No ice, no problem for a group of hockey players from the Big Island.
No ice, no problem for a group of hockey players from the Big Island.
Despite not being able to practice on ice, Pabst Blue Ribbon Kona — made up primarily of roller hockey players from the Big Island — captured the B Division championship at the 31st Annual Hawaiian Classic Tournament on Thursday.
It is the second straight title for the squad at the Oahu tournament.
The Kona team finished with a 4-0 record, but had to rely on some shootout heroics in the championship game against the Las Vegas Terriers.
Justin Herd scored the championship-clinching shootout goal, and goaltender Tim Rude held down the fort between the pipes as the Big Islanders pulled out the thrilling 7-6 victory.
The tournament was held at the Ice Palace on Oahu, which provided a much different venue than the players were used to practicing in. The majority of the skaters play roller hockey at the Old Kona Airport hockey rink.
But the transition from concrete to ice didn’t seem to phase Pabst Blue Ribbon Kona. The team outscored their opponents 21-9 in the tournament, which spanned four divisions and included teams from across the US and Canada.
Members of the team included: Tim Rude, Sean Landers, George Boeckman, Matt Panzarino, Tim Grossman, Justin Herd, Don Fernelius, Rich Gleason, Dave Oatman, Damien Elefante, Dave Gandleman and Evan Dooley.