KEARNS, Utah — It was game on Wednesday for 250 girls and young ladies playing hockey at the Olympic Oval in Kearns, many of them for the first time.
For some of the young ladies and girls, it was hard to describe how excited they were to be out on the ice. Chelsea says her daughter, Delilah, isn't even 3 years old yet, but already knows how to lace up her skates. "She's so excited! She cannot wait, she's been talking about it for a week."
Some parents, like Melissa, who brought her 4-year-old daughter Luna, hockey is a family tradition. Melissa grew up in New York City, a lifelong Rangers fan, and remembers playing and watching games when she was younger. "It’s so exciting because I feel like not a lot of places have girls' opportunities for hockey. So it’s awesome that she gets to be with her mom and play a little."
The event was put on by the Utah Mammoth as a way to immerse the team in the community. For the recent girl-dad and assistant captain of the team, Alex Kerfoot, the day is a way to build the community up. “This is awesome! We’ve been able to spend a lot of time here in Salt Lake this summer, my wife and daughter, and I, we saw this as an opportunity to do something in the community, and the organization really built this up."
Kerfoot says the connections made on Wednesday will last their lifetimes. "Whenever you can kind of make those connections to be on the ice first hand with the girls, it means a little bit more and just to see the amount of girls out here to see how much hockey is growing in the community in this area, it’s fun to be a part of it .”
For Chelsea, the fact the day's events are free of charge makes it even sweeter. “It gives her the opportunity to try out something that a lot of people might not have been able to.”
