Pleasant Valley students have extended their athletic endeavors beyond what the school offers. While some students partake in two-hand touch football and indoor soccer, a new group has emerged with their sport of choice: Dek Hockey.
Founded by seniors Stone Patten and Spencer Brecht, the team consists of 13 members who come together to play once a week against other local teams. “We just got together because we were looking for something different to do than the typical sports,” said Brecht.
Most of the team members are no strangers to “school-sanctioned sports” either. Members participate in varsity level sports at school including football, soccer, track, and basketball. The team’s athletic diversity helps them compete in dek hockey. “We don’t practice,” says Brecht. However, their performance says otherwise on the court.
During the regular season, the Spartans competed in 12 games on a weekly basis. The team had players bounce in and out of the lineup throughout the season, until they found their core group. They only got four wins, but managed to qualify for the postseason.
Stone Patten plays ice hockey competitively outside of school. While the sports are similar, Patten described dek as being “a lot quicker than ice hockey.” The three on three style is different from the six on six of ice hockey due to the increased opportunities to score.
Dek hockey is not new to the Quad Cities. There are leagues divided between adults and kids and even further distributed between skill level. The adult league gets split from D1 to D4, with the Spartans team competing in the D4+ league. This means they play games against local teams, primarily consisting of adults.
The team competed in their first playoff game on Oct. 27th and came out with a victory. However, their postseason was cut short due to 3-2 loss the following day. Regardless, the team’s inaugural season was nothing short of a success.
With both founders graduating at the end of the season, the club hopes to continue through the representation of their underclassmen. With more students taking initiative in their respective athletic clubs, the future is bright for the Spartans Dek Hockey Team.
