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(Credit: Andy Nietupski/Texas Stars) |
This week, I am introducing six new writers here at 100 Degree Hockey. I've spread out the introductions across the three days leading up to opening night on Friday. Today, we welcome our final two writers.
First up, Autumn Limas, who I first met when she was working for the Rampage. Being in RGV, she will primarily be covering away games.
I love the fall, so much so that I took my namesake from it. As a kid who grew up in deep South Texas, that’s hardly surprising. Finally breaking the fever of the Texas summer really makes a person appreciate how much change of pace can make all the difference in the world.
The fall is when I started my love affair with hockey when I found myself far from home in the Rio Grande Valley for my freshman year of college at Boston University. As I made my way down Commonwealth Avenue toward BU’s Agganis Arena, the shiver I succumbed to in the evening breeze was a shock. Thankfully, screaming my lungs out in the Dog Pound as my Terriers went on to lift Beanpots and a National Championship warmed my heart as I fell in love with the sport. Following the Bruins on their way to a Stanley Cup in 2011 cemented what I already knew the moment I set foot in Massachusetts, even though I may not have grown up with hockey, aside from snippets of Ray Bourque and Mike Modano’s flowing jersey during my childhood, I was all in.
Boston may be where my hockey fan loyalties lie, and my time covering the Bruins with SB Nation’s “Stanley Cup of Chowder” gave me my start in blogging, but “Texas Hockey” is always going to be something I’ll defend to the hilt, especially since returning home to the RGV. To me, Texas hockey means the epic slugfests between the RGV Killer Bees and Laredo Bucks. It’s hearing Taylor Hall moan about the ice at the AT&T Center after battling with a rookie Alex Petrovic and the San Antonio Rampage where I spent a season interning, and of course it’s seeing the young guns from Cedar Park make their names up in Dallas with the big club.
Fall was also when I made the biggest decision of my life and took the first step in my continuing journey of gender transition. This will be the first hockey season I will get to cover as Autumn, my true self, and I deeply appreciate the crew here at 100 Degree Hockey for being absolutely supportive as I make my return to hockey writing. This fall is going to be a big one, both in Dallas and Cedar Park, as the organization grows into what is a wide open championship window, and I’m happy to be along for the ride.
Let’s drop the puck.
Second, Nicholas Kingman. Nicholas is local to Austin and has already traveled for 100 Degree Hockey, driving up to Frisco for Dallas training camp. He submitted his thoughts on camp for his first story the other week.
I’ve been a sports sicko as far back as I can remember. I can still picture myself grabbing my mother’s phone and going straight to Google to look up the recent scores or highlights from the various sports I kept up with.
Growing up in San Antonio, the Rampage were an integral part of my childhood experience. From camping out in the arena as a Boy Scout to countless school field trips all the way to celebrating my 13th birthday at a Rampage game.
So many of my sports memories are of going to the eastside of San Antonio on a fall or spring evening to watch the Rampage be very lukewarm in the AHL.
Now as I enter my early twenties, I’ve fallen into the grips of sportswriting. I got my start at The Paisano, UTSA’s independent student newspaper. I was able to cover football, baseball, basketball and even a little bit of UTSA’s club hockey team. I primarily wrote about football during my time at The Pasiano, covering the second half of the Roadrunners season and had the wonderful opportunity to witness the program’s first bowl victory in the Frisco Bowl.
In addition to my work covering the Roadrunners, I was able to report on the Alamo Bowl as well as being tasked as the primary beat writer for the newspaper’s coverage of the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas.
This past summer, I transferred to UT Austin to further my journalistic pursuits. In addition to my work here with 100 Degree Hockey, you can find my name in The Daily Texan as a General Sports Reporter covering the university's men’s golf team.
I want to thank Stephen for giving me this opportunity, and I cannot wait to get started covering the Texas Stars this season. So to the Stars sickos here in Austin, Dallas or around the world, can I ask you one question? Are you ready for some hockey?
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