MARSHALL, Texas — When you think about sports in East Texas, football is certainly the first to come to mind. Basketball may be second, or other commonly played ones around the region.
However, East Texas has found itself home to one popular sport... but one that you don't usually think of in the Lone Star State: hockey!
The East Texas Baptist University Tigers hockey program has a D2 and D3 program in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, where they face off against some of the premier schools both in Texas and around the country. The most impressive part of the program is that they consistently go and beat those major D1 Texas schools, such as Texas, Baylor and Southern Methodist University.
The success and opportunities the ETBU hockey program provides is why they boast players from all over North America, ranging from homegrown Texas talent to players north of the border. Captain Spencer Mills is from London, Ontario. So, it may seem unorthodox to come down to Texas to play hockey, considering Canada lives and breathes hockey. However, the love and support he has seen in Texas has been overwhelmingly positive.
"All the people here are amazing, Texas in general. But you hear different things from different parts of the world," Mills said. "And I came down here and have been shown nothing but love and respect. The people are just amazing."
A major influence in his move down south was head coach Alain Savage, who also comes from Canada. Interestingly enough, Savage has a deeper connection with Shreveport, Louisiana, where the Tigers practice and play their games.
Savage was a member of the Shreveport Mudbugs hockey team, helping them to a championship over 20 years ago. Now, it's all come full circle as he returns to the very rink where he played. But this time, he's helping grow the game with the new generation of hockey athletes.
"The guys love it here. You get to come out and play here and come out to the rink to practice," Savage said. "But without Him up there, we don't have hockey. We pray every day that we keep this program going and that's what keeps us going."
ETBU has definitely done their part in helping to grow the game in Texas, and their success has shown that.
This year, they sit at a 20-8 overall record, having just won their program's first Texas Collegiate Hockey Conference championship. Next up, they head to the ACHA playoffs, where they'll take on the University of Washington in Salt Lake City.