Rotary Pond Hockey Championships fight through tough conditions

Nothing was stopping the Rotary Pond Hockey Championships this past weekend, be it a smaller amount of teams signing up, to having to leave their skates on the side for some games.

The championships took place on February 10-12, with eight teams playing on Crescent Lake. Each game consisted of two 15-minute halves. Travis Foster, chair of the Rotary Pond Hockey Championships, says the weather didn't cooperate for the entire weekend.

"(The ice) got pretty soft on Saturday," explains Foster. "A few games were played just in boots rather than skates, but for the finals, it was the perfect temperature, and the other guys could use their skates and have a couple of really good matches."

He says the signups for this year were a bit on the downside, as they usually have more than the eight that played this year. Despite this, Foster says the teams looked like they had a blast and hopes to see all of them return next year.

The tournament came down to the Hitmen and the KF Mustangs in the final, with the Hitmen winning 18-11. Richard Henderson played for the Hitmen and says they had a great time but were disappointed when the weather stopped them from playing one of their games.

"We saw some teams playing in boots, and we were supposed to play after them, but both teams decided that we weren't going to bother," mentions Henderson. "It's not the same."

Travis Foster presenting the trophy to the Hitmen.

He notes it's the team's third year playing together, with the exception of himself joining for the first time this year. When asked how the team would celebrate, Henderson kept it simple.

"Just go home," says Henderson. "We're not young anymore, so go home, lick our wounds and hopefully be able to go to work tomorrow."