(Photo courtesy Whitney Neelis)
The Oak Creek Kodiaks 12U Hockey Team are champions of the Frozen Basin Hockey tournament. It took place over the weekend in Vernal, Utah. The local Oak Creek team beat the Salt Lake City Lightning, 9-3, in the championships.
Press Release from the Oak Creek Kodiaks; Dec. 29, 2024
Oak Creek Kodiaks 12U Hockey Team wins the Frozen Basin Tournament
Vernal, UT — December 29, 2024 — The Oak Creek Kodiaks 12U Hockey team emerged as champions of the Frozen Basin Tournament today, concluding a weekend of strong competition and sportsmanship. The event took place in Vernal, Utah, where teams from Utah and Colorado competed for the title.
The Oak Creek Kodiaks 12U, coached by Chris Hagen, Kyle Pastor, and Graham Waters earned the title in the 12U division following an outstanding performance in the championship game against the Salt Lake City Lightning, with a final score of 9-3. “This was a complete team effort by all players against a team that has played us strong in the past,” said Pastor. “It was a culmination of all the things we have been working towards in the past few years with this hockey club.”
“We couldn’t be prouder,” said Coach Hagen. “This team has demonstrated tremendous grit and love for the game of hockey. We ask them to be passionate about themselves, their community, and hockey and that passion showed through this weekend which has led them to this moment.”
The tournament victory marks a remarkable achievement for the Oak Creek Kodiaks 12U team. Many of these players have only learned to skate in the past few years and the Oak Creek skating rink is an open-air facility that relies on consistent cold temperatures for the youth to skate. It takes a team of dedicated volunteers to make the ice each winter, coach the teams, and organize events like this. With only 2 weeks of practice on their home ice this season, the team showed up in a big way by winning this tournament.
With this championship under their belt, the team looks forward to more success this season. The Oak Creek Kodiaks extend their gratitude to the volunteers, organizers, parents, community, fans, and especially the players who helped make this victory and tournament experience unforgettable. The team will hang their first banner at the Kodiak Den in Oak Creek this Thursday, January 2nd at 6pm.
Oak Creek is home to four youth teams: 6U, 8U, 10U and 12U (new this year) with 58 players skating this season and always welcomes new players no matter their skill level. The Oak Creek Hockey Association anchors its programming in character development first and foremost. “We require them to be good people first, good community members second, and that will drive their ability to be great hockey players,” says Hagen “Our goal is to foster a love of hockey and build a community where we all go up or we don’t go up at all.”
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