About Us
What to expect: the session
Come through the entrance of the rink (past the car park and up the ramp) and up to the desk where you'll find Josh and Tariq waiting to take your money and your email. Make sure you get a team from a committee member (this is important! you won’t be able to play otherwise…), and then head down the stairs where you'll find the skate hire. Once you have your skates on, you can join the free skate around the rink while we wait for the games to start!
The ice is usually split into thirds so that we can have three games running at a time. We play in teams of six players, so bring some friends with you or come solo and we’ll assign you some teammates - everybody is really friendly so there's no need to worry. Games last for three minutes each so we can fit in as many as possible before the night is over.
At the end of the night we usually bring everybody back on for a big game of tag. If you have hired skates, please leave the ice and return these once you have been tagged, before going home (where we’re sure you’ll be itching to come back as soon as possible!)
Players with their own skates are warmly invited (but not required) to stay on the ice and help committee members tidy away the goals and nets, and then join in a game of bulldog at the end, where you can finally show off your fancy skating skills as you dodge and evade the ‘bulldog’. Players who have returned their hire skates are also welcome to stay and watch - it can get quite intense!
What to expect: the vibes
We play mixed ability, which means we ask experienced players to take note of who they’re playing against and play responsibly (check out our ALTS rules). You don’t need any experience or equipment to come and play - just a positive attitude!
A lot of our players have limited skating experience, so slips and stumbles are commonplace - even among those who have been skating for years! Just get back up, brush it off, and throw yourself back into the game. Very rarely does anybody fall hard enough to injure themselves, but in the rare case that you do need wipes and/or plasters, come to the committee box (or the desk at the entrance if games haven’t started yet) and a member of the committee will patch you up.
Between your games, please wait off to the side - watch the games, chat to your friends, enjoy the song playlist carefully curated by our music reps for maximum boppability, or all of the above.
Alts is a great starting point to transition to competitive ice hockey, and many of our players have gone on to play on a university team!
[A picture says a thousand words, and all that, and I can’t fit enough on this page without violating some fundamental law of graphic design… so check out our google drive for photos taken from our sessions by our publicity officer! - IT rep]What to bring
So, with all that said, what should you bring to a session?
The only things you -need- in order to play are a pair of ice skates and a stick, both of which you can borrow from us at the rink. However, we would also recommend a pair of gloves, a long pair of socks (since the hire skates can chafe your ankles a little), and a bottle of water to keep your hydration levels up!
Cuppers
Once a year towards the end of Hilary term (late February-ish), we hold a huge Cuppers tournament where college affiliated teams can play against each other.
More than half of the team must be from one college, otherwise you cannot progress past the first stage.
Buckle up, because cuppers can last through the night and into the early morning!
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Once a year we hold an annual general meeting to decide committee roles. It’s also a chance to raise any concerns or suggestions, and if that’s not enough to convince you… there’s also free pizza!