The Hogs’ October 5 tilt with Pacific Region rival Robert Morris-Springfield will feature more than just a great hockey game.  The two teams have not met since the 2009-10 seasons when the Hogs traveled to Springfield, Illinois, for a pair of games on October 23 and 24, 2009.  Arkansas won both games that season by 5-2 and 6-4 respective scores, but the Eagles have never come to Springdale and the teams have not played since.  This season’s match-up is particularly intriguing because the teams are now Pacific Region rivals and the RMU-Springfield Eagles figure to be a contender.

Apart from the on-ice rivalry, the team will play host to attendees of the 2013 Central States Law Schools Association (CSLSA) annual conference.  The CSLSA is a regional organization of law schools dedicated to providing a supportive forum for conversation and collaboration with respect to scholarly activity by law school academics.  The Association’s yearly conference takes place at the University of Arkansas School of Law on October 4-5 where law faculty from across the country present papers or works in progress.

“CSLSA is really excited about this year’s ‘hockey-themed’ conference,” said CSLSA President and University of Arkansas law professor Elizabeth Young.  She added, “the conference is held at a different law school each year, and the host school always attempts to catch the ‘local flavor’ of their campus.  For us [the conference organizers], the idea of having hockey as a centerpiece was an obvious choice.  Our own Brian Gallini is the head coach and our keynote speaker, Douglas Abrams, is heavily involved in USA Hockey.  The theme of our conference is Writing What You Do—Using Experience as Inspiration for Scholarship, and these are prime examples of how experiences outside of the typical law field have translated into integral parts of a law career.”

You can see the full conference schedule here.  The puck drops at 7:30 pm on Saturday night.