The Bishop Union High School Bronco ice hockey team last weekend won the LA Kings High School Hockey League Championship.
The league consists of 10 teams, mostly based in the LA area, in addition to teams from Las Vegas and Bakersfield.
On Saturday, the Broncos defeated the Las Vegas Storm in sudden-death overtime in a nail-biter of a semi-final game, with a score of 2-1. During the championship game on Sunday, the team defeated Ventura Poseidon with a score of 7-3 at Mechanics Bank Arena, home of the Bakersfield Condors (a professional hockey team affiliated with the Edmonton Oilers.) The team’s overall record in regular season play was 17 wins and one loss.
Most team members first developed their love and skill for hockey by participating in Sierra Roller Hockey, from the age of 4 or 5 through high school. Some team members also participated in Mammoth Lakes Youth Hockey.
Unlike other participating teams in the league, which consist of players from multiple high schools, all current skaters attend Bishop Union High School. Playing with and against each other for so many years has forged an unusually strong team bond.
However, the team faces a unique challenge, in that there is no ice available in Bishop for practice or games.
In fact, the Broncos’ “home ice,” is in Santa Clarita. During the winter, and when weather permits, the outdoor Mammoth Lakes town rink is used for practice. In the preseason, the team travels to South Lake Tahoe or Bakersfield to practice on ice. The team members and coaches look forward to the indoor Mammoth rink opening in the near future.
The Broncos are especially grateful for the generous support of High Country Lumber, who donated $5,000 of Christmas tree sales to the team for ice time and tournament fee entries.
For more information about the team, contact head coach Ken Carpenter at kmcarpenter3@aol.com or (760) 937-4182 or team manager Melissa Carpenter, (760) 937-4582.
