The University of Arkansas ACHA Division I Men’s Hockey team takes on #15 Colorado this Friday and Saturday nights at the Jones Center.  Puck drop on both nights is 7:30 pm.  For those who cannot make it to the rink, the games will be televised locally in the Northwest Arkansas area on Cox Communications Channel 214, and on Channel 22 for the University of Arkansas campus.  The games will also be streamed online here and here.

The DI Razorback Hockey team (2-3-0) traveled to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to take on the #7 ranked Oklahoma Sooners on Friday and Saturday, September 18 & 19.  The games marked the beginning of WCHL league play for both teams and the Sooners’ first games of the season.

Oklahoma opened the scoring on Friday night late in the first period and took a 1-0 lead into the lockerroom.  A back and forth second period saw each team score a pair of goals, followed by the Hogs obtaining the equalizer with under five minutes to play in the third period.  The 3-3 tie would be short-lived.  With under three minutes to play, Oklahoma scored the game-winning goal and earned the 4-3 victory in the process.

Saturday’s game, though, provided a different result.  This time, Arkansas opened the scoring in the first period and took the one goal lead into the first intermission.  Like Friday, the teams traded a pair of goals each in the second period.  But unlike Friday’s third period, Saturday’s game saw no scoring by either team in the third period.  Arkansas therefore came away with a 3-2 victory and, in doing so, notched it’s first-ever win over Oklahoma and a first-ever WCHL conference win.  Equally notable, the Hogs earned their first win over a Division I opponent as a Division I team.

Voters noticed.  Arkansas appeared as the #25 nationally ranked team in this week’s coaches’ poll.  The Razorbacks travel this weekend to Bloomington, Illinois, to take on Illinois State for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday nights, September 25 & 26.  Illinois State enters the weekend 1-1-2 having earned its first victory over Indiana Tech last Saturday following a loss the prior night.  Like Arkansas, Illinois State is a first year Division I team.  The puck drops on Friday at 9:30 pm and 7:00 pm on Saturday.

Back home, the Division III team (2-0-0) opens the defense of its conference championship as SECHC conference play begins this weekend against LSU.  LSU has not played yet this season.  Arkansas owns a perfect 6-0 record against the Tigers dating back to the teams’ first-ever meeting on January 9, 2008.  The programs have not met since 2011.  The puck drops at 7:30 pm at the Jones Center on both nights.

After a busy first weekend that saw the Razorback Hockey program play a total of five games in three days, the program’s two teams emerged with three total victories.  The Division III team played host to the Division II Augustana Vikings for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday nights.  Neither game proved a challenge for the Razorback Division III squad.  Behind four goals from Marcel Toure (Sr.), three goals from Forest Mudgett (Sr.), and five goals from Evan Kerr (Fr.), the Hogs defeated the Vikings by lopsided 9-1 and 10-1 scores.

Meanwhile, the Division I team faced a stout opening Friday night test on the road against Lindenwood-Belleville.  Things went well early for the Hogs as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead.  That lead would steadily evaporate as the see-saw contest progressed; the Lynx would amass five power-play goals en route to a 7-5 come from behind win.  Saturday’s contest was less competitive.  The Lynx took a 2 goal lead into the lockerrooms after the first period and would add a pair of goals each period to earn the 6-0 shutout.  Back home on Sunday, the Division I team squared off with the Augustana Vikings and earned a 5-0 win to complete a three game program sweep of the Vikings.

Looking ahead, the Division III team is off this weekend and Division I travels to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to open WCHL play and take on the #7 ranked Oklahoma Sooners.  The Sooners have yet to play this season but are coming off a successful 2014-15 campaign, during which they amassed a 25-8-2 record and earned a trip to the National Tournament. The Sooners swept the Razorbacks last season by scores of 4-2 (ENG) and 9-2.  In the four year rivalry between the two schools, the Sooners have posted a perfect 9-0 record against the Razorbacks.

Game times are 7:00 pm on Friday, September 18, and 4:00 pm, September 19, at the Blazers Ice Centre (8000 S I-35 Service Road, Oklahoma City, OK 73149).  Games will be broadcast on http://tv.ou.edu/live & http://kxou.ou.edu/live and the TuneIn app (search kxou).

Did you miss the ACHA Division I preseason show?  You can watch a replay here.

The University of Arkansas Men’s Ice Hockey Club is just days away from opening its inaugural campaign with two teams.  The Division I team opens up its season on the road with a stout test against Lindenwood-Belleville.  The Lynx open their second ACHA season after an emphatically successful inaugural effort that saw the team amass a 29-2-1 overall record including an undefeated record at home.  The Lynx reeled off 27 straight wins last season before sustaining their first losses at the hands of the University of Oklahoma.  Games are at the St. Louis Ice Zone at 8:10 pm on Friday, September 11, and 3:45 pm on Saturday, September 12.

