College ice hockey isn’t as entertaining as football overseas – known here as “soccer” – but that’s probably because I don’t completely understand the rules yet. There’s a lot of action in hockey, that’s for sure. I love how the players constantly change and everyone moves around at a fast pace. But if you don’t understand the rules, you’re like a deaf person in a musical: you see people moving around but you cannot hear the rhythm. I’m interested in learning about hockey to figure it out.

I could hear spectators screaming and commenting at the hockey players’ actions and the circling referees’ calls. During soccer, I jump up and down, sometimes swearing at the plays – my heart and mind is in the game. I find it easy to get overly excited, like I want to jump into the field. I see calls before their official announcements and, occasionally, I want to slap the referee. However I’ve never shouted “hit ‘em, hit ‘em” or “throw him into the glass,” like I heard inside the World Arena.

Behind me, a family constantly called for fighting. That’s absurd. I could hear their influence on their kids. The vulgar outcries simply encouraged violence, not good sportsmanship. Sports are about competitors enjoying themselves while trying to outscore opponents. The players exercise tactics and techniques. It’s not about using aggression and physical size to needlessly hurt someone. Sports are about promoting discipline, not violence. College students are supposed to learn how to be part of a team. I didn’t like watching people counter each other with their elbows.

The college hockey game wasn’t as violent as the professional matches I’ve seen on television. The players occasionally tripped over sticks or collapsed after getting checked against sideboards. They traveled from side to side like the wind – that back-and-forth drifting made it exciting. The teams made hockey look fast, slick and somewhat easy. I’d never get tired of watching hockey players move. Even if a game went on for several hours, I wouldn’t get tired of it. The three 20-minute periods elapsed quickly.

Early in the third period, Colorado scored two goals only 18 seconds apart to lead Minnesota 5-3. Less than a minute later, Minnesota cut the margin with a score. With 14 seconds left, a potential tying goal wasn’t allowed due to a hand pass. Colorado won 5-4.

Laila