Where, oh where, has the winter ice gone...

Normally by this time of the season, I have been out on the ice at least a couple times, drilled a few holes, iced a few fish, chilled my toes and had my cheeks chapped by the brisk nort’ wind. However, with the help of El Ninio ( AKA – “The Ninio”), I have not felt like risking my life on any of the local ponds.

One of my other winter interests is watching hockey, a pastime from my youth of growing up in Madison and trailing my dad to high school hockey games that he worked at as crowd control while teaching at LaFollette High School. I also followed the Badger hockey team, and even went to a few games at the old Coliseum in Mad-town.

So, wanting to at least get near some ice, I found myself with a Saturday evening to kill and there just happened to be a UWRF Falcons home game scheduled. I was all by my lonesome on a Saturay night, a rather unusual circumstance, but it has happened from time to time now that my wife has started working again. On the spur of the moment, I shelled out 6 clams for a ticket and bought my dinner of a hot dog, popcorn and a coke at the concessions stand. I found a seat at mid rink on the home side of Hunt Arena and, with a copy of the game program, settled in to what I anticipated to be an exciting game. The Falcons were playing the Royals of Bethel University in an NCAA match and there was a good crowd that turned out, including students and visitors. It was looking to be the start of a good evening.

That was until the Royals made two quick goals in the first period and another in the second to jump to a 3 – 1 lead after two periods of play. One UWRF goal in the second period didn’t seem to do much to swing the tide of momentum… but little did I know that the game was just getting started.

The Falcons ralled at the beginning of the last period, scoring two back to back goals right away to make it a tied game at 3 points a piece. Bethel scored their last goal to jump back to a one point lead, but the Falcons weren’t done yet. They went on to put the biscuit in the basket four more times, winning the game 7 - 4 ! Wow! The crowd was out of their seats, and so was I, with every Falcon goal…(I bet Tom got that one).

Anyways, it was a great game, in a great arena, and I hope to do it again in a few weeks with a few friends. I can hardly wait. Looking at the weather forcast for the rest of the month, this might be the only ice action I get this winter.