On Aug 9-11, 2024, the Merrill Youth Hockey Association welcomed more than 130 youth hockey players from Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Michigan to the Merrill Area Recreation Complex (MARC) to compete in the Youth Summer Classic Hockey Tournament. Players signed up as individuals and then were put on one of six teams in their age division.
On Sunday, in the Squirt Division (8-10 years old), the Gray Team became the Youth Summer Classic Champions. The players from this team included: Beau Bashynski (Wausau), Lincoln Bumber (Wausau), Avery Gerber (Pleasant Prairie), Carter Hall (Wausau), Tanner Hall (Wausau), Conner Hormig (Cross Plains), Carlie Lark (Wausau), Beckett Neumann (Wausau), Axel Reichel (Marquette), Lenie Schaupp (Merrill), Sam Smith (Merrill), Cameron Tyler (Rothschild), and Carlos Vieyra (Skokie).
In the Peewee Division (11-12 years old), the Black Team became the Youth Summer Classic Champions. The winning players from this team included: Finn Brzezinski (Green Bay), Noah Doucette (Greenville), Lucas Hagenbucher (Merrill), Xavier Kranig (Beloit), Owen Meyer (Reedsburg), Kaden Pyne (Wisconsin Dells), Maverick Sarkela (Little Suamico), Liam Seep (Horicon), and Christian Skansberg (Wausau).
Both divisions enjoyed “hoisting the Summer Classic Cup,” just as the adults did the weekend before. This is our new yearly tradition; it is a fun take on what National Hockey League (NHL) players do after winning the Stanley Cup.
