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Hockey Team's Net Experience

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By JAMIE PILARCZYK, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 5, 2007

PALMA CEIA - With temperatures in the 90s, it's hard to believe high school students are lacing up their ice skates.

But since mid-August, the Plant Ice Hockey team has hit the ice once a week, practicing for competition against nine teams in the Lightning Conference High School Hockey League.

South Tampa's only team is recruiting ninth- through 12th-graders - boys and girls - for the upcoming 18-game season, which starts this month. Eighth-graders can practice but can't compete in games.

Joe Hajaistron, 18, a three-year team member, likes the competitive nature of the sport. During last week's practice, the Plexiglas around the Tampa Bay Skating Academy rink in Oldsmar shook with every body check.

With other sports, Hajaistron said, there are too many penalties and stoppages.

'With hockey, you don't have to think about anything,' the Plant High senior said. 'You just do it.'

Overcoming anonymity has been a challenge for the team, which was founded in 2000. C.W. Guyer attended Plant for two years before he knew the club existed.

'It's the most complex sport,' said Guyer, 17, a senior who has played hockey since he was 6. 'I've played every other sport and liked hockey the best. It's more challenging.'

Most of the Lightning Conference teams hail from Brandon; games are played at Brandon's Ice Sports Forum.

Reserving ice time is costly and tricky. Plant coach Matt Henry said he bargained for a couple of months to get a precious two-hour slot at the Oldsmar rink.

'I fought tooth and nail to get this time slot,' he said. 'With only five sheets of ice in a drivable distance, competing for ice time is difficult.'

A development manager with Reliable Group Architects in South Tampa, Henry played on the Plant team before heading to college. After graduating from George Washington University, the 23-year-old returned to Ballast Point and took over as the team's head coach.
Assistant coach Matt Dolitsky, 37, is a Tampa police corporal, and the Gray Gables resident organizes a hockey team to compete in the Police Olympics. He and Henry play in a men's league and have been trained by USA Hockey to coach at the high school level.

'Every adult player has a responsibility to the kids,' Henry said.

With team membership about $900, plus the cost of pads and equipment, playing is an investment. But Henry said the parents' booster club is committed to not turning away interested students.

He has openings for at least 13 more players; as the number of players increases, the membership cost drops.

With Jesuit High in West Tampa and Freedom High in New Tampa the only other schools in the city limits with ice hockey teams, Plant is able to recruit players who aren't Plant students.

The team has struggled to gel since its inception, but Henry has seen improvement this preseason and so have the players.

'There's a tremendous difference,' Hajaistron said. 'We had quite a few first-timers in the past who couldn't handle the puck very well.'

Most of the players have been together since last year, adding to the team's cohesiveness.

'We've had a big improvement over the summer,' said goalie Max Okun, 18, a team member since his freshman year at Plant. 'Now it's time for everyone to take charge.'

GET ON THE ICE

WHAT: Plant Ice Hockey

WHEN: Practices are 3:45 to 5:45 p.m. Mondays; games are Saturdays from mid-September to mid-February

WHERE: Practices are held at the Tampa Bay Skating Academy, 255 Forest Lake Blvd., Oldsmar; games are at the Ice Sports Forum, 10222 Elizabeth Place, Brandon.

CONTACT: planthockey@yahoo .com

Reporter Jamie Pilarczyk can be reached at (813) 835-2114 or jpilarczyk@tampatrib.com.

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