It’s cold outside!  And when it gets this cold outside, one thing pops into the minds of Houston’s high school sports fans: high school hockey.

No, really!  There is a high school hockey league in the Houston area: the Interscholastic Hockey League. 

While I love the game, I’m not going to try to make anyone believe I am the fount of all hockey knowledge.  In fact, I wasn’t aware of the ISHL, as it is known, until Legacy Sports Network began broadcasting an ISHL Game of the Week last year.  Michael Silvers handled the play-by-play and did a great job.

This year, LSN is again broadcasting a GOTW.  Silvers has been joined in the booth by David Feliciano, who ably adds analysis.  (Give them a listen; they make a great broadcast team!)  This Sunday night, they will be at Toyota Center to call a doubleheader featuring Cinco Ranch vs. Seven Lakes followed by The Woodlands vs. College Park. (Do those rivalries sound familiar?)

Those are just four of 15 teams participating this season.  Teams are split into two divisions (North and South) in what is known as the Justice Varsity League. 

The ISHL has existed in some form or fashion since the 1998-1999 school year and several high schools around the area field teams.  Those that can’t come up with a full squad generally band together with one or two other schools to form teams.

Besides the four previously mentioned, other teams this season represent Cypress Woods, Klein, Katy Taylor, Clear Lake, Fort Bend Austin and Clements.  Consolidated teams include Memorial West, Brazos Valley, Fair/Creek (from the CFISD area), Brook/Creek/Springs (CCISD area) and Pearland/Friendswood.

While it isn’t a UIL-sanctioned sport, it is becoming extremely popular in suburban Houston.  And because it isn’t under the UIL’s banner, the league can be co-ed and has several girls dotting the rosters of the squads. 

This is Week 11 of the season and Fair/Creek (6-0-3, 15 points) is atop the North Division standings.  They have a three-point lead over both The Woodlands and Cy Woods. 

The Cinco Ranch Cougars (8-1-1, 17 points) are leading the South Divison, two points ahead of Taylor. 

Last year’s league champions, the Austin Bulldogs, are currently in seventh place in the eight-team South, but they are the top scoring team in the league and boast the two leading individual scorers.  Senior Arron Slaten is the league scoring leader with 30 points, including a staggering 21 goals in nine games.  His teammate, junior Cody Gamble, is second in the league with 24 points (12 goals/12 assists).

Fair/Creek senior Tyler Bradford is the leading goalie in the league, with a goals-against average of 1.40.

League continues through the end of February and the City Final (this one is valid!) wraps up a playoff round-robin at the end of the year.

Besides the Sundays at Toyota Center, the league plays at many of the ice rinks around town.  But if you can’t get out to one of the rinks any time soon, or just want a taste of what the league is about, check out the Legacy ISHL Game of the Week.

It won’t take long to get hooked, especially if the weather keeps reminding us it’s hockey season.