Screaming hockey fans filled a Romeoville arena, giving the two teams on the floor the same kind of reception they might give the Blackhawks or any other NHL team.
The game was fast and rough. But these players used a ball instead of a puck, and the playing surface was a polished wood floor rather than ice. And instead of skates, these competitors moved across the arena in wheelchairs.
In the end, the California Orange Crush lived up to its name, trouncing the Chicago Wheelchair Wolves 20-0.
The game netted close to $8,000 to help the Wolves promote wheelchair sports.
Friday’s matchup marked the first meeting of the Crush and the Wolves.
Like its more famous cousin, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair hockey widens the world of athletic competition, and the Wheelchair Wolves devote much of their time to encouraging participation.
Wheelchair Wolves captain Bill Downs, who is retired and lives in Homer Township, became interested in the game because, “My son always played hockey. It seemed like a natural thing.”
The Wheelchair Wolves started playing only two years ago, but they have racked up considerable experience, playing twice a week at the Mainstreet USA skating rink in Romeoville, as well as weekly in Midlothian and in Downers Grove.
“We try to get as many kids as possible from different areas” interested in the sport, Downs said.
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The game is more accessible than basketball for some youngsters, he said. Even those who can’t move their arms can play with a stick taped to the chair and an attendant to push.
“You should see the look on those kids’ faces when they realize they can compete,” he said. “It’s beautiful.”
The teams use wheelchairs with angled wheels because they spin faster. “You’re going to smell metal burning,” said Crush goalie Sam Geta.
“It’s a very physical game. It challenges every ounce of my being,” said Rev. Jenny Bogard, a Lutheran minister from Tinley Park and a forward for the Wheelchair Wolves.
Bogard had played other wheelchair sports, including softball, but she had to try hockey only once to get hooked.
“The first night, I fell in love with the game,” she said.
A celebrity game featuring area sports and media personalities, including members of the Will County Buccaneers football team and DJs from a number of Chicago stations, showed just how much effort wheelchair hockey requires.
Mike Horn, of radio station B-96 (WBBM-FM) said he had a hard time, even though he plays roller hockey five times a week.
“It’s different, very stressful on the arms,” Horn said.
“It takes at least a full season to really get your bearings,” said Crush captain Doug Champa, a wheelchair athlete, who has some acting roles to his credit, including a spot on the television series “Nash Bridges.
The Crush plays in a nine-team California league, said Champa, who wants to see the sport gain more recognition.
About 700 people turned out for Friday’s competition and the dance party that followed.