To say that hockey is a staple part of Marquette’s culture is an understatement. With games being held at the Berry Events Center and Marquette being declared Kraft Hockeyville USA in 2018, the sport has a great hold here in the U.P. However, when Nathan Hansen came up here last year, he was very surprised to find there was no pond hockey club at NMU. Wanting to continue a favored activity of his from Illinois, he was determined to start up the pond hockey club.

Hansen, a sophomore accounting major, has given the club an identity and goal of simply having fun. The game is much simpler than indoor ice hockey, where there is no checking nor goaltending and the objective is to put the puck into an empty net. The club normally does not keep score, and rather focuses on being friends sharing common interest in a sport.

“All you need is a pair of skates and a stick and you can come out and play with us,” Hansen said.

Next year, Hansen is planning on beginning tournaments if the membership grows and even participating in tournaments in Minnesota or upper Wisconsin. The club is in its infancy, but Hansen plans on making this a priority.

The club normally plays at Trowbridge Park, but if they play at any other location they let people know on their Instagram, @nmu_pond. Students are invited to come join
their games.

“It’s not like any other sport, it’s so much fun,” Hansen said. “Even if you just learned how to skate, people will still have fun out there skating along, shooting the puck and having a good time with your buds.”