Disabled athletes find even playing field on ice

The stands thundered as fans shouted for their favorite sled hockey teams Sunday as Lake Forest College hosted the sixth annual "The Sleds Are Coming" event in the Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.

The Lake Forest College Athletic Department, in conjunction with the Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (GLASA), held the event to bring exposure to the association and showcase its sled hockey program. It's also an opportunity to raise funds for the GLASA Falcons sled hockey team.

Almost 40 physically disabled athletes chased the puck around the ice and slammed each other into the boards while riding specially designed sleds during the exciting hockey game.

"This is a blast. This is the only sport I can play, as an amputee," Dave Michael of Round Lake said as he took to the ice on his sled holding two hockey sticks. "You go out there and no matter what your disability is, they put you in a sled and it's kind of an even playing field."

The competition consisted of three 12-minute periods of 5-on-5 sled hockey featuring members of the GLASA Falcons. In addition to the game, there were raffle prizes, a silent auction including four box seats to a Chicago Blackhawks game in February and a Chuck-A-Puck competition.

For more information about the sled hockey program and GLASA, visit www.glasa.org.