Meanwhile, back at home, the Division III team plays host to Division II Augustana College, a first-time visitor to the Jones Center.  Game times are 7:30 pm on both Friday and Saturday nights. To round out the weekend, the Division I team plays its first ever home game at 1:30 pm on Sunday, September 13, against Augustana.  More information about tickets is available here.

Before dropping the puck on the 15-16 season, the program opens a four-day training camp on Friday, September 4, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  For the third consecutive season, the Oilers Ice Center will play host to the Razorbacks.

The University of Arkansas Men’s Hockey team is pleased to announce that G-Renaud Gaboury has committed to Arkansas.

Renaud Gaboury, a 5’11” goaltender from Montreal, Canada, joins Arkansas after spending several seasons in juniors.  After playing for the Valencia Flyers (WSHL) during the 2013-14 season, Gaboury backstopped the Dallas Snipers this past year.  Prior to his junior career, Gaboury’s high school team won the 2010 Quebec High School RSEQ Provincial Championship and, before high school, Gaboury was named the 2009 Ottawa Bantam Tournament Best Goaltender.  Said Gaboury about joining Arkansas, “[a]fter meeting the coaching staff and returning players, it is clear to me that the Razorbacks are one of the top collegiate hockey programs in the nation and will remain so for years to come. I am very excited to join the University of Arkansas and make the best of the opportunity given to me by Coach Gallini.”  Gaboury is interested in criminal justice and sports management.

Since 2009, the Arkansas hockey program has amassed an overall record of 161-48-4, including three trips to the Division III National Tournament and five SECHC conference playoff tournament championships.  The program will field two teams next season–one at the Division I level (WCHL) and one at the Division III level (SECHC).  The University of Arkansas was the first SEC school to field a Division I ACHA program and is currently the only SEC school with two hockey teams.

The University of Arkansas Men’s Hockey team is pleased to announce another pair of commitments: F-Cory Delisle and D-Hutton Kalik.

Cory Delisle, a  5’9″ forward from Plano, Texas, joins Arkansas after playing the last several seasons in the Dallas Jr. Stars AAA Elite program. In three seasons with the Jr. Stars, Delisle has played on teams that were quarter-finalists at the Tier I U16 Nationals (2012-13), bronze medalists at the high school nationals (2013-14), and quarter-finalists at the Tier I U18 Nationals (2014-15).  In 40 games with the 2012-13 U16 team, Delisle scored 9 goals to go with 8 assists.  Most recently, during the 2014-15 season with the U18 team, Delisle potted 9 goals to go with 4 four assists.

Said Delisle, “Razorback hockey is a great program and I’m really excited to get the season started.”  He added, “I just hope I can help the team win and have a successful season.”  Delisle’s academic interests are business and accounting.

For his part, Hutton Kalik is a 6’1″ defenseman who last played for the Dallas Penguins U18AA team.  Teammates with Zach Palmer, the 2014-15 Penguins won the Texas Amateur Hockey Association U18 Tier II championship, became the Dallas Stars Travel Hockey League champions, and received a bronze medal at the 2015 U18 National Championships.  Also a Plano, Texas, native, Kalik played in 59 games for the Penguins.  A staple on the blueline, he chipped in 10 goals to go with 18 assists.  Kalik commented, “I’ve been playing Hockey since I was 4.  I’m at the peak of my game and it can either go up or stop, so I figured I should improve myself and see where it takes me.”  Kalik plans to study Business and Advertising/Public Relations.

Since 2009, the Arkansas hockey program has amassed an overall record of 161-48-4, including three trips to the Division III National Tournament and five SECHC conference playoff tournament championships.  The program will field two teams next season–one at the Division I level (WCHL) and one at the Division III level (SECHC).  The University of Arkansas was the first SEC school to field a Division I ACHA program and is currently the only SEC school with two hockey teams.

Season ticket plans for both teams are now available until August 28.  You can learn more here.

Interested in playing for the Razorbacks?

Tryouts are just days away.  Below is the upcoming tryout schedule.  If you’d like to tryout, but have not yet expressed interest, fill out a prospective player form here.

August 20, 4:00 pm, Registration at the Jones Center.

August 20, 5:00 pm, Off-ice testing at the Jones Center.

August 21, On-ice tryout #1, 8:30-11:30 am.

August 22, On-ice tryout #2, 10:00 am-12:00 pm.

August 23, On-ice tryout #3, 9:30 am-11:30 am.

All sessions are free and open to the public.  Come get an early look at this year’s teams!

