contributed article
The Sartell Youth Hockey Association has three teams advancing to the state tournament this weekend. The PeeWee A, PeeWee B, and Girls 15UB teams were either the first or second seed in their region to advance. It has been several years since the association has had this many teams advance.
Qualifying for the state tournament requires the teams are first or second seed in their district and regional tournaments. Sartell is part of Minnesota State Hockey District 5, which has 11 teams competing in the state tournament at varying levels. This is a record number for the district.
“The number of teams advancing this year is a true indication of the growth of the sport regionally,” said Dena Walters, president of the Sartell Youth Hockey Association Board. “We have had record numbers of Mite (entry level skaters) registrations for several years. As the kids age this means greater competition locally, which creates stronger players at all levels.
“We are so proud of these teams and what they have accomplished this year. Many of the kids have been skating together since they were 3 years old. We are just beginning to see years of hard work payoff.”
To read the entire article and view team photos, visit thenewsleaders.com and search Three Sartell youth hockey teams advance to state.
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contributed article
The Sartell Youth Hockey Association has three teams advancing to the state tournament this weekend. The PeeWee A, PeeWee B, and Girls 15UB teams were either the first or second seed in their region to advance. It has been several years since the association has had this many teams advance.
Qualifying for the state tournament requires the teams are first or second seed in their district and regional tournaments. Sartell is part of Minnesota State Hockey District 5, which has 11 teams competing in the state tournament at varying levels. This is a record number for the district.
“The number of teams advancing this year is a true indication of the growth of the sport regionally,” said Dena Walters, president of the Sartell Youth Hockey Association Board. “We have had record numbers of Mite (entry level skaters) registrations for several years. As the kids age this means greater competition locally, which creates stronger players at all levels.
“We are so proud of these teams and what they have accomplished this year. Many of the kids have been skating together since they were 3 years old. We are just beginning to see years of hard work payoff.”
Youth hockey in Minnesota is comprised of 16 districts. Within each district, there are numerous associations with varying numbers of teams at different age-based classifications. Sartell’s state qualifying teams are comprised of two PeeWee teams (ages 11 and 12), and a girls 15U team (ages 13, 14 and 15). Overall, there were four PeeWee teams in Sartell this year, which was a record number of players at that level for the association.
House of Pizza in Sartell organized a community send-off on March 14, offering the teams and their families an opportunity to connect prior to the tournaments this weekend. The restaurant provided complimentary meals to the players and coaches.
“We are extremely grateful for the community sponsors like House of Pizza that support youth hockey,” said Jeremy Henkemeyer, head coach of the PeeWee B team. “The regional and state tournaments have added several weeks to our regular season. Several local businesses have made financial and in-kind donations to the association during this time, to help ease the financial burden for the association and players. Tonight, is a great example of that generosity.