A DYNASTY FORMING POND HOCKEY TEAM WINS GOLDEN SHOVEL IN FIFTH ANNUAL U.S. POND HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS

“Wright Homes/Almost 40” Winners in Nation’s Largest Outdoor Hockey Event; Team Has Won Three of Five Tournament

MINNEAPOLIS (Jan. 30, 2010) –– In a celebration of playing hockey in its purest form, more than 1,000 everyday pond hockey fanatics, NHL legends, former Olympic and college greats from across the nation, Canada and Europe met in Minnesota over the past two weekends in the 2010 U.S. Pond Hockey Championships (USPHC).

And, what the New York Yankees were to baseball in the ‘90s, and what the New England Patriots were to football in the past decade, one team has earned the descriptor “dynasty” for their play at USPHC. Winners in the Open Division for this year’s event are “Wright Homes/Almost 40,” who also won in the inaugural 2006 games and 2008 games.

Originally set for Jan. 22 – 24 on the frozen waters of Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis, the fifth annual USPHC (www.uspondhockey.com) - the nation’s largest outdoor pond hockey tournament – concluded this afternoon after a freakish and frustrating rainstorm this past weekend forced a suspension of last Sunday’s games.

“Our tagline for the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships is ‘Hockey as Nature Intended,’” said Fred Haberman, commissioner of the USPHC and CEO of Haberman, a Minneapolis-based brand PR firm. “This year, Mother Nature intended for us to stretch pond hockey over 10 days to finally determine our winners, but it was well worth the wait for those who braved the rain last weekend and the single digit temps this weekend to experience the most exciting outdoor hockey you’ll see anywhere in the world.”

Twenty-seven teams who advanced to the championship round last weekend met on near-perfect ice today at Nokomis. Winners are:

• Open division winners: “Wright Homes/Almost 40” defeating “10 Meter Radius” 10-7
• 40+ open division winners: “KARE-11 Velcro Brothers” topping “The Islers” 3-2
• 50+ open division winners: “Leinies Minneapolis Moose” beating “The Loons” 7-4

Winners of the open, 40+ open, and 50+ open divisions will now have their names forever inscribed on the Golden Shovel, otherwise considered the Stanley Cup of pond hockey. For the canceled divisions – Women and Rink Rat – organizers will inscribe “Mother Nature” as the 2010 winners.

The Bill Wood MVP Sweater was awarded to one player in each division who most embodied what it means to play pond hockey: teamwork, effort, skill and sportsmanship:

• Open division MVP: Curt Wright, Lakeville, MN, from “Wright Homes/Almost 40”
• 40+ open division MVP: Rick Bonine, Plymouth, MN, from “KARE-11 Velcro Brothers”
• 50+ open division MVP: Todd Zejdlik, Plymouth, MN, from “Leinies Minneapolis Moose”

The sweaters memorialize Bill Wood, a true pond hockey legend. “Woody” was a pond hockey fixture whose skills on the ice were only overshadowed by his warm and generous personality. He capped his pond hockey career by leading his team to victory in the 2006 and inaugural USPHC’s senior men’s championship game by scoring nine goals. Shortly after the tournament, Woody passed away, and his passion for the game and his infectious good will live on in the spirit of this award.

Developed by a group of passionate pond hockey enthusiasts from Minnesota with a sincere appreciation and respect for the purity of the game, the USPHC draws attention to the traditions of outdoor hockey while giving back to the community. A percentage of proceeds benefit the Herb Brooks Foundation, DinoMights Inner City Youth Hockey League and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.

The tournament featured 25 rinks on Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis, with 160 teams of six competing in the open, 40+ open, and 50+ open divisions.

Games were played in a four-on-four, no goalie format, with two 15-minute halves with a two-minute break. Rinks were cleared in true pond fashion— shoveled off prior to games by the two teams on deck. Official rules are no checking or fighting, and goals must be scored on the attacking side of center ice. Friday and Saturday last week featured round-robin tournament play, with each team playing two games each day.

For more information, visit www.uspondhockey.com or call 612.338.3900.

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