Locals take the ice in hockey

Staff Reports

Two Carson City 12-year-olds are members of the inaurgural competitive Pee Wee ice hockey team based at the South Tahoe Ice Arena.

Goalie Matthew Scherer and center Jonathan Singer, both of Carson City are members of the team.

The High Sierra Wild 12 and under team is the first team to skate out of the South Tahoe area to compete in the Northern California Junior Hockey Association. It is also one of only two NORCAL teams made up of players from the Reno-Tahoe area - the other being the High Sierra 17 and under team based at Total Sports in Sparks.

As a first-year team, the Wild are required to compete in the Pee Wee B Division. Competing against teams that have played together for several years, the Wild finished the preseason with a 4-4 record and have a 1-2 record so far during the regular season.

The Wild will host the Vacaville Northstars at 3:30 p.m. Saturday and at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. Admission to all Wild games at the South Tahoe Ice Arena is free.

NORCAL is recognized as the route players follow to play competitive ice hockey in the future. Several individuals from Northern Nevada, including Carson City's Bryce Crook, who played with the Vacaville Northstars, have played with NORCAL teams.

The High Sierra Wild, a nonprofit organization, is working toward fielding competitive teams at each age level. The Wild practice two to three times a week along with holding dry land training sessions.

NORCAL preseason games begin the first of September and regular season games conclude with the playoffs at the end of March. The Wild have been invited to play in the san Jose Junior Sharks Winter Classic to be held Dec. 26-30 in San Jose. The Wild recently hosted the Tahoe Turkey Shootout where in finished third.

Additional regular seaosn home games for the Wild will be on Jan. 24 and 25 against the Stockton Colts, Feb. 7 and 8 against the California Cougars and Feb. 28 and 29 against the Oakland Bears.

Scherer and Singer are both honor roll students in the seventh grade at Carson Middle School.

Other local players on the Wild are Gardnerville's Ty O'Neil, Chris Rogusky and Angela Nelson and Minden's Devyn Hotho and Austin Hoyt. Minden's Jim Hoyt is the head coach.