by Felicia De Innocentiis | Staff Writer

When a sports-minded individual thinks of popular Texas teams, the last sport to usually manifest is hockey.  This past Friday, the AHL San Antonio Rampage continued the new season by facing off the Oklahoma City Barons, ultimately ending in an unflattering defeat in the third period, the final score being 3-2. The game in it’s entirety was played with a fast, aggressive offense.

“It was really, really fun actually,” senior Aaron Hong said. “I had a great time, it was my first hockey game.”

For places south, hockey is the more obscure form of sports entertainment. Although every state has a local team, they aren’t as recognized as their summer sport counterparts such as football and basketball. The AT&T Center proudly houses the home games and provides a dynamic atmosphere that’s both hardy and family-oriented.  The players are anything but push-overs, and the agile aggression can momentarily break the tension.

“I just thought [the game] was going to be filled with a bunch of fights,” Hong said, stating a preconception made about the sport. Fights were present on numerous occasions, and they were always able to boost audience morale.

Apart from the game itself, the AT&T Center provides a variety of family activities to entertain guests after periods and during time-outs. One of the most popular promotional trends is the Chick-Fil-A Cow Drop, where toy cows with parachutes are dropped from the cat walks to the anticipated crowd below.

“I did not know they were going to drop [the cows]. It made the game more interesting,” Hong said.

Rampage hockey games are a thrilling way to spend an evening for an affordable price, especially with the convenient food-and-ticket deals and Friday dollar drink nights. The next home game is October 21, where the Rampage take on the Peoria Rivermen. Just remember to bring a jacket or a jersey.