JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. - –
The Langley Air Force Base Raptors and U.S. Navy U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln CVN-72 hockey teams clashed in front of 400 spectators during the inaugural "Air vs. Sea" hockey game at the Norfolk Scope Arena, Jan. 30, 2016.
After three periods, the Langley Raptors stood victorious; outscoring their Lincoln rivals 8 to 4.
"A lot of us were really excited for this game," said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roderick Johnson, 1st Maintenance Squadron nondestructive inspection journeyman and team center. "We all played hard, had a full team effort and were able to get a win because of it."
According to Airman 1st Class Troy Davidow, 633rd Medical Operations Squadron family health technician and team defensemen, the team has practiced together for close to a year leading to the match up and participated in tournaments against other Department of Defense hockey teams.
The more than 400 spectators were divided by alliances and cheered on their respective branches. The names of fan's favorite players and loved ones could be seen on banners, signs and t-shirts, giving the players a true professional feel.
To add to this, the Raptors and Lincoln players arrived to the arena early to dress in private locker rooms prior to taking the ice and were given adrenaline-inducing music over the arena's sound system during warm-ups.
"It's pretty nice to play in a big arena like this and on a big stage having Air Force members cheering you on," said Johnson. "I like these games, it can get pretty intense."
In the final minutes of the game, the play became a little more physical, cementing a new rivalry between the two teams.
"It's [like the] Yankees and Red Sox," said Davidow. "A little rivalry with some physical action and right [now] I'm glad we were able to come out with a win."