Deb Ramage has always enjoyed swimming and had been a synchronized swimmer in college at Indiana (Pa.) University.

When she learned about underwater hockey a decade later, she jumped right into it and scored a goal in her first game. After a break of several years, she has been playing the underwater sport ever since — for almost three decades.

"It's a great stress reliever and it gives you a good cardio workout," said Ramage, 58, of Cranberry Township.

She started playing back in 1980 while taking a scuba class at the Seneca Valley High School pool.

The group played at the Seneca Valley pool until 1999, when it moved to its current home at the Pine-Richland School District pool.

"I'm the oldest player and usually the only woman playing," said Ramage, who hopes others will take the opportunity to learn the sport. "They're a great group of guys. They're like my brothers."

The underwater game is much like ice hockey. Teams of three to six players try to hit a puck made of brass and Teflon across the bottom of the deep end of the pool into one of the two 1.5-foot goals. Each player is equipped with masks, snorkel, fins, taped gloves and a small hockey stick. The gloves are needed to avoid scraped knuckles on the pool bottom during scrums for the puck.

Underwater hockey has been a family affair for Ramage. Her late son, Matthew McDermitt, and her son Ryan, 31, and daughter Shannon McDermitt, 29, both of Colorado, all played underwater hockey with her. Each of them also is a former member of the Seneca Valley swim team.

"I've always been a tomboy. It's just me," Ramage said. "I'm one of the aging baby boomers fighting growing old and not acting my age."

"At my age, you feel invigorated (after playing)," she said. For those new to the sport, there are masks and fins available at the pool for use during the game.

Players range in age from 8 to 60 and come from all over, including Mount Washington, West View and other parts of Allegheny County and Beaver County to play.

Ramage earns praise for her participation.

"If it weren't for her, there wouldn't be underwater hockey in Western Pennsylvania," said Dale Wagner, the gifted program coordinator at Seneca Valley High School and a former swim coach.

Wagner plays regularly with Ramage and others at the weekly Tuesday night game.

"I love the sport. It's a fun way to keep in condition," added Wagner, who also participates in the Cranberry Wave Swim Team. That team is based at the Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA in Cranberry.

"When you get done, you're exhausted. But when you're playing, you don't think about it," he said.

Dave Wheeler started playing the sport in 1978 as part of a scuba club activity and has played the sport in California, Washington and now in Western Pennsylvania.

Wheeler, 50, of Mount Washington is a professor of psychology at Robert Morris University. He said he gets bored just swimming laps. When playing underwater hockey, he forgets he's even exercising.

"It really stops you thinking about breathing," Wheeler said, referring to the effort exerted during the game. He recently had a lung functioning test that came back above average for his age.

As for playing with Ramage, Wheeler said she's really committed (to the sport). "She also really has a great set of lungs," he said, commenting on Ramage's ability to hold her breath underwater.

It's a noncontact sport, but Ramage said occasionally players accidentally take a knee or a hand to the body. It's more a game of strategy and breathing control and knowing when to dive under and when to come up for air, Wheeler said. "It's not just brute force."

A regulation game usually consists of two 15-minute halves, but at the Pine-Richland pool, the game is played to 10 points.

Ramage explained if in the course of playing it is determined one team is decidedly better than the other, players often switch teams to make the game more competitive. "The goal really is to get a good 45 (minute) to hour workout," she said.

Anyone is invited to attend and participate in the games from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday nights, except for August when the pool is cleaned. For first timers, admission is free. Otherwise, cost is $3 per week or $80 per season.

For more information, call 724-776-2305, visit group's Web site at www.uwhpgh.com or send an e-mail to dramage1@hotmail.com.