February 28, 2013 by The Ubyssey

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2013 |

EDITOR C.J. PENTLAND

No ice, no problem Water sports >>

At the bottom of the swimming pool, another brand of hockey finds a following Charlotte tilstra Contributor

Hockey in Canada has a cult following, and its fans spent the past few months of 2012 pining for bloody fights and top-corner goals during the dreaded lockout. But there was another type of hockey being played right under the surface of the UBC aquatic centre pool. Underwater hockey is just like ice hockey, except it’s played at the bottom of a pool filled with water. And instead of toothless brutes covered in protective padding, it’s men and women with pearly whites in skin-tight bathing suits. Which version would you rather get into? Underwater hockey is a relatively new sport. It was created in 1954 in the United Kingdom by Alan Blake in order to keep the members of his swim club from abandoning swimming during the frigid winter months. He needed a sport that could be played in a pool; his idea, a game called “Octopush,” began to spread. Its name eventually changed to underwater hockey, and in 1962 it was brought to Vancouver. Now universities across Canada have formed underwater hockey clubs, and there are world championships held every two years. The basic rules of the sport are simple. “Hold your breath, get to the bottom and hit the puck,” said Jordan Fryers, a UBC student who is training for Team Canada. Underwater hockey teams are typically co-ed. Players are equipped with a snorkel, mask, fins, a curved stick that’s a little bigger than a ruler, a swim cap or helmet and gloves to protect their hands. Using their sticks, teams must maneuver a puck into the

something like watching a group of dolphins surfacing for air; each player dives into the depths of the pool, only to resurface when they run out of breath and then dive back down when they’ve caught it. However, none of the real action can be seen from above the water, and spectators have a hard time following the game from the sidelines. This is why in some cases, particularly the world championships, multiple underwater cameras capture the action and stream it live on the Internet. At the end of August, Fryers will travel to Eger, Hungary with Team Canada to compete in the 2013 World Championships and play against teams from Argentina, Australia, Germany, Portugal, Serbia, South Africa and the U.S.

Hold your breath, get to the bottom and hit the puck. Jordan Fryers UBC student training, for Team Canada underwater hockey

JOSH CURRAn PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY

Behind the masks and snorkels are athletes who play the sport known as underwater hockey.

opponent’s goal, but unlike hockey, there’s the added complication of not being able to breathe while playing. Plus, since it is a non-contact sport, any holding, obstructing, de-masking, de-finning or injuring other players results in a foul. The best underwater hockey

players are strong swimmers who can hold their breath for long periods of time, but the game is ultimately a team sport that requires cooperation. In order to score a goal, teams must strategize on when and which players visit the surface to breathe. Six players from each team

are in play at once, and up to four other players are substituted on the fly for when players need to breathe. The games are usually composed of two 15-minute periods, and the goalposts are usually 50 metres apart. The depth of the pool can vary. Watching from the surface is

He’s competed in the past as part of Team Canada, and said how he’s lucky because it’s given him the chance to travel around the world to places like South Africa, England and Australia to compete and meet people. The UBC underwater hockey club practices at the UBC Aquatic Centre on Tuesday nights from 7 8:30 p.m. and Sunday mornings from 9 10:30 a.m. Drop-in for UBC students is free for the first couple times, and membership is only $6. Perhaps it’s time to snorkel up and play a new kind of hockey in water that isn’t frozen. U

pLayoffs >>

Looking ahead at ’Birds in the playoffs C.J. Pentland Sports + Rec Editor

A trio of UBC Thunderbird teams refused to lose last weekend in Canada West playoff action. Women’s volleyball, women’s hockey and men’s basketball will all continue their seasons this weekend, and all still have the chance to come home with a national championship. Here’s a preview of what lies ahead for each team.

women’s volleyBall

Regular season record: 21-1 Playoff record: 2-0

After receiving a bye to last weekend’s Canada West Final Four, the T-Birds swept Mount Royal in the semi-finals and then took down Trinity Western in the finals to capture their fourth Canada West championship in five years. The win also guaranteed them the first seed at the CIS nationals, which take place this weekend at the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec. The ’Birds kick off the tournament and their quest for their

sixth straight national championship on Thursday, when they take on the eighth-seeded University of Laval. First serve on Thursday is at 2 p.m. PST. The semi-final is on Friday and the final on Saturday.

women’s hoCkey

Regular season record: 17-7-4 Playoff record: 4-1

They lost the first game of their Canada West semi-final matchup with Regina last weekend, but the T-Birds stormed back in the next two, taking game two 3-2 in triple overtime and blowing out Regina 7-1 in the third and decisive game. The series victory not only moved UBC on to the Canada West finals, but also gave them a berth in CIS nationals for the first time in team history. The ’Birds will take on the University of Calgary Dinos this weekend in Calgary in the conference finals. UBC was 1-2-1 against Calgary during the regular season, but they took their last meeting on the road by a score of 2-1. The ’Birds have also

won 12 of their last 14 games. Some T-Birds were also recognized for their regular season success. Leading the way was first-year head coach Graham Thomas, who was named Canada West coach of the year after leading UBC to 20 more victories than last year. Also in her first year with UBC, goalie Danielle Dube was named a Canada West first-team all-star after compiling 1.67 goals against average, a .943 save percentage and 11 wins. Christi Capozzi and Tatiana Rafter were named second-team all-stars. Capozzi was solid on defence all season, racking up a +7 plus/minus rating and chipping in 13 points. Rafter was the Thunderbirds’ leading scorer during the regular season, tallying 23 points in 28 games, and scored the overtime winner in game two of the playoff series to keep UBC’s season alive. Game one of the Canada West final is Friday night in Calgary at 6 p.m. PST. Game two is Saturday at 6 p.m.; game three, if necessary, is at 3 p.m. on Sunday. The nationals start the following weekend at the University of Toronto.

men’s BasketBall

Regular season record: 18-4 Playoff record: 2-1

BiRD DRoPPiNGs T-Bird award winners

awards

The ’Birds had a scare last weekend as they were pushed to the brink by Alberta, but they came out flying in the decisive game three, getting out to an early lead and winning 96-67. The win advances them to the Canada West Final Four, which will be hosted by the T-Birds. UBC will take on the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades in Friday night’s semi-final. The ’Birds were 1-1 against UFV during the regular season. A win would give them a berth in next weekend’s CIS nationals in Ottawa and advance them to Saturday’s final, while a loss would see them play in the bronze medal game. A loss would not officially dash their hopes of reaching nationals, as there is an at-large berth that is awarded nationally. Two losses on the weekend, however, would most likely end their season. Tip-off for Friday’s semi-final contest is at 7 p.m. at War Memorial Gym. The bronze medal matchup is at 6 p.m. on Saturday, with the gold medal game following at 8 p.m. U

Women’s volleyball Cis and Canada West MVP: shanice Marcelle Cis and Canada West Firstteam all-stars: shanice Marcelle and lisa Barclay Cis and Canada West second-team all-star: Brina Derksen-Bergen Women’s basketball Canada West MVP and Firstteam all-star: Kris Young Canada West nominee for tracy Macleod award: Zana Williams Men’s volleyball Canada West second-team all-star: Milan nikic