THE GAME AT THE ARENA

The informal hockey team will encounter a strong opponent in the Newport Naval Reserves, whom it plays this evening at the Arena. Although the seven has already won two contests, yet these were with high school combinations. In the lineup of the sailors, however, there are enough men of intercollegiate reputation to give the informals a real test of their power. This game will be unlike those of recent years; we are featuring no special stars nor a team to contend for championships, but rather a seven which is organized primarily for recreation, without professional coaching or an elaborate system of training. We have neither a reputation to uphold nor any intercollegiate honors to strive for. Instead, we believe that the beneficent results of athletics are not dependent on a formally organized system of coaching and training. The standard of hockey, to be sure, will not be up to that set by past University teams, but the enthusiasm of the players will be as great.

This contest will be fought as keenly as any formal game, even though the rewards of victory are slight. Those men who have been practising for a month have shown that team-play and spirit can be developed without the incentive of a definite rival to be beaten. Interest in the sport for itself has made the seven eager to practice. So, too, it welcomes the opportunity to meet the sailors. The debut of the informals in the Arena may lack the importance of a formal game, but not the rivalry.