Vail Squirt AA team 1997-1998

Front Row: Derrick Gerhardt, Turi Olsen, Mike Garman, Matt Heelan, Austin Chow, Coulter SomesBack Row: Jamie Harrison, Coach Glenn Heelan, Alex Biegler, Mike Testwuide, Brad Myers, Coach Jim Harrison, Nick Garret, Coach Barry Biegler

Vail AA Squirt Schedule and Results - 1997-1998

We played a 57 game schedule in 1997-1998, having a great time in Colorado, Wyoming, Missouri, New Mexico, Las Vegas (yes, Vegas in 1998 long before the Golden Knights) and Florida. Our only goalie, Mike Garman, played every minute of all 57 games!

Las Vegas Trip, New Years Eve 1998

We went to Las Vegas over New Years eve, 1998. This was 20 years before the Golden Knights existed. There wasn’t a tournament, Barry called the Las Vegas Hockey association and asked if their Squirt team wanted to play a few games. They were very graciouis and arranged three games and paid for the ice time and refs. This was in the era when Vegas was trying to market themselves as a “family destination”. The Vail hockey assocition wasn’t happy we were going, but we gave all the parents the option of staying home. Everyone went. We had an amazing group of parents to play the scedule we did!

Barnstorming Trip to Florida - March 1988

At the end of the year the 1997-1998 Vail AA Squirts went on a barnstorming trip to Florida. Six games in the Tampa and Orlando area in 4 days, plus Disneyworld and Universal Studioes. A great time was had by all. We didn’t play in a tournament, just scheduled games with the top teams in Florida. We had an amazing amount of talent on the team and won all six games, playing two in the same night after a day at the beach or Disneyworld! The next year all of the top second year Squirts moved on to Bantam and the same Florida teams beat us 5 out of 6. But, win or lose, we were going to Disneyland! See “Winning isn’t the only goal”.