One Last Dance on Ice

By Robert Pliszka

Aiden Dittmar

Royals Goalie

The final game of any season is very sad and somber. But for the Wintersport Royals, who have been together for around 6 seasons, this final game brought all the emotions to the players, coaches, and fans. Luckily for the Royals, they did not go down without a fight, losing 3-1 in their final game. It was a hard-fought game, in a contest in which the opposing team was heavily favored. The Royals “left it all on the ice” to conclude their season which was played in the beautiful ice rink at Lake Placid. Captain Matt Castan speaks on the loss and the season “I think realizing that this is some of our last years of hockey helped us wanna give it our all”. Castan shows how much heart he put in every game and unfortunately for Matt he won’t get the chance to put on a Royals uniform again.

The experience was also more than just games too. There were skills competitions that each team participated in, and they were recorded so fans and families could pay for the footage to keep to watch at their leisure. There was also a shoot-out, which is when there is only one payer on the ice and he gets one chance to score on the goalie, as well as a team relay with awards followed. For the tournament, there were medals given out to the winning team, the runner-up team, and the third-place team (gold, silver, bronze).

The tournament that the Royals entered into was a very popular tournament that guaranteed four games for every team that entered. The teams also had the luxury to stay in beautiful hotels surrounding the ice rinks for four days and three nights. The players were also given a packaged three dinners and three breakfast meals and a free lunch on either one of the days that they stayed at the hotel. Ultimately, it was a great final experience for the Royals who have something to remember for their last ever hockey game together.