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Firebirds
fired up for nationals
Trio of Anthem eighth grade players part of hockey team headed
for N.Y.
by
Jason Stone
ANTHEM - Hockey players are accustomed to hard work. Practices
require toughness on a daily basis. Bodies take beatings and
accept punishments.
At least one thing the youth hockey players in the Valley
don't have to worry about is paying to play. That commitment
usually falls to their parents-something one Anthem mom Laura
McDonald knows all to well.
"If I was to add everything up, it probably costs a good
$20,000 a year to have a child playing on a traveling hockey
team," McDonald said with a smile. "It's not cheap."
But considering what McDonald's money is going to this week,
it's well worth it.
McDonald's son, Dylan, is one of three eighth grade players
from Anthem who are part of the Phoenix Firebirds Desert Youth
Hockey Association AAA Bantam Tier 1 team that is headed to
Rochester, N.Y., for the 14 and under National Championships.
Dylan McDonald
is making this week's trip with Anthem teammates Chris Gartner
and David Steffes, hoping to make history in Arizona. Never
before had any bantam AAA team qualified for nationals.
"It takes a lot of practice," said Dylan McDonald,
a 14 year old left wing.
That's certainly an understatement. The Firebirds have molded
together a team from all across the Valley into a cohesive
unit that has a chance to be the best in the United States.
The Firebirds, who train in the East Valley, are one of 12
teams that qualified for nationals by winning regional tournaments
all across the country. Phoenix wrapped up the Rocky Mountain
region tournament March 2 5 with a championship at Desert
Schools Coyotes Center in Peoria.
At nationals, Phoenix has been placed in the National Conference
Liberty Division with the Rochester Americans and Syracuse
Stars. The tournament is made up of four divisions of three
teams each.
After playing
three pool games March 29 31 at the ESL Sports Centre, eight
teams will remain alive for bracket games April 1. Winners
in the bracket games will face off in the championship game
at 7 a.m. (Arizona time) April 2. |
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"This
is a really big deal," Laura McDonald said. "These guys
have traveled all over the country, but this has never happened
before."
The trio of Anthem players has played in Vancouver, Toronto, Michigan,
Minnesota, Ohio, Colorado and California, but this will be the first
trip to nationals in New York. Typically, the team travels out of
state twice a month, which wouldn't cost the team too much if it
had a sponsor.
Unlike the other teams at nationals, the Firebirds are still a team
without a corporate sponsor, putting their pocketbooks at a big
disadvantage.
"The problem is when you play in Arizona you have to fly everywhere
because there aren't any other AAA teams here," Laura McDonald
said.
Steffes, a 14 year old center, moved to Anthem in late 2005 from
Michigan where hockey is king. He is not used to traveling by air
to all of the games.
"We don't have to fly," Steffes said. "There are
so many teams, we can just drive everywhere."
Securing a sponsor will change things, Laura McDonald said. But
for now, the team will be headed to New York with business on their
mind-it won't be for sightseeing.
Fans can follow the Firebirds' progress at www.usahockey.com
/2006_nationals/t1_14u. |
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