TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Alabama Student Recreation Center is bringing more focus to winter sports with the formation of the ‘Frozen Tide’ BAMA Hockey team who will play their first games Saturday, Feb. 18 at 9 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 19 at 5 p.m. against Vanderbilt at the Pelham Civic Complex ice rink.

All Bama fans are encouraged to come out and support the team in their season opening games.

The 15 member ‘Frozen Tide’ BAMA hockey team was started this fall by UA students Adam English and Josh Stokes of Huntsville and Will Damare of Memphis after they realized that several students on campus were interested in forming an ice hockey team. By November, the 13 members and two goalies began practices at Pelham Civic Complex. The team now meets twice a week for on ice practices and once a week off-ice conditioning practices on Saturdays.

Darren Awender, a native of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, serves as head coach for BAMA hockey in its first year. He played hockey for UAH when they won the national championship in 1996. Awender is currently a pharmaceutical representative in Birmingham and is a volunteer coach.

Brent Ullom, a UA graduate student, serves as assistant coach for BAMA hockey. Ullom, who now calls Huntsville home, is originally from Arizona. He primarily leads the team in off-ice conditioning.

For more information, visit the team’s Web site at http://home.mindspring.com/~c.english/index.html or contact Stokes, team vice president, at 256/653-0163, stoke001@bama.ua.edu.