Elite Youth Hockey Team scores big in overseas international tournament

NORTHBROOK, IL (APRIL 3, 2016) - Seventeen lucky youth hockey players from across the North Shore traveled to Stockholm, Sweden, over spring break as 'Team Chicago' to participate in Europe's international Lions Cup Tournament. The team played nine tournament games, two exhibition games, and one friendly game advancing to the championship bracket and placing eighth overall in the tournament that took place from March 29 to April 3 in Huddinge, Sweden, a suburb of Stockholm.

The hockey players - from Northbrook Bluehawks and Glenview Stars - participated in the exchange tournament against 14 teams from three countries: the U.S., Sweden and Czech Republic.

According to Thomas Burke, president of the Northbrook Hockey League, each team selected its best players and best goalie in forming this elite team of 11-year old 5th and 6th graders from across the North Shore.

Team Chicago did an outstanding job representing our fair city in this friendship tournament and was comprised of the following players: Jason Ban, Ryan Cowen, Beckett Doyle, David Gichner, Benjamin Hartman, Jackson Hill, Milo Holleb, Drew Karchmar, Jaime Kaufman, Grant Loughran, Nick Poulos, Aidan Siegel, John Sienicki, Brad Southwood, Andrew Telpner, Alejandra Ubarri, Luke Winger. Team Chicago is coached by Sylvain Turcotte and Arik Lebda and managed by Arika Siegel.

"We come to Sweden knowing it's very competitive, and this year our boys played outstanding and achieved better then expected," said Sylvain Turcotte, director of the Glenview Stars Hockey Association and head coach for Team Chicago. "This is my third time as Head Coach for Team Chicago, and this team surpassed any accomplishment any other team has ever done. But more important than that, this experience will last a lifetime."

"Team Chicago was the only team to beat the otherwise undefeated and repeating Lions Cup Tournament Champions, the Czech Vikings," continued Turcotte. "It was a 'Miracle' game with Team Chicago defeating the Czech Vikings 3-2 and the stands were filled with fans cheering for Team Chicago!"

The kids had the invaluable opportunity of staying with a Swedish host hockey player family and experience how they live, what they eat, got immersed in their culture and created lasting friendships. In fact, these same Swedish families that hosted the Bluehawks and Stars families will travel to Chicago in two years time and stay in the homes of the American players to participate in the Krolak Cup, a hockey tournament co-hosted by Northbrook and Glenview each Spring.

This exchange program between hockey players is now in its 27th year. "Not only is the caliber of hockey competition in Sweden outstanding, but the fantastic cross-cultural exchange and amazing friendships that develop are what the players and their families will remember forever," continued Burke. "Win or lose, this trip was an incredible once in a lifetime experience for all."

The Northbrook Bluehawks are part of the Northbrook Hockey League, a community-based organization that offers learn-to-play recreational house league hockey and competitive travel hockey programs for boys and girls ages 4 and up. For more information, visit www.northbrookbluehawks.org.

The Glenview Stars Hockey Association is a private, not-for-profit organization that fields teams in each age division of NIHL with the goal of helping youth hockey players advance their hockey skills and appreciation of the game. For more information, visit www.glenviewstars.org.