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07/21/2008 07:48 AM

 

Local Youngsters Wanted For a Youth Hockey League July 2, 2008 ECO staff – Laure Cioffi, Senior Journalist ELLWOOD CITY – The members of the Stiefel Roller Hockey League realize that they have to start bringing in younger players if they want the organization to survive. That is why the group is working to start a youth hockey league. Caleb Cragle, a member of the adult league since its inception 11 years ago, is trying to gauge interest from parents and youngsters to start a youth hockey league later this year. They haven’t set an age range on participation because they want to know how many children in different age groups would be interested, he said. Cragle said they hope to start the youth league in late August or early September to coincide with the beginning of the school year. Games will likely be on Saturdays at the roller hockey rink in Stiefel Park, he said. “We need to see if there is an interest. We can’t have a league if there are only 16 kids,” he said adding that there are usually eight people on a team. The league is making an effort to improve the hockey rink and one of its most visible efforts will be later this month. Cragle said league members will be replacing all of the wood on the rink July 25, 26 and 27. The league received $4,500 in donations to buy the wood and Busy Beaver donated all of the hardware that will be needed for the job, Cragle said. The work will be done by volunteers. Cragle said the league is hoping that Ellwood City Borough will replace lights around the rink so they can resume evening games, which could free up time earlier in the day for the proposed youth league. Anyone interested in participating in the youth league is welcome, he said. Even those who have never played roller hockey are welcome. “We have guys in our adult league who just started skating last month,” he said. Youth players will have to provide their own gloves, leg pads and helmets with facemasks. Cragle is organizing the youth league with Don Featherstun and Sean Coonfare. Those interested in participating should e-mail stiefelhockey@gmail.com.