Girls night at Woodland Park
Shae Anderson shoots the puck hidden in the snow while Jascah Vann defends the goal Tuesday evening at the Woodland Park Ice Rink Tuesday evening. Girls aged 5-11 were invited to play and recieve some help from the U-19 Girls Hockey team.
Shae Anderson, left, and friend Lauren Jochen flex their arms after getting suited up in the locker room.
Maria Makman practices passing the puck back and forth with U-19 girls player Liz Poole.
Despite a meddlesome snow storm now and then and a gloomy economic climate, the Flathead Valley Hockey Association is keeping the ice shiny and the doors wide open at Woodland Ice Center.
The on-ice activities at the rink are continuing for a third winter with plenty of opportunities to skate or participate in hockey.
On Tuesday, a free introductory session was held for young girls interested in learning the basics of hockey from members on the Flathead Valley Lady Flames U-19 team.
Despite a heavy snowfall, the rink was cleared off by the on-call Zamboni machine and the night’s event kicked off successfully.
“The little girls really get a kick out of seeing the big girls,” said Kim Vann, a member on the FVHA who helped organize the event after her daughter showed an interest in hockey.
“We just want to cultivate a few more girls. We have a little bit of a gap in ages in our programs. We have some real little girls who are starting up and then we have our U-19 team, so we’d like to fill the gap and then hopefully get enough to have an all-girls team.”
Hockey remains the main attraction at the rink while figure skating and free skating opportunities are also available throughout the week. The recent girls night was aimed at attracting those who have wanted to try the sport but needed a few tips along the way. It’s also another way for residents to see the rink and all its potential.
“I think we’re just getting people to know we’re here and in Kalispell,” Vann said. “Lots of people are familiar with the pond but the rink is still something new, so it’s a great facility and it’s kind of a central location, so I think the more people find out about it, the more we’ll grow. And we have been growing though, definitely.”
Currently, there are roughly 75 members in the youth hockey programs.
The city of Kalispell recently extended a five-year agreement to the facility with an option of going 10 years.
“That really makes us feel good about the efforts we’re putting in down here,” FVHA president Steve Tartaglino said. “There’s a group of people that when we first got into this thing we made the decision to do what we had to make it work. With budget cuts in the city and the economy in a downturn, we just all looked at each other and said we still have to figure out a way to make it work. Some of us are rolling up our sleeves and getting it done.”
Open skating is available 11 a.m.-1 p.m., and 2:30-4:45 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 1-6 p.m. on Sundays. On Friday nights, open skate goes from 7:30-9:45 and from 6:45-11 p.m. on Saturday. From 6:15-7:15 p.m. on Sundays, the rink is set aside solely for figure skating.
The time slots for pickup hockey games are Sunday mornings starting at 9:30, and again on Tuesdays from 2:45-4:45 p.m.
The Friendly Fire Cup will be held this Saturday and will bring players of all ages together for a hockey game starting at 10:30 a.m., followed by a barbecue and races.
The first annual Sportsman & Ski Haus Winter Classic, a bantam hockey event, is slated for Jan. 22. Teams from across Montana and Canada are slated to compete.
The rink is scheduled to remain open until the first week of March.
“My recommendation is anybody who is to interested in what’s going on, come down to the rink and we’ll help them find the best program that suits them,” Tartaglino said.
For more information, visit www.usahockey.com/flatheadvalley or call 755-4233.
Reporter Dillon Tabish can be reached at 758-4463, or by e-mail at dtabish@dailyinterlake.com