The Zamboni machine glides across the ice, leaving behind a perfectly smooth surface. After the teams enter, a group of fans bang on the plastic barrier surrounding the rink as the team scores.
"Wow! Too bad there's no instant replay here," a spectator says.
It may seem like a scene from a northern town, but interested ice hockey fans can replay this sensation twice a week, south of the Mason-Dixon Line, in Charlottesville's Ice Park at the Downtown Mall.
While the University's men's ice hockey team started in 1975, both the men's and women's teams are relatively new to the University sports scene. After the men's team disbanded in 1979, the team regrouped in 1994. Student Council formally recognized the women's team as a CIO in December.
As the men's team continued its season this past weekend, defeating N.C. State 3-0 on Saturday, the women took their show on the road, upsetting the University of Maryland, 2-1.
Both teams lack student support, players say. But both want to win.
Girl power
The idea for the women's team began at the beginning of last semester, when second-year Engineering student Julia Vollmers signed up to play for the Charlottesville Women's Hockey Team at the suggestion of first-year College student Libby Pettibone. Vollmers and Pettibone later considered the possibility of bringing such a hockey team to the University.
Pettibone took the lead as president of the new organization, mapping out plans for the future and gaining student support. Eventually, about 15 women committed to the team.
"We want to be known throughout U.Va. as a fully functional and respected team," Vollmers said. "We want potential applicants to look at U.Va. as a school with a women's hockey team, which might encourage players to come here and stick with the sport."
The women's win over Maryland this past weekend came as a surprise to the team, Vollmers said, since the team held only one practice before traveling north.
Holding practice is no easy task. Each stint at the Charlottesville Ice Park runs $150 per hour. Practice, coupled with additional expenses like hiring referees, buying insurance and outfitting the team in jerseys amounts to about $17,900 for 30 players each year.
Hockey equipment costs about $580 per player, which, with all things considered, makes the total budget rise to $35,300.
Vollmers said the team tries to keep costs down with less practice time.
The team is now working with Student Council to see how much funding the University can cover.
She said she and her team are willing to go to extremes to raise money.
"We'll even dress our goalie up in all her equipment and have her march around Grounds screaming, 'We're the women's hockey team, and we need money,'" she added.
Besides acquiring sufficient funding, the women also hope to gain support from the University community in the form of new, talented players and a dedicated fan following.
"This year is not about winning," Vollmers said. "It's about creating and organizing a respectable team."
Men's team dominates
As the women's team continues to grow, the University's men's team is maintaining itself as a force in the ACC Hockey League.
The team won the League championship in 1996, and has been the regular season champ in 1997 and 1998. This year, the team boasts an overall record of 12-2-1. The men's team has lost one game in league competition so far this year, compared with last year's undefeated league record.
"Last year's team had more individual talent, whereas this year the team really came together," said head coach Roger Voisinet. "This year's team was more emotional, though, and that made the group more fun to coach."
According to Voisinet, most teams in the ACCHL have been around much longer than the University's men's club team. While the club is relatively young, Voisinet feels other factors are working in the team's favor.
"U.Va. draws really strong athletes all around," Voisinet said. "We're lucky to have a good rink nearby and support from the community."
The team now has a full roster of 31 members, ranging from newly interested first-year students to graduate students.
The club mostly attracts students with previous experience on organized hockey teams, although no experience is required to join the team. Interested players must take into consideration the substantial time commitment, with bi-weekly practices and Saturday night and Sunday afternoon games.
"Considering the time commitment, you're only going to find really committed guys to be on the team," said Chuck Humphrey, third-year College student and team captain. "The guys who play hockey are doing it out of love of the game, not because they receive scholarships or praise from the school."
The men's team looks toward the future with two primary goals in mind. The long-term goal of being recognized as a varsity-level collegiate sport, while several years down the road, is a vision the men are beginning to work toward.
"Before we can become a varsity sport, we need to make our league more respectable, which will have to be a move on the part of all the teams," Humphrey said. "The way for the league to get better is for it to be promoted more. It all starts with getting the fans involved."
Less than 200 spectators gathered at the Ice Park Saturday night to watch the game against N.C. State. The majority of those in attendance came from outside the University community, and encouraging student support would dramatically impact the turnout, Humphrey said.
"If we could get people out there they would be hooked," Humphrey said. "We're a physical team, and people like to see that. Hockey has a little bit of everything, and if the women's team catches fire it will help publicity tremendously."
The goal of self-sufficiency goes hand-in-hand with bringing in more fans to the games. According to the men's team's Web site, hockey is one of four collegiate sports that consistently brings in profit along with football, men's basketball and men's lacrosse. By charging fans for games and increasing turnout, profits from attendance could help defray the rather high expenses associated with ice hockey.
As loyal fans cleared out of the Ice Park Saturday night, the intensity of the game stood in stark contrast to the calm following the match. The rink that only moments before held 12 aggressive University players was now the stage for the Zamboni driver, preparing the ice for another day of collegiate competition.
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