If you can play water polo without the horses, then I guess it stands to reason that you can play underwater hockey without the ice:

Teams consist of six players in the pool at one time — three forwards, three defensive backs. There is no goalie to protect the 10-foot-wide goal. A coated lead puck is passed and shot with foot-long wooden sticks held in gloved hands. Unlike hockey, physical contact is frowned upon. There are two 15-minute halves.

Players wear snorkels, fins, diving masks and protective water polo caps. Like hockey, it’s important to learn how to pass and control the puck. Unlike hockey, taking a breath figures into the game.

“When you run out of air, you know it,” said Anthony Hemingway, a junior on Roger Bacon’s team. “You get the gagging feeling. But when you’re close to the goal, you’re like, ‘Do I want to score a goal or breathe?’ Most of the time I say, ‘Score.’”

No goalies? No kick-saves that are beauties? I’m not sure I can condone this as a form of hockey. Maybe they should go back to the former name for this exercise: “Octopush”.