'You feel invincible': Why so many Leeds university students are taking up ice hockey
One year ago, Lizzie had never played ice hockey.
The 20-year-old, who is studying history at the University of Leeds, decided to join the university’s ice hockey society after her cousin assured her it would be beginner-friendly.
Though her previous experience on ice was only from ice skating at Christmas time, she quickly became hooked on the sport.
Lizzie told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “It was a sport that I always really thought was cool when I was younger but I never thought I could play.
“It wasn’t until I went to university that it felt like it was something that was accessible to me. Everyone was so welcoming, friendly and supportive.
“There’s no pressure - you’re all just there to enjoy yourself and improve so it’s a really nice way to participate in a team sport.”
Ice hockey interest is surging in the UK with a record-breaking number of spectators at Elite Ice Hockey League in the 2024-2025 season.
The Leeds University Ice Hockey Society has experienced this popularity rise too, with a 66% growth in membership in just two years.
Now, as ice hockey is receiving even more attention thanks to both the Winter Olympics and the Prime Video ice hockey drama Heated Rivalry, it’s the sport that more people want to watch and more people want to play.
Aerospace and aeronautical engineering student Harrison, 22, followed a similar journey to Lizzie into the sport. He’d seen his brother play in the past and thought university was the perfect time to try the sport himself.
Harrison said: “When you’re at university, you’ve got three to four years to try anything completely new.
“I saw ice hockey as a bit of a challenge to learn something completely new and to throw myself in at the deep end.”
The Leeds University Ice Hockey Society trains every Thursday between 10pm and midnight at Planet Ice. The late nights, which can be even later when they play matches at other universities, can take time to get used to, but the team don’t mind playing far past the daytime.
Harrison said: "It's quite unsociable hours, but it's quite nice that everyone has their days, comes down and can enjoy hockey as a separate part of the day.”
Lizzie added: “It fits the stereotype that everyone says uni students are nocturnal. When you join you get used to training late at night - it quickly becomes part of your routine.”
Niall, 20, is one of the few society members who played ice hockey before university. The business marketing and managing student describes the thrill of the sport as something you can’t find anywhere else.
Niall said: "The level of adrenaline is just a lot more intense. I feel like you get a lot more of a buzz out of it than you do with other sports.
“It’s a completely different feeling when you’re on the ice compared to when you are running. You get tired a lot quicker especially with the gear, how fast you’re moving and how much you have to skate.”
Lizzie shares a similar sentiment, describing ice hockey as an “intense, high-energy environment” where you can feel almost “invincible” as you play.
According to Niall, ice hockey is a sport that is addictive from the moment you first try it.
He said: “The second you get a taste for it, you can’t escape it no matter what. You’re either seeing it all over social media or you become that fascinated by the sport.
“It sort of grips you more than anything else.”
Aspects of ice hockey have surprised Lizzie, Harrison, and even seasoned player Niall. Unexpected elements include how the timings of games work, the unlimited level of substitutions and how even though it is an ice-based sport, the game can leave you feeling physically hot.
Yet what is perhaps most surprising of all is the community that they have found through the sport. This is what all three describe as their favourite part of the game.
Niall added: “No one’s really an individual player. Everybody pulls their own weight and gets behind each other.
“When you’re on a team, you feel very close to pretty much every single member. It’s a really nice atmosphere.”
Harrison added: “On a uni level especially the team environment is great. The ice hockey team is quite a nice community to be part of.”
The University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University will face off in their annual Varsity match at Planet Ice on May 1. To find out more visit the Planet Ice website.