The Great Outdoor Adventure

Outdoor Hockey Spectacular Under the Lights
by hockey mom Amy Colclough

Spectacular in so many ways! Who had more fun…the players or parents??? Picture a comfortably cold (is there such a thing) evening…snow packed bleachers …thermoses of hot beverages to keep parents and spectators warm. The ice was smooth, the lights bright, the players frisky – coaches in their best winter hats. The first puck drops…the snow begins to fall slowly and steadily. No score sheet, no scoreboard, just kids having fun! The phrase “push the puck” took on a literal sense. The snow was starting to stick – making it…well…sticky to play! During period breaks, players grabbed shovels and helped to clear the ice. Referees were dumping snow into the penalty boxes!
A few exciting breakaways by both sides were combined with sporadic snow angels – making for a truly unique game. As if it’s not enough to be a goalie and have pucks and sometimes bodies coming at you at a bazillion miles per hour, factor in snow and low visibility. All the goalies rose to the occasion making some great saves!

What else could make this game even more spectacular you ask? How about a 2-team bantam pile up at mid-ice for a once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity? WAIT…was that a SNOWBALL flying into the stands from the ice? Hence the start of a spectator vs. player snowball fight – personally, I think the spectators won… This was, by all accounts, a spectacular hockey event we did not want to end! Thanks to everyone for making it happen.
Photographs by hockey dad Steve Ratliff

And here's to the frozen fans in the stands!

In two days our kids get to be the spectators at the Fairgrounds to see how the pros play hockey on the race track turned ice rink. Onondaga Couny Executive Joanie Mahoney has declared Saturday hockey day in Syracuse.