USA Hockey Adult Hockey

EAGLE RIVER, Wisc. - If there’s one thing the Labatt Blue/USA Hockey Pond Hockey Championships have been able to achieve in its first four years, it’s growth.

From the first year when 40 teams took the ice to the 2009 event where 200 plus teams registered, the event has continued to climb in popularity and enrollment numbers.

A lot of that growth is thanks to word-of-mouth advertising from tournament veterans. Such was the case for a team from Bloomington, Ill., one of five from the town in this year’s event.

“They said they had a great time,” said Phil Fazio of the players who turned his team toward the 2009 event.

After three games, Fazio and his teammates were emphatic that they would be back.

“We’ve had a blast, an absolute blast,” said Michael Vandyke. “It’s three days where the only responsibility is to get up and play hockey.”

Shawn Bols said the team’s first time playing in the pond event presented it’s own challenges.

“We’re used to smooth ice and boards and it really is a different kind of game but it is a lot of fun,” he said.

Another tournament rookie, Adrian Grenier of California, said playing in the tournament was close to Zen.

“To see the snow flurries was just fantastic,” he said. “You don’t get a lot of that in LA obviously.”

Grenier’s teammate Ralph Frangioni said the weather was ideal and likely punched a return ticket for his team.

“The snow added something to it today,” he said. “We paid for the jerseys so we might as well use them again next year.”