IM Hockey League a release for students

It's 11:35 on a Wednesday night. Some students are studying, others are catching up on sleep, while others are out drinking and socializing. Then there are those who are playing hockey.

For these students, the Intramural Hockey League is seen not only as a competitive hockey league but also as more of a release from the pressures of school.

"It's a good stress reliever," said Kevin Orwig (senior-biochemistry), who has played in the league for four years.

He said the late starting times do not really cause a problem when trying to get work done.

"The games are late enough that you can get your studying done before the games," Orwig said.

League Vice President Jeremy Starr (senior-environmental resource management) said the late game times are a nice change of pace.

"It's really great when it's 11 at night, and I'm going to play hockey," he said.

Starr explained that the league season consists of a 27-game season, beginning in late October and ending with the playoffs in March. Each game has two, 30-minute halves, a 5-minute halftime and a continuous running clock. There are eight, 18-player teams in the league.

The playoffs, which begin March 17, are set up with four first-round matches. The winners are paired in a two-game series, in which the team that scores the most goals in the two games wins. The winners then meet in a best-of-three series, scheduled for the end of March.

While most of the league's 140-plus members are male, several females also compete. Meg Miller (sophomore-business administration) is one of them. And while she said she enjoys the league, she added the league can at times be a bit hazardous to her health.

"It's a little bit dangerous," Miller said. "My first game in the IM league I got elbowed in the chin and felt it for a couple of weeks."

Miller explained, however, that some of the male players may not know she is a female because of her short hair and equipment.

"One time I got checked pretty hard into the boards," she said, "and when the other player found out I was a girl, he could not stop apologizing."

Starr enjoys having females playing in the league and just has a great time whenever he plays.

"It's so much fun," he said. "I look forward to playing every week."