Young skaters from Bozeman and Big Sky, ranging in age from 7-12, took part in the second kids game prior to the 10th annual Pavelich Invitational on Feb. 8. PHOTO BY KIRBY GRUBAUGH
BIG
SKY – The match began under heavy snowfall and it ended with a thrilling flurry
of shootout goals—on Feb. 8, Big Sky locals took to the Town Center ice rink to
mark the decade anniversary of the annual Pavelich Invitational hockey game.
The
game features Big Sky community members divided into two teams, with one
wearing the home reds of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings, and the other donning the
road white, in honor of former Stanley Cup champion and Big Sky resident Marty
Pavelich.
The event has become a winter staple in Big Sky thanks to immense efforts from countless volunteers. “A lot of folks take skating here very seriously and put in a lot of work to make it happen and get a product for members and visitors of the community to enjoy a pretty high level of hockey,” said Joseph McFadden, a volunteer coach for BSSHA.
Warming up the tender. PHOTO BY KIRBY GRUBAUGH
Spectators
and players alike braved the weekend snowstorm to take part and enjoy the annual
festivities. “In [this] weather … if you’re not skiing, you’re here,” said Jeff
Trulen, a Big Sky Skating and Hockey Association board member representing the
sport of curling. “It’s worth the effort for all the volunteers who put the
rink together.”
Prior
to the adults’ game the puck dropped at noon for the second annual kids’ match,
with skaters ranging from ages 7 to 12, as a group of young skaters from
Bozeman squared off against the youngsters from Big Sky. It was the first
opportunity for the Bozeman group to partake in a full-ice contest and one of
the few games that the Big Sky team participates in each year.
“I mean it is just great,” said McFadden, who also refereed the game. “The kids work pretty hard most evenings so to watch them apply the drills that they might think are useless at the time, is a pretty cool feeling.”
The
Big Sky squad came out victorious 8-3, but the game was about much more than
the result.
PHOTO BY BRANDON WALKER
Russell “Elvis” Mitchell – Big Sky
EBS: Did you have fun?
RM: Mhm
EBS: What was it like to
play out here in the snow, in front of everybody?
RM: It was really scary,
but I had a lot of fun.
EBS: Did you score any
goals?
RM: No, but I tried my best.
.
PHOTO BY BRANDON WALKER
Nicklaus Vander Weit – Bozeman
EBS: Did you have fun?
NVW: Yeah
EBS: What was your
favorite part of today’s game?
NVW: That we got to play
full-ice and it was our first time.
EBS: What was it like to
play in front of everybody in the snow today?
NVW: Kind of weird.
The
10th annual Pavelich Invitational game did not disappoint either.
From the second that former Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup champion Marty
Pavelich strode to center ice to drop the puck, it was clear the game would be
one for the ages.
Two
local athletes, Alex Schwab of the white team and Brad Rierson of the red team,
put on an impressive shooting display in the opening half, recording hat-tricks
in the first of two 30-minute periods. Schwab and the white team held a slim
4-3 advantage as the teams entered intermission.
The
second period was equally as competitive, with neither team gaining more than a
two-goal lead at any point. The red team found themselves winning by a goal
until the 1:38 mark of the game. That’s when Griffin Kilby of the white team
carved his way through the defense before depositing a goal into the back of
the net to knot the score at eight apiece and send the game to a dramatic shootout.
The shootout score was tied 2-2 as Adam Ducomb, the final skater, prepared for his attempt. Ducomb of the white team handled the puck confidently as he approached the net and fired home a well-placed wrist shot for the final goal of the shootout, lifting the white team to the thrilling victory.
Big Sky locals shake hands after the completion of a thrilling edition of the Pavelich Invitational game on Feb. 8. The 10th annual game finished following the first ever shootout in the history of the event. PHOTO BY KIRBY GRUBAUGH
It
was the first shootout finale in the history of the Pavelich Invitational game.
“I think it was one of the better games I’ve seen in a long time,” Trulen said.
“I’ve never seen a shootout in Big Sky, so that was [the] cherry on top right
there.”
The
strong community turnout to support friends on a snowy Saturday afternoon
proves that hockey is growing in Big Sky, much to the delight of BSSHA.
“There’s been talk about getting a new indoor rink so the kiddos could play more than four months out of the year, [but] the rink has been great and only gotten better,” McFadden said. “The evolution [since] the first year I started to help has been tenfold.”
Fall Community Cleanse at Santosha Wellness Center October 4-17.
Join Callie Stolz, C.A.S., P.K.S., Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist and Pancha Karma (cleansing) Specialist, in a 2-week Ayurvedic Cleanse to assist our bodies in making
Event Details
Fall Community Cleanse at Santosha Wellness Center October 4-17.
Join Callie Stolz, C.A.S., P.K.S., Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist and Pancha Karma (cleansing) Specialist, in a 2-week Ayurvedic Cleanse to assist our bodies in making those changes and setting ourselves up for a healthy winter season.