The upcoming season for your University of Arkansas Men’s Ice Hockey Club teams is quickly approaching. The five-time SECHC Champion DIII team and the new DI team in the WCHL, encourage you to become a season pass holder!

For $129, the season pass will grant you access to all of the DI and DIII home games, which are played at the Jones Center in Springdale, AR. The $129 season pass price includes $4 per home game and a $5 processing fee. Season pass holders enjoy all access, which admits fans into the upstairs seating area (while space allows) or standing room only at the glass level.

Season pass holders will pick up their passes at will-call using a government issued photo ID at the first home series on September 11-13, 2015, when both teams play host to Augustana College.

Applications for season passes will be accepted until August 28, 2015. If you are interested in becoming a season pass holder, please email the University of Arkansas Men’s Ice Hockey Club Student Board Treasurer, Sam Anderson, at syanders@uark.edu.

We hope that you will join us in cheering on the Razorbacks this year, as we work toward our sixth SECHC Championship and our first WCHL Championship!

The University of Arkansas Men’s Ice Hockey Club is one of 30 active clubs in the club sports program operated by University Recreation at the University of Arkansas. Nicknamed the Razorbacks, the club plays in the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division I and III. It is not one of the 19 NCAA-sponsored sports within the university’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. The club does compete against other club programs in Southeastern Conference and Western Collegiate schools. The purpose of the club sports program is to allow students the opportunity to participate in sports at a competitive or instructional level. Clubs are self-administered and self-regulated with parameters set by program and university policy.

The Razorback Hockey team is pleased to announce that  Austin Thielges has formally signed to play at Arkansas.  A 5’8″ 175 lb defenseman from Frisco, Texas, Thielges last played for the NAHL Lone Star Brahmas.  In 45 games with the Brahmas, Thielges contributed 9 assists and racked up 14 penalty minutes.

Prior to his time with the Brahmas, Thielges completed two seasons with the Dallas Stars 16U program and more season with the 18U team.  In 74 games with the U16 team, Thielges scored 5 goals to go along with 12 assists.  During his time with the 18U roster, he potted 5 goals and added 26 assists.

Said Thielges, “[a]fter seeing the advancements the program has made, and communicating with players I know from the team, I decided it would be a good fit for me to continue my career at Arkansas. ”

Since 2009, the Arkansas hockey program has amassed an overall record of 161-48-4, including three trips to the Division III National Tournament and five SECHC conference playoff tournament championships.  The program will field two teams next season–one at the Division I level (WCHL) and one at the Division III level (SECHC).  The University of Arkansas was the first SEC school to field a Division I ACHA program and is currently the only SEC school with two hockey teams.

The Division I & III schedules are out.  You can view them here and here.  All home games are played at The Jones Center for Families in Springdale.

The University of Arkansas Men’s Ice Hockey Club is pleased to report its progress on the program’s locker room project.  As longtime fans know, the project is years in the making.  The program’s hope for its own space became a reality on September 4, 2013, when the Jones Center for Families entered into an agreement with the University granting to the program exclusive use of a large unfinished space at the end of the players’ tunnel inside the rink.

Since 2013, the program has worked diligently to raise funds for what is by far the program’s biggest financial undertaking.  Through the incredible generosity of its substantial fan-base, the team has raised nearly $30,000 on its way to a total goal of $45,000.  To date, that $30,000 has facilitated the purchase of or improvement to demolition, masonry, flooring, mechanical systems, electrical systems, and steel.  (Want to look inside the now completed plans for the ventilation system?  Click here.)

So what’s left?  As the team moves into what is hopefully its last fundraising phase, the final needed $15,000 will help acquire player seating (check out the player stalls here), finalize entry door reconstruction, and custom paint. We would ask that you consider making a contribution to the last stage of our program’s historic project by following these instructions:

• ONLINE:  https://onlinegiving.uark.edu/ (instructions: under the top section “Designation”, pick “Other department, program or fund” and enter “UREC Ice Hockey Locker Room” in the dropdown box).
• MAIL:  If you prefer to mail a check, please make it out to University of Arkansas Men’s Ice Hockey and write “Lockerroom fund” in the memo line.  You can then drop it in the mail to this address — Erin Brown, Univ. of Arkansas, 214 Graduate Education Building, Fayetteville, AR 72701.

Your donation, no matter how small, matters.  And it matters more than ever as this coming season we begin Division I play in the WCHL–the most competitive conference in the ACHA–while seeking to maintain our success in the SECHC by fielding a second team.

The University of Arkansas was the first ever SEC school to field a Division I team and is the only SEC school fielding two hockey teams.  Your support helps us put a high quality product on the ice while simultaneously allowing us to work toward creating more history.