and obnoxious with the organist keeping the crowd going.  I love it.
 
Matt Glaccum '92  RPI
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Let's Go Red!