• Hey, ref that was a good call
• West Kent Hawks Pee Wee #2 wins at Summit Fall Classic
• Troy Sting ‘98s give back at Gleaners Food Bank

Hey, ref that was a good call

Sometimes all it takes is to change uniforms to get a different view of things.

After skating several season as players, brothers Corey and Kevin Moore took a referee class, bought zebra shirts and in the process have gained a whole new perspective on the game. 

As Level 1 referees, the brothers have worked a number of games and, so far, both like the experience. 

To get started, the brothers attended an all-day USA Hockey Officiating Seminar last season with the intention of working together as youth officials.  However, older brother Corey broke his arm in an early season tournament before he had an opportunity to work any games.

At his first few scheduling meetings, Kevin was paired up with several different partners.

“The first time I worked I had three games in a row and didn’t dress warm enough,” said Kevin Moore. “And, just like we were told in class, the referees have to stay on the ice the whole time, we don’t get to sit on the bench and take a break in between shifts.  By the end of the third game I was pretty tired – and really, really cold.  My hands were frozen.”

Once Corey Moore was back skating, he began partnering with his brother and was amazed at how much went on out on the ice during a game.

“With all the action, it can be hard to keep an eye on everything that’s happening out there,” he said. “Some penalties are easy to spot, but most times it’s a challenge deciding whether something was a penalty or not.  And, you have to be decisive, ref’s have to make the call right then and there.  There are no slow-motion replays like there are on TV.”

Both brothers have had situations where someone disagreed with their call.  Corey remembered one instance in particular where his budding communication skills helped calm the situation.

“We were working a Mite game and one of the coaches was yelling that a go-ahead goal should not have been called because it was offsides,” he said. “While my brother was talking to the scorekeeper, I skated over and told the coach that I had been watching the blue line closely and that it looked like a good play to me.  He still didn’t like the call, but at least he stopped yelling.”

The pair attended another all-day seminar this season and is currently working on their Level 2 credentials.  In summing things up from a player perspective, Corey Moore, now a second year Midget, says that while he may not always agree with the referees, he has a sincere appreciation for the job they do and the challenge of making the right call.

By Michael Moore

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West Kent Hawks Pee Wee #2 wins at Summit Fall Classic

The West Kent Hawks Pee Wee #2 squad went 4-1 to win the Fall Classic tournament at the Summit in Dimondale on October 21. 

After avenging an earlier loss to the Novi Wild Cats in the semifinals the Hawks defeated the Canton Crusaders in the finals 3-2 in a sudden death shootout.

The Hawks are: Travis Charon, Gibson Eerkes, Brian Finkel, Tyce Gilewski, Alex Holland, Nick Johnson, Jacob Klapko, Josh Long, Tanner Marlow, Kevin Miller, Trevor Mull, Arron Rule, Billy Russ, Noah vanHartesveldt, Donovan VanPatten and Brandon Wilber. The team is coached by Matt Charon, Keith Mull and Kevin Mull.

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Troy Sting ‘98s give back at Gleaners Food Bank

The 1998 Troy Sting players and family spent a Saturday afternoon sorting food at Gleaners Food Bank in Pontiac. 

Volunteer activities are part of the team’s overall philosophy and the group sorted over 13,000 pounds of food on their first visit and plan to spend another Saturday there also.

”The ’98 Troy Sting’s team mission is to foster sportsmanship through fun, hard work, and a respect for the game,” said Sting coach Larry Rowe. “Our goal is to grow our players while building lifetime memories of hockey and family fun. Working at the Gleaners Food Bank helps us all to give back to our community.”

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