Hockey week
Players enjoy opportunity to participate in annual spring hockey tournament
The week-long high school hockey tournament, hosted by Kensington Intermediate-Senior High, is increasing in popularity every year with two more teams joining the entries this year.
What is becoming a spring tradition appears to be growing in popularity.
The Kensington Intermediate-Senior High School hockey tournament concluded at Community Gardens on Saturday afternoon. It marked the third year KISH has hosted this tournament, which was previously organized by Bluefield High School.
“It was another great week,” assessed KISH principal Donald Mulligan. “It was good, clean hockey every night, and we had quite a few games that went into shootouts and made it exciting for the fans.”
This year’s tournament increased by two entries to 15 teams – nine boys and six girls. To be eligible for the boys’ tournament, players must be registered to play midget AA or A minor hockey while girls who play midget A or AAA can play.
“It’s a really good opportunity to have a lot of fun,” said 16-year-old Kelly Clements, who is from the Murray River area and played this season with the Kings County Kings of the P.E.I. Midget AAA Female Hockey League. “Our hockey season all year is very serious, although we still have fun.
“This is more of a tournament to get with your friends, you can play with everyone and it’s a mixture and a good combination.”
Grace Gormley, a forward from Murray River who also played this season with the Kings, agreed it’s a fun tournament for players.
“Hockey in our regular season is very serious, and we go very hard at it,” said Gormley, 16. “It’s not that we don’t in this tournament, because we do, but it’s a little less intense.”
Extra significance
The opportunity to play high school hockey carries extra significance for Kensington Torchmen defenceman Josh Coulson, 16.
“My dad (Peter Coulson) played (high school hockey), and he says it was a really big thing,” said the Grade 11 student from Margate. “I’m just happy they brought it back.
“You are playing against your friends, you are having a good time and it’s a really good experience overall.” Torchmen defenceman Holden Sheen of Stanley Bridge felt the action on the ice was just “as intense” as it is with the Kensington Vipers’ midget A team.
“You want to beat all your friends that you know, and you want to beat all the other schools that you know.” Coulson and Sheen both agree there is an increase in school spirit during the week of the hockey tournament. “People are always talking
about the game last night, or they are looking at the numbers, and everyone is saying, ‘That was a good game last night,’” said Sheen, 17
Coulson added: “The school comes out and will go wild if we win. We will go back to school and people will be, ‘Hey, good job, good job.’
“Kensington is not very big, and everybody knows each other. It really, really rallies the school, and it’s a fun time.”