Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/60989
BY HARRY THOMPSON Tournament To Its Roots I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." Odds are, if Henry David Thoreau were alive today, he'd lace up the old leather skates, grab a wooden hockey stick and make his way onto the ice at Walden Pond. He would revel in the joy that comes with playing outdoors in the elements, where wind, sun and bone-chilling tem- peratures are as much a part of the game as a stick, puck and skates. clock, where rules are enforced by a code of honor and success is measured in smiles, not goals. Yes, if Thoreau were alive today, he would likely be one of the thousands who each year venture into the woods of Eagle River, Wis., to play in the Labatt Blue USA Hockey Pond Hockey Championships. Like all It would be a game unfettered by a make the yearly pilgrimage north, he would love its simplicity and its wholesome fun. In short, he would discover the true meaning of the game. Pure and simple. those who continue to As the event continues to get bigger, it also gets better. It does so by staying true to its roots. This year's event hosted more than 1,900 adult hockey play- ers on 281 teams competing in 511 games scattered among 15 divisions. Its strength lies in its inclusiveness, where a record number of women's teams lace 'em up alongside their male counter- parts, and a new 60 & Over division holds the promise that the game can be played by those looking for the frozen fountain of youth. "We've been coming here for six years, and it just keeps getting better," said Lisa Labovitch, whose team won the Women's Silver division after failing to record a vic- tory last season. "When I started coming here, they didn't even have a women's divi- sion." Now, there are 38 teams competing in three divisions, with no end in sight. It's shinny hockey at its finest, as players, many well past their prime, expend just enough energy to chase down loose pucks before doubling over with sticks resting on their knees as they try to suck winter air through a straw. And when the day is done, they will find a seat inside the big tent, slowly sipping on a beer while peeling off layers of sweaty gear, along with the years that have passed since the last time their skates came in contact with natural ice. Those memories are slowly stripped away and replaced by a fresh wave of mental snapshots that will fuel the desire to return next year. USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM APRIL/MAY.2012 17