Just a little break from the college scene.
Last night I attended an IHL contest here in Houston between the
Houston Aeros and the San Diego Gulls.  For those of you who
take your knowledge of hockey for granted, this should amuse you.
In between explaining offsides and hand passes to a bunch of cowboys,
I was able to see a pretty good game.  The crowd, understandably
not used to this sport, cracked me up.  Texans love to voice their
opinions, and when the Aeros would dump the puck into the Gulls
zone instead of skating full force to the net, things like
WHAT THE HELL ARE Y'ALL DOIN' would ring out.  Any time an Aero
player was checked, the crowd wanted a penalty. Football is king
here, so the hitting is what got people excited, as did the fighting.
When the puck was wristed around the boards along the glass, most of
the fans screamed and ducked!  Houston fans have a long way to go in
understanding this sport, but they are genuinely interested, and I
think hockey has a future here. I, for one, can now appreciate my
hockey "education" I received at RPI, along with the many of the
game's subtleties.
 
        As for the game, Ex-RPI Engineer Graeme Townsend played his
usual grinding, defensive style, and for you BU fans, Rob Sacco
(is it ?Rob) started for the Gulls and skated circles around most
Houston defensemen.  The game was tied after the end of the third
period, and in the IHL, they go directly to shootouts (I won't
even think about getting into THAT debate!).  The Aeros won it
in sudden death after another tie in the first round of 5 shots.
The crowd went ballistic, and one fan even began pounding his
head against the glass!  It was a good time.
 
                                Mike Sprung RPI '92