Over the weekend I attended what was my third ever hockey game. The first game I went to was a high school all-star game about five years ago, and since it was an all-star game it wasn’t all that exciting. The two most recent games were part of the annual Heemstra and West All Hall Date Night. I’ve attended the past two years, and while you would think that I would learn a little more about the sport with each game I attend, that is not the case.
This particular game was between the Sioux City Musketeers, Muskies for short, and the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League. The Muskies have won only two of the seven games they’ve played against the Force this season, but since they lost the game I went to last year, I was hoping they could pull through with a win this time around. Spoiler alert: they didn’t.
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| The Muskies' version of the Bash Brothers. |
The game started out great. Like I said before, I know nothing about hockey, so instead I amused myself by yelling phrases such as “Puck off!” and quoting lines from D2: The Mighty Ducks like “Wu Wu Wu Kenny Wu!” and “It’s knuckle-puck time!”
Fargo went up early 1-0, but the Muskies came back with a goal from Max McCormick three minutes into the second period, tying it 1-1. Muskies goaltender Matt Skoff stopped shot after shot after that, but eventually Fargo got past him making the score 2-1 just before the end of the second.
Into the third period, the Muskies tried to make a comeback, but the Force were too much and scored a third and fourth goal late in the period, putting the game away for good. Stats compiled after the game showed the Force taking 43 shots on goal, while the Muskies took an embarrassing 16. Fargo’s 4-1 win leaves them tied for second in the USHL West Division standings.
I understand scoring, and I understand penalties, but everything else about the game was foreign to me, so I took the liberty to look up the meaning to a couple hockey phrases:
1. Icing - When a player shoots the puck across at least two red lines and it remains untouched. It is not icing if the puck makes it into the net, it is counted as a goal.
2. Goal Crease - The area directly in front of the goaltender. It can only be entered by offensive players who have possession of the puck.
3. Power Play - When a team has a one- or two-man advantage due to the other team’s penalties.
As exciting as hockey is (I mean come on, fighting is encouraged), I had a hard time getting into the game, and I found myself watching the fans more often than the game itself. Hockey seems like more than just a game, it’s almost a lifestyle for its fans. Muskie fans are loyal, and from what I gathered they’ve been going to games for years and will continue to for years to come, even though the Muskies are average at best. Players grow up in the game from the time they’re little, and it seems natural for them to pursue it as a career.
That’s great, and I’m sure if I took the time to really get into hockey, I would love it, too. If I understood the game more, I could become a true fan. I appreciate it, and I know I could never skate as well as those guys while handling a puck and getting slammed into the boards. I want to love hockey, but something in me just struggles to grasp the game. It was an enjoyable experience though, even though the Muskies were not victorious, and I would not be opposed to going again sometime.
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| One of the times when I would have yelled "Puck off!" |
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