Hockey at all hours of the day and night is simply the nature of the beast, especially because rinks are not exactly at every corner like a chain store.
It can be especially true amid the bridge between the holidays and the new calendar year, as area squads can attest on an annual basis.
Kenston, for example, took on nonleague foe Amherst Steele in a game slated for 2:40 p.m. Dec. 22.
Three days before Christmas on a weekday afternoon is unique for an ice slot, even in hockey.
“The time of day is weird for the kids,” Bombers coach Tom Fritsche said. “I could tell some of them probably just woke up, like at noon, and came to the rink. But the mid-week games, and we played (at 2:10 p.m. Dec. 21 against Avon), too, so the time of day is a little weird. But any time we play a team, the kids seem to feel it out — they don’t really know how the team stacks up against them. And then they start playing. So it is a little feeling-out process.”
On Dec. 30, University had a tough time slot to stare down as it went to Ries Arena in Parma to take on Holy Name in Great Lakes Hockey League action.
The game was an 8:30 p.m. puck drop and was the last league contest in Greater Cleveland of the calendar year. US fell, 3-2, in overtime.
While the Green Wave had much to do with that outcome playing a very solid three-plus periods to record their first-ever win over the Preppers, US coach Andre Lacroix said the late-night slots such as this or a 9 p.m. or later game at a holiday tournament can be tricky. And so can the 7 a.m. holiday games that are known to occur a handful of times each winter in Northeast Ohio.
“I told (Holy Name coach Tim Sullivan), ‘It’s past my bedtime,’ ” Lacroix said. “And we didn’t start until quarter to 9, because of the (youth) game before us. Anytime after 9 p.m., that shouldn’t happen. We should play earlier than that anyway, to be honest — 7:30 or 8 p.m. at the latest is a good time to play a game. But 8:30, right before New Year’s and during the holidays, it’s a bad time to play.
“I’d rather see the kids get up for a late game, because the kids have a hard time getting up for school. So mentally, I don’t think they’re there to start with. So I wouldn’t want to play an early game in the morning. I would rather play at night. Hopefully during the day they’ll rest.”
The concern can also extend to early- or mid-week games. Several coaches over the years have noted, for example, Lake Catholic’s home slot — typically 7 p.m. Wednesdays for league competition — can be a challenging turnaround.
This week across Greater Cleveland, there will be 10 games in league play or holiday tournaments scheduled for 7:30 p.m. or later.
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