It wasn't technically the Olympics, and yet the Russians and Swiss may have convinced otherwise the more than 600 spectators that crammed the Brennan Park Arena bleachers, boards and mezzanine on Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 10).
The women's Olympic teams treated the crowd to an intense exhibition game that carried into overtime, with Russia's Olga Sosina scoring the game winner with less than two minutes remaining to mark a 5-4 victory.
Perhaps no one in the crowd felt quite as ecstatic as Maxim Surov, 19, who moved to Squamish with his family from the eastern Russia port city of Vladivostok little more than a year ago. He held a large banner of the Russian flag with the words "Vancouver 2010, Russia, Champions" written in his native language.
"It's my first time watching an Olympic team play," said Surov, admitting that it seemed ironic that he was given the chance to watch his home team only after moving to Squamish, of all places.
Both the Russian and Swiss teams used the exhibition game to sharpen their skills and test line combinations. The game also set the overall tone for the Olympics, said forward Darcia Leimgruber, who scored Switzerland's first goal and assisted on its fourth goal.
"It was a fast game against the Russians and it was good preparation because we both have to be ready," she said after the game, adding that the lively Squamish crowd helped them get into the spirit of international competition.
"It was an awesome crowd. They were cheering for us, so we were happy to have them."
Local hockey players Kirsten Lee, Karmen Mooney and Rachel Melville, who play together on the North Shore Avalanche C1 Midget girls team, took part in the ceremonial puck drop at the start of the game and handed out Squamish embroidered scarves to the players after the game.
Mooney, 14, said the atmosphere was exciting and she hoped the international game provided a glimpse into her own athletic future.
"It's cool. It makes me feel like I could be there in four or eight years," she said.
Even the BC Hockey referees, who are used to officiating women's hockey at the university level, tops, were still pinching themselves after completing their first International Ice Hockey Federation game. North Vancouver's Mark Pearce called the game the highlight of his career, while Surrey's Teresa Hurrell said it's rare to be in charge of monitoring such fast-paced play.
"There's more intensity here than anywhere else we get in B.C. I still have butterflies in my stomach. I'm still nervous," she said with a laugh as the teams headed to the dressing rooms.
Admission was free but hockey fans still had to acquire tickets to watch the game so that organizers could manage numbers. Unfortunately for many, the tickets were all gone soon after they became available Saturday morning (Feb. 6). There were even reports of people traveling from Vancouver to snatch up tickets for the game.
"We had to turn people away at the door," said Mayor Greg Gardner. "We could have filled 10 arenas."
