USA Hockey Adult Hockey

It’s been six years and counting for Lisa Scotch and her crew. That’s how long they’ve been traveling from San Francisco to Eagle River for the Labatt Blue/USA Hockey Pond Hockey National Championships.

There may have been some name and division changes over the years, but you can always count on them to show up. USA Hockey caught up with Scotch to talk about the experience and atmosphere surrounding the world’s biggest pond hockey tournament.

USA Hockey: How long has your San Francisco team been together? And how long have you been coming to Dollar Lake?

Lisa Scotch: Most of us have played together for up to 10 years on various traveling women's teams. We formed the team to come to pond hockey in 2011, so this was our sixth year. We've come with different team names – Oakland Seals, San Francisco Treats and Pucks Against Humanity – however we have been the Money Shots for the last two years. As we have learned, the pond team names are part of the fun.

USA Hockey: Whose idea was it to come to Dollar Lake the very first time? Was it a tough sell to the rest of the group?

Scotch: Our traveling women's team, the Oakland Seals, was in a transition period and we had tossed around the idea over the years of experiencing hockey outdoors. Our team captain at the time, Sandra Todd, who was here from the start but unable to return this year, researched pond tournaments and found the Eagle River tournament to be the most intriguing. It was a bit of a tough sell the first year as extensive travel and cold weather were of concern for some. Most of us were born and raised in warm-weather states and had not experienced skating on a frozen pond. But we were able to gather five skaters that first year. After that, it was an easy sell since we could not stop talking about how much fun we had.

Most of us are learning hockey later in life, so skating on a frozen pond brings all the nostalgia that growing up playing in the backyard would have perhaps created. As we talked, those who wanted that, and those who grew up this way remember the joy – and soon more teams were interested. Year after year more teams from the San Francisco area joined in the experience, to a peak attendance of seven local teams last year. Many of those teams wanted to return this year as well, however many were not able to get a spot as it sold out so quickly. 

USA Hockey: What keeps you coming back?

Scotch: It's such a well-run tournament and everyone is friendly, from the players, to the staff and volunteers, to the local establishments in town, to the fire fighters who make things happen every year. Everyone is there to have a good time, play some games and enjoy sharing the passion we all have around hockey. And of course the cheese curds.

USA Hockey: Aside from actually playing in the games, what are your favorite parts of the entire weekend?

Scotch: Playing pickup and mixing up teams with some friends we've met over the years. Hanging out and laughing in the warming tents, by bonfires or watching other friends’ teams play. Making new friends over a can of Labatt Blue or riding in the back of a pickup truck in full gear as we are shuttled to the lake. Hanging out outdoors with such an amazing landscape, and teams bringing and sharing team swag from beer-holders, magnets, buttons, and to various homemade special beverage concoctions.

USA Hockey: So there are other teams and people you look forward to seeing every year?

Scotch: We absolutely look forward to seeing other teams. We have bonded over the years with teams from Chicago, North Carolina, Houston, Indiana, Alaska and Washington to mention a few. That is a huge part of the fun of the weekend. We all go cheer each other on when we can.

USA Hockey: How long have you been playing hockey? San Francisco is a non-traditional market. How did you get started and what's the hockey culture like out there?

Scotch: I've been playing for 16 years. I was raised in a sports family, always playing something growing up – basketball, soccer, volleyball, etc. – and watching professional football and baseball prevalent in the San Francisco Bay Area. However, I was not exposed to hockey until after college. I started playing roller hockey in a parking lot with my brother and his friends for fun on Saturday mornings when I moved back home after college. Someone found an Adult Learn-to-Play-Hockey class run by the Pacific Hockey Association (PHA) out of the Ice Center at San Mateo and half of our roller group joined. The roller group had become fans of the San Jose Sharks and wanted to see what the ice was like. I instantly fell in love and hung up my roller gear for ice gear and never looked back. After that, I searched for any ice I could find to get better and found so many great teams and people and a huge hockey subculture in that area.

USA Hockey: So there are opportunities and programs for adults to give hockey a try in your area?

Scotch: A San Francisco born-and-raised hockey player is a rare find, however it's growing so much now you'll be hearing it more and more. There are so many programs now to get youth involved and even adult programs through the Sharks Ice locations, Nazareth Ice Oasis classes in Redwood City, and of course the PHA. I coach a semi-annual Give Hockey a Try Day for the Northern California Women's Hockey League where the all-volunteer-run league gathers gear from current players and lends to new participants so they can get fully dressed and get a feel for the game. We encourage everyone to try, even without any skating experience. We teach basic skating skills, basic hockey skills and then scrimmage. The San Jose Sharks, as well as the influx of players from non-traditional markets, are growing the game in the area, and once you are in and see the community that surrounds hockey, you realize how special the sport really is.

USA Hockey: If an adult was considering trying hockey for the first time, what would you tell them?

Scotch: Do it. It's not what you might think – you have to try to truly understand the experience. There are programs and levels for everyone out there from pure adult beginners who have never skated to more advanced programs for skill development. You'll find that hockey players share a passion and are willing to share their knowledge and experience to help others get better. It's a very supportive and fun community.