THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2019 STUDENT MEDIA
Aggies on ice
Photos by Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION
Texas A&M Ice Hockey will face the Texas Longhorns in a two-game series. The first game is in Austin and the second will be the Aggies’ home opener at Spirit Ice Arena on Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
A&M hockey club looking forward to home opener against Longhorns By Hollis Mills @sillohsllim Though the temperature will pick back up this weekend, Aggies can still beat the heat at Spirit Ice Arena, where the Texas A&M hockey club will host the Longhorns for the team’s first home game of the season on Oct. 19. The Aggies are skating into their home opener against the University of Texas with a 7-3 record on the season. All week long on the team’s social media accounts, the Aggies
have teased the unveiling of a brand new alternative uniform for this Saturday’s “blackout” game. Heading into another entry in the storied Aggie-Longhorn rivalry, the team is anticipating the turnout to be on par with the record-setting attendance at a Senior Night game four seasons ago, in which 1,232 fans filled the arena. Head coach Sean Boyle said he always enjoys riding the wave of tension into every home game against Texas. “Being here as long as I have, these games always mean a lot,” Boyle said. “Whether we’re in Austin and they bring their crowd, or we’re here and this place is full and people are going nuts, it’s a lot of fun.” Growing up in Alaska, Boyle said finding
his way to hockey was more a rite of passage in the community than a hobby. “Football is July 1 to Aug. 15, and then it’s hockey year-round,” Boyle said. “That’s why a lot of kids up north get into it because that’s what everyone else does. We didn’t have cleats and gloves. We had skates and sticks.” Making his first go around the rink with the Aggies this season, assistant coach Derek Harper said he is excited to see how the team performs in the high-profile game, and he credits Boyle for the club’s focus and determination. “It’s my first year helping out Sean,” Harper said. “Looking from the outside in, it’s a great honor from him just to ask me to come in and help him build something. Sean’s been
building this program for 11 years. Eventually, I would say 10 to 15 years from now, this could be a Division 1 NCAA program, and it’s all off the sweat of his back that he’s put into it.” The team will also play the Longhorns on their home ice in Austin Friday night, but Saturday’s home opener will mark a new Aggieland experience for Harper. “I actually haven’t seen a UT game, only heard about it,” Harper said. “I’m super pumped to see the crowd and the excitement HOCKEY ON PG. 6
PROVIDED
Replant Day will be held Saturday, Oct. 19, to plant over 700 trees around the community.
Rooted in tradition Students to plant over 700 trees across Bryan-College Station area By Alek Benavides @alekbenavides Every fall, Aggies put on the country’s largest one-day environmental service project led by students. Aggie Replant, a committee of the Student Government Association committee, will plant hundreds of trees in the Bryan-College Station area on Saturday. By doing so, Aggie Replant hopes to not only give back to the local community but to provide a means for students to engage in fulfilling and thoughtful community service. Claire Unruh, renewable natural resources junior and director of Aggie Replant, said the project first began to combat the effects of another Aggie tradition.
“Replant was formed in 1991, and it was formed off Aggie Bonfire, just because they wanted to go back and replant some of the trees that were being cut down due to bonfire,” Unruh said. During Replant Day, roughly 500 student volunteers will plant trees in and around Bryan-College Station. Unruh said it’s important that Aggie Replant seeks out all types of sites for tree planting, from homes to public property. “We plant at houses and community parks, that sort of thing,” Unruh said. “This way, we make sure that we serve as many people as we can.” Along with giving back to the community and providing a way for students to serve the area, Unruh said the organization also provides crucial leadership and networking skills for students. REPLANT ON PG. 3
Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION
Texas A&M rushed for 125 yards against the Alabama defense at Kyle Field on Oct. 12.
A&M to face Rebels on the road Aggies look to regain ground during matchup with Ole Miss in Oxford By Tara Drummond @TaraDrummond1 The now unranked Aggies will face the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday in Oxford, Mississippi. Both teams are coming off losses to conference opponents. Last week, Texas A&M fell to No. 1 Alabama 47-28 and is now 3-3 for the first time since 2010. Ole Miss fell short to Missouri 38-27 in last week’s matchup. Against Alabama, A&M’s offense had some key plays but was ultimately shut down by Alabama’s defense and a build-up of mistakes,
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such as miscues and unsuccessful blocking. “I thought the offense came out really strong,” A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said. “I thought we had a good balance and ran the ball, and the offensive line played better in this game. But going against a team like Alabama, there’s no lax for anything. You have to make plays.” Junior quarterback Kellen Mond came out of the matchup with a 57.1 completion percentage, 264 passing yards and two touchdowns. Freshman running back Isaiah Spiller also had some key moments with the plays he was given, starting the game with a total of 24 yards in the opening drive. The Aggies had a fast start against Alabama, scoring on their opening drive for the first OLE MISS ON PG. 4
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