Eagles glide toward tourney

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. John E. Lasky
  • Air Force Print News

Shouldering huge bags, the men looked more like they were ready to deploy to some base in the desert than getting ready for a hockey match.

They were the Eagles, the Kaiserslautern Military Community, or KMC, hockey team. Their bags were filled with the special gear -- helmets, head-to-toe protective pads and, of course, skates -- of their sport.

The Eagles, 30 mostly active duty servicemembers, play in Die Players Liga made up of 10 German, Canadian and Russian teams. They play mostly in the Mannheim area. Die Players Liga is German for The Players League.

The Eagles work different shifts and often deploy. That’s just some of what Coach Mitchell McKaig must deal with. But, he takes it all in stride.

"The toughest job this year is making game rosters,” he said. “You don't really manage it. You just deal with it.”

Non-league games, or “friendlies,” present an opportunity to build teamwork. One of the 10 friendlies that usually pop up during the season is a game or two with a Bitburg team. Located about 90 miles north of  “K-Town,” the team has players mostly from Spangdahlem Air Base.

The Eagles also cross borders to play. The team recently drove to Strasburg, France, and won 6-5 in a come-from-behind victory.

Team members are optimistic about their chances in the ninth U.S. Air Forces in Europe hockey tournament, which will be held in Garmisch in a few weeks.

“We finished fifth last year,” team president Tom Duggan said. “But we’ve got practically a whole new team this year and we’re winning the games we didn’t last year and then some.

The Eagles are currently in second place in their league.

“If we play our game right and stay focused, we have as good a shot as anyone,” McKaig said.

In the meantime, the team deals with everyday events, like ensuring it has the right equipment. The equipment isn’t cheap and each player must provide his own gear.

“The team supplies game uniforms -- but that’s it,” Duggan said.

“Regular skaters may carry up to $1,500 of equipment,” he said. But the goalie has “about $3,000 in equipment since the leg pads themselves run about $900 to $1,000.”

In the past, the team was called the Ramstein Rams.

“But we’ve changed the name to reflect that our players are from the KMC," said Duggan, a senior master sergeant and USAFE’s intelligence functional area manager for U.S. Air Forces in Europe.

The name change has helped the team recruit new players.

"Many folks within the KMC wouldn’t inquire about playing for us because they thought it was strictly a Ramstein team,” Duggan said. “Including the KMC gives us a larger talent pool to select from.”

The coach hopes the joint team can bring the community the command title.