The best game you can name

Liane Fisher
Mercury Staff

GUELPH

The Guelph Storm lost a game yesterday, thrilling young fans in the audience.

Students at Westwood Public School hosted members of the Storm on their schoolyard’s outdoor rink — and beat them 15-14.

For Grade 3 student Ben Sullivan, the Westwood rink is a family tradition, and not just because of the annual game with the Storm.

“My family makes the rink,” he said. “My dad’s been doing this since before I was born.”

His father floods the rink and Sullivan, his mother and brothers help to keep it shovelled off, he said.

Sullivan, who is eight, laced up yesterday to compete against one of his favourite players.

“I think Buck’s pretty good,” he said.

Assistant captain Brandon Buck represented the Storm, along with teammates Corey Syvret, Tyler Melancon, and Denis Hollenstein. They also had help from the occasional Westwood player.

“I think some of the kids are here to beat us,” Buck said. “Next year we’re going to have to come back and play a little harder, practise a little before.”

This year was the fifth Westwood Cup, said Carla Warnholtz, the teacher and librarian who organizes the annual event.

The school initially won a contest to have the Storm play on their rink the first time, but both the team and students enjoyed it so much that they held the cup again.

In the past, Warnholtz has selected a team of students for the game.

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