Okay, so this isn’t the NHL, and maybe you’d rather drink the night away at Delta Chi, but if you have a free night between September and March, grab some friends and come to an IceCats game.

I won’t lie to you, I didn’t even know UPJ had a hockey team until the end of my freshman year. I guess I was too busy watching the Penguins play on my TV at home to realize the IceCats were a thing. Even worse, I’m from Johnstown and have went to the rink where the IceCats play at for years. Still, somehow I missed the memo. Now going into my senior year of college balancing my own crazy, busy life, I will make it a point to attend at least five games this coming IceCats season and so should you. Why should you?

Because the IceCats play in a historic rink

Although for the past few years the IceCats have started their season at Planet Ice in the Richland area of Johnstown and then finished their season at the Cambria County War Memorial in downtown Johnstown, with the July closing of Planet Ice, the IceCats will most likely play all of their games at the Cambria County War Memorial. Besides being an arena dedicated to the history of those who have served our country, the War Memorial also has a hockey history. Beginning with the Johnstown Jets (NAHL) in 1950, the War Memorial has been home to many teams and nation-known memories. Not only was the hockey hit “Slap Shot” filmed there, but last spring, Johnstown and the War Memorial won Kraft Hockeyville 2015 over hundreds of hockey cities and arenas in the country.

Because the IceCats aren’t your typical athletic team

Unlike most college athletic teams including at UPJ, the IceCats are a club team, meaning the players sponsor themselves and pay a fee to play. In addition, each year the players have to retry out for the team with no guaranteed spot, showing their commitment to UPJ each year and for the love of hockey, without any other benefits.

Because the IceCats are better than you think

As a club team, their is a stigma that what club teams play for is pointless because they aren’t NCCA-like titles and because they are a club team, they probably don’t win at all. For this stigma, the IceCats are nothing like it. In fact, the IceCats have won before not only on the division level but also on the national level. In 2003, 2004, and 2014, the IceCats won the College Hockey East (CHE) Championship and in 2005, 2005, 2014, and 2015, the team qualified for American College Hockey Association (ACHA) National Championship. In addition, this past season, after sending eight players to the ACHA All-Star Challenge, at least one IceCat, team captain Dan Yost, was selected to play a few weeks this winter in Europe against European colleges and professionals

So yeah, I get it. You might be one of those people just hates hockey and don't understand the pleasure and pain of watching anybody, let alone college kids, fight for a little black piece of rubber, but that isn't a reason to not check out the IceCats. Even if you hate hockey, going to an IceCats game is a cheap and entertaining way to support your school and classmates. The season starts this Friday, September 30th.