St. Joe Fire and Rescue faces off on ice

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Members of St. Joseph Fire and Rescue, assisted with three members of the Hudson Fire Department, met a challenge by the non-profit Minnesota Sled Hockey Association at the Hudson Sports and Civic Center ice rink Sunday, March 8. The sled association team won the match 4-2.

Sled hockey (also known as sledge hockey) is a sport designed in the early 1960s in Stockholm, Sweden. The intent is to allow participants with a physical disability to play the game of ice hockey. Sled hockey is one of the most popular sports in the Paralympic games.

The sled is an aluminum frame that has two skate blades mounted on the underside. The hockey player sits on a seat on the frames, and is strapped in with two lap belts. Two small hockey sticks about 12 inches long are used to hit the puck, and the ends of the hockey sticks contain cleats that are used to grip the ice. Mobility is provided by players rowing their arms after they have dug cleats into the ice (much like rowing a canoe).

Geri Anne Zubich is president of the Minnesota Sled Hockey Association, and is always in need of opponents for her adult hockey team. Firefighter Eric Steingraber’s daughter, Cali, is a member of the youth sled hockey team, and Zubich and Steingraber challenged the St. Joseph firefighters to a scrimmage match. Three members of HPD assisted in filling out a complete roster for the event.

Ice time was donated by the Hudson Hockey Association.

The firefighters jumped to a very early 2-0 lead, thanks in large part to the efforts of firefighter Kyle McConaughey. Once the Minnesota team realized the firefighters were worthy opponents, the sled hockey team dominated the rest of the match, keeping the puck on their end of the ice the majority of the time, and ultimately winning the match 4-2.

More information on sled hockey is available at www.mnsledhockey.org.

Tags: sports, stjoseph, sled, hockey