The sold-out 100.5 Arena is buzzing with excitement at the 34th Ice Hockey Uni Cup!

On December 7, there was a lot of excitement in the 100.5 Arena. Ice hockey and cheerleading teams from the mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and medicine faculties faced each other in the fully booked hall. The aim of everyone involved was to win the coveted thyssenkrupp Trophy and thrill the cheering fans. On this evening, all teams succeeded in doing the latter in equal measure. Dressed in creative costumes, the ice hockey teams and cheerleaders impressed all spectators.

RWTH Rector Prof. Ulrich Rüdiger did not miss this highlight of the winter semester, nor did the Mayor Sybille Keupen and the current FH Rector Prof. Josef Rosenkranz. All three were there to cheer on the student councils. Prof. Rüdiger enjoyed the last university sporting event of the year. He said that the best comes at the end and the Ice Hockey Uni Cup brings the whole RWTH together.

The Ice Hockey Uni Cup is organized by the HSZ together with the participating student councils and has developed into a real cult event over the past 34 years. As in every year, the tickets were sold out within an hour. Peter Lynen, Head of the University Sports Center, is delighted with the enthusiasm of the fans, saying that there are currently 3,000 spectators, but a much larger hall could easily be filled- the demand is huge.

In the opening game, the Aachen Ice Emperors, the ice hockey team from RWTH and FH, faced the Hannover Hunters from the University of Hannover. Afterwards, the student councils took over the ice rink. The creative themes that the student councils come up with are an annual highlight. With elaborate costumes and self-built backdrops, the cheerleaders and players entered the ice rink and evoked the atmosphere of the Olympic Games. The mechanical engineering student council chose the medieval theme, while the medical student council dressed up as jungle animals and the electrical engineering student council imitated their rival student councils in tunics and checked shirts. The special atmosphere and all the preparations strengthen the team spirit and sense of togetherness. Karoline Gerich from the electrical engineering student council says that it is nice to see that all the work pays off. The stands go wild, people have fun and enjoy the evening.

In addition to the ice hockey games and the cheer shows, the fans' main focus is on having fun, celebrating together and cheering each other on. After all, each of the three student councils wants to bring home the thyssenkrupp Trophy. The EUC has been supported by thyssenkrupp Steel for many years. Lisa Ollesch from thyssenkrupp Steel naturally didn't miss out on the event. She said that she is blown away by the commitment of the students and the special atmosphere.

Traditionally, the proceeds from the EUC are donated to charitable organizations. Each year, an international and a local cause are supported. For many years now, the international organization Right to Play has received half of the donations. Right To Play enables disadvantaged children to run around and play in an unrestrained space. This year, Café Zuflucht of Refugio e.V. was chosen as the local organization. Refugees receive legal advice and other support at the Café Zuflucht advice center. Both recipients were delighted with the donation from the student councils. Andrea Genten from Refugio e.V emphasized that this donation is also a sign of solidarity for their work and a glimmer of hope in these difficult times.

At the end of the successful event, the Medical Strikers from the medical student council celebrated a double victory. The cheerleaders impressed the jury with their choreography and were awarded the FuFah honorary prize. After a close competition under high tension, the ice hockey team from the Medical Student Council also managed to prevail in the final round against their opponents, the Aachen Steelers from the Mechanical Engineering Student Council, by 24 points to 21. The ET Lions took third place.

Further information and photos of the event can be found at unicup.de.