Army beats Air Force in community hockey game

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Javier Alvarez
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  It was a battle between the air and land services at the fourth annual Army vs. Air Force Hockey Game at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, Alaska, Jan. 7, 2017.

“We work together so well on a day-to-day basis,” said Air Force Col. George T.M. Dietrich III, 673d Air Base Wing and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson commander. “Every now and then it’s good to take a little bit of pride in the service of your origin and vie for bragging rights.”

Twenty-six JBER Soldiers and Airmen displayed their athletic prowess in the inter-branch ice skirmish of the year.

Tension in the Air Force camp rose fast as the Army team scored an early first-period goal.

The puck, with an almost magnetic attraction, reached the Air Force goal five times.

Conversely, the Army goal seemed to have a force field, deflecting the puck when it got within inches. The match ended in a shutout and a win by the largest deficit in the event’s history.

Wins are now evenly split with each branch holding two victories.

“I’m really grateful for the genuine camaraderie that comes from this game,” said Mary Rall, U.S. Army Alaska community relations chief.

All eyes will be on next year’s match as Army athletes try to reach a three-game winning streak.

The event’s success was due to the extensive community support, Rall said.

“The referees, players [and much of the supporting staff] are volunteering,” she said. “It’s nice to see the [local] community come together and pull off an event of this nature.”

“We couldn’t do it without community support, without the volunteers who put the teams together,” Rall said. “It’s a testament to not just the joint base community, but the culture in Alaska that supports the military.”