MANKATO, Minn. — A Mankato hockey team found itself in a sticky situation this weekend when someone stole their equipment from their team bus during a tournament.
The Mankato West Scarlets were preparing for their final game in the Heritage Holiday Classic tournament in Duluth when they discovered their hockey sticks and extra equipment bag were missing Saturday morning.
“We were all kind of panicking, like, ‘Did someone forget to get them? Where are they?'” player Brodie Cox said.
After contacting Duluth police, they learned the equipment had been stolen from their van. It was parked at a hotel near the tournament center.
“A lot of guys in our team had custom sticks, like custom colored and personalized, so it’s a shame to lose them,” said player Jakobe Tosch.
Many players have two or more sticks, each costing hundreds of dollars.
“How do we deal with families coming for Christmas and effectively having to replace $600 to $900 worth of sticks in one day,” coach Nate Olsen said.
Without their sticks, the team had to forfeit their last match. But with practices and more games on the horizon, the community stepped up to help. A Gofundme was set up and within just a few days it had raised almost $6,000.
“It sounded like they needed sticks real quick,” said Steve Eckers, co-owner of Play It Again Sports.
Play It Again Sports in Mankato opened their doors so the team could purchase sticks at a discount.
“We’re just trying to do the right thing. It was fun. There were probably more people in that stick area than ever before,” Eckers said.
Player Grady Schmidt said they were grateful the store offered to help.
“It was super exciting and made us all happy. To be honest, it felt like Christmas again,” he said.
According to Duluth police, a patrolling officer later that Saturday evening saw a man walking with some of the stolen items. Police said the man told them he found the items behind the nonprofit CHUM. The police confiscated most of the items and arrested a 23-year-old man on Monday.
Coach Olsen said they have found most of the poles and they appear to be in good condition, although the extra equipment bag is still missing. Despite the hurdle, the team starts the new year with a renewed sense of gratitude.
“It was really cool to see how quickly it spread and how many people cared, and the support we got was pretty crazy,” Tosch said.
Despite their tournament woes, the team is still looking forward to playing in Duluth again and thanks the police for their hard work.
Kirsten Mitchell
