Beacon News

The Beacon Bears Pond Hockey team participated in this year's New England Pond Hockey Classic held on February 3-5, 2023. The event was held in Meredith, NH, on Lake Waukewan (right next to New Hampshire’s famous Lake Winnipesaukee, the original site for the tournament). The Bears participated in the “TWIG Recreational Division” where each team has a maximum roster size of 8 players (age 21 and up). Temperatures were very cold this year (with wind chills down to -40F and warnings from the National Weather Service). However, this did not stop Beacon’s hardy crew from hitting the ice and having a lot of fun. Among Beacon's veteran players were Dennis O'Neill and his brother John, both of whom overcame past injuries and operations which might have discouraged less rugged athletes.

More About the Pond Hockey Classic: Each year since 2010, pond hockey enthusiasts have come together to celebrate the sport in its most authentic form. Players of all levels lace up their skates and hit the ice for three days of outdoor hockey, fun social events, and cold beers. Over 275 teams compete in 500+ games across 26 rinks, bringing the sport back to the basics. Each pond hockey game normally consists of two 15-minute-long halves. Because of extremely cold temperatures and wind chill, games were postponed on Saturday February 4th and reduced in length to 15 minutes in total. With pond hockey, each team has 4 players on the ice at one time, with no goalie. Rinks measure approximately 140 x 75 feet with 18” boards. Goals are six feet wide with 12" openings on each side.

Click the thumbnail images below to see larger photos from the 2023 New England Pond Hockey Classic.