Whenever you play an outdoor game and the temperature rises, the immediate concern is how well the ice will hold up. While the temperature dropped to a manageable 49 degrees by the start of the second game, it stood at 59 degrees for the first.
“It was a little bouncy out there, I’m not going to lie,” said Vermont forward Sebastian Stalberg. ”But it was the same for both teams, and I don’t think it affected the outcome of the game.”
Vermont coach Kevin Sneddon conceded the bounces and noted that late in periods the strategy became “One pass max and then let’s think about shots,” but still raved about the ice.
“The staff here did an unbelievable job with that ice surface,” he said. ”It was 59 degrees; it was incredible that we even played hockey today. Was it bouncing a little bit? Yeah, but it was excellent considering the circumstances.”
