Going for gold
Connellsville hockey to play in national tournament
Despite threats of inclement weather this week, the temperatures have been rising, but members of the Connellsville hockey team will be headed to the cold and snow in search of a national championship.
The Falcons will travel to Minnesota to participate in the Chipotle-USA Hockey High School National Championships.
Connellsville, who will play in the 1A division, opens play Wednesday morning at 9:45 against Missoula, Mont., at the Plymouth Ice Center, in Plymouth, Minn.
The Falcons’ second game in pool play is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on Thursday against St. Joseph, Ind., at Maple Grove Community Center-Kottemann in Maple Grove, Minn.
Connellsville wraps up pool play on Friday at 4:15 p.m. against Frisco, Texas, at the Plymouth Ice Center.
There are 16 teams in 1A, which features four clubs in each pool. The top two squads in each pool advance to the quarterfinals Saturday morning. The semifinals will be contested later in the afternoon before the championship is held Sunday morning at 9:45.
“This is a first for the organization and these kids,” Connellsville coach Jason Boone said. “It is also one heck of an experience and opportunity to play the game you love against kids around the country.”
The 12 remaining teams that make up the 1A division are: Bishop Gorman, Nev., Edwardsville, Mo., Gillette, Wyo., Greensville, S.C., Huntsville, Ala., Kansas City, Kan., Northern Kentucky, Ky., NWA Ice Hogs, Ark., Park City, Utah, Spokane Jr., Wash., St. Francis, N.Y., and Wheeling Park, W.Va.
Boone, who is the superintendent of schools for the Southmoreland School District, said the team is eager to play in Minnesota because of the state’s hockey tradition.
“To get to play in a state like Minnesota that is known for hockey is great for our kids,” Boone said. “A similar experience would be traveling to Lake Placid, N.Y. It is a lot of travel for these kids, but they get to experience things a little different than most school athletes. We are not affiliated with the WPIAL or PIAA, so the parents are taking on the responsibility and time.
“The most tired people are hockey people because our season begins in June and July with work off the ice. Our ice time runs from August until the end of March.”
The Falcons feature players from the Beth-Center, Laurel Highlands, Connellsville, Mount Pleasant, Southmoreland and Uniontown school districts. The team has 15 players who achieved the Academic All-Star Award for maintaining a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
“I have known most of these kids since they were four-years old,” Boone said. “It is exciting to see them doing so well on the ice and in the classroom. “The majority of the games in season are through the PIHL, which oversees our games, but the regional events run through USA Hockey.”
Boone said the majority of the families will travel to Minnesota on Tuesday.