Wet Weather Fails To Dampen Massena Fest

MASSENA - Due to a rain storm on Friday and temperatures that approached 40 degrees on Saturday, the Massena Winter Carnival's third annual Massena Cup outdoor hockey tournament was forced to move inside the Massena Arena.

Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Michael J. Gleason said a girls hockey game scheduled for Friday evening pushed the tournament back a few hours, but each of the 20 teams involved did play a game Friday night.

"They ended up playing until 1:30 a.m.," Mr. Gleason said. "A lot of these guys were here until 2 a.m. and then came back around 7."

Ryan J. Prentice serves as the tournament organizer and said while disappointing the move inside may have actually been a blessing in disguise.

"We realized playing in the arena wasn't that bad," he said. "For this tournament to get bigger we would need to play both indoors and outdoors."

Mr. Prentice explained the Massena cup is a three on three hockey tournament, but unlike most three on three tournaments, teams in the Massena Cup also have a goalie.

Mike W. Ramsdell, of Massena played goalie in the tournament for Perras.

"It's fun, but it's really quick," he said. I felt like I was flip-flopping the whole time."

According to Mr. Prentice Massena Cup games consist of two 10 minute periods that are played on half-ice, but in those 20 minutes lots of goals are scored. A glance at the tournament's scoreboard revealed scores of 9 to 7, 10 to 5, 14 to 6 and 10 to 8.

When asked if there is any effort made on defense, Mr. Ramsdell replied, "They try to play defense."

Mr. Ramsdell said the tournament is designed to favor offense over defense with the tiebreaker being goals scored, rather than goals against.

Adam Catanzarite now lives in Albany, but traveled "back home to Massena" for the tournament, forming the Molson All-Stars, a team that included two other people who also traveled up from the Albany area.

"Playing outdoors is the best part. It's too bad they had to have it indoors this year, but that doesn't take away from the fun," he said, adding this is his second time playing in the tournament.

Andrew Morley, of Ogdensburg, who was also on the Molson All-Stars was playing in the tourney for the first time.

"It's unfortunate we couldn't have it outside, but I'm having fun," he said, adding he's already planning on coming back for next year's tournament.

"Next year he's going to be on our team," he jokingly said pointing at his teammate Mike Ashley's nine-month-old son, Blake. "He'll definitely score some goals."

Mr. Prentice said this years tournament was maxed out with a field of 20 teams, who were competing for a $1,000 cash prize, a trophy and the honor of having their names etched on "The Massena Cup."

This year's festival also included, for the first time, children's activities at the community center.

"This is the first time we've done this here," Mr. Gleason said, adding more children's activities are planned for next weekend at Hawkins Point.

Activities Saturday included "pin the tail on the husky," a pinata, crafts and performances from Cubby T. Clown, who was entertaining children and making balloon animals.

Local musher Spencer Thew, of Call of the Wild Kennels in South Colton, was also in attendance with his dog, Sugar.

Mr. Thew, who owns 21 dogs, said he's been a musher for 27 years, even competing in the 1993 Iditarod.

"Most everything I do now is in the Northeast," he said adding this year his schedule included two races in Maine and three in Ontario.

"I just enjoy being outdoors and I wanted something to take me away from my work," he said. "I figured if I had sled dogs I would have to feed them twice a day and train them."

Mr. Thew also noted that his uncle, Ray Thornton competed in the 1932 Lake Placid Winter Olympics when dog sled racing was a demonstration sport.

"We're still trying to get it back in the Olympics," he said.