Credit: Jack Rice
Going into the playoffs, the Soo Tridents initially faced the London Dolphins again winning this game 6 - 1, followed by a 9 – 2 win over the Ottawa Divers, and then 8 - 0 over Michigan State University for the title.
The Soo Tridents had excellent defence with veterans Chris Costello, Brad Young and Mehmet Icaral keeping the puck out of the defensive end. The offence shone with some new younger talent including Lucas Pettenuzzo, Matt Seto and Brittany MacWilliam bolstering the veteran talent of Craig Young and Brian Armstrong. Brittany MacWilliam managed a hat trick in the final game against the Ottawa Divers. The Soo Tridents played a fantastic tournament with no penalties throughout all games played and exhibiting outstanding puck control.
Former Soo Trident product Kim Grattan was in attendance as well playing with her new hometeam the Ottawa Divers. Grattan is a present member of the Elite Canadian Women’s National Team having competed as such in the past couple of years in Coimbra, Portugal in August 2011 and Medellin, Columbia in August 2010.
Credit: Jack Rice
The Sault Tridents play two days a week in the Sault; on Tuesdays at the YMCA and Thursdays at the Rhodes Pool. Interested individuals are more than welcome to attend and give it a try; all you need is a bathing suit and an eagerness to try a new game. Refer to the website for further details: http://www.sootridents.com/
Underwater hockey involves two teams with six players per side. A brass puck is placed at the centre of the pool bottom, with a gong signalling the faceoff. Carrying foot-long sticks, players race to gain possession of the puck and try to shoot it into a three-metre-long trough to score goals. Matches consist of two halves totalling 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the club and event. Official games have referees - both in and out of the pool - who communicate calls through hand signals. Timing is an important part of the game because players have to break the surface regularly to grab some air.
