Memorable hockey season for local team
Team member and Castle Pines Village resident Dane Westen felt pressure to win the Silver Sticks Hockey Tournament, knowing his team would be the first ever from the state of Colorado. “When we won the tournament in Canada we all got to throw our gloves, sticks and helmets on the ice and skate around and jump up and down and give each other high-fives! It was the most exciting moment of my life! exclaimed Westen.”
By Amy Shanahan; photo courtesy of Jason Kragel
For the first time in the forty-five year history of the tournament, the Arapahoe Warriors Squirt A team won the International Silver Sticks hockey tournament! The team is the first to win from the state of Colorado and the coaches and players were thrilled.
The Squirt A team is the most competitive team of 9 and 10-year-old boys, many of whom have played together for four years. In order to qualify for the tournament, the team first had to win the Rocky Mountain States regional tournament.
On January 17-20, the team traveled to Sarnia, Ontario, Canada to compete in this prestigious tournament. The Warriors won the finals in a 3-2 overtime battle against a team from Midland, Ontario. Castle Pines resident Brant Kragel plays on the team and remarked, “It was awesome to win the tournament. We played teams from all over Canada and the United States and really had a blast!”
