A Minnesota high school hockey team had to postpone a game after a thief stole over 30 hockey sticks, leaving players without their gear.
Mankato: So, get this. A high school hockey team in Minnesota had to put their game on hold because someone swiped over 30 hockey sticks. Can you believe it?
The Mankato West High School team was all set to play Anoka High School when they discovered their sticks were missing. They had to forfeit the game, which is just a bummer.
Each stick costs a pretty penny, between $250 and $450, and most players usually have a couple. That’s a lot of money down the drain!
Nate Olsen, the head coach, was pretty shocked about the whole thing. He mentioned that it’s just sad to see this kind of stuff happening in the world today. The sticks were kept on the bus, which is where the thief got them.
Police got a call about the theft late Saturday night. They found a guy a few blocks away carrying some of the stolen sticks. He claimed he found them behind a homeless shelter, but he didn’t match the description of the suspect.
Turns out, he had an unrelated warrant and was taken to jail. A couple of days later, they arrested 23-year-old Cole Saice, who was charged with felony theft. Thankfully, the police managed to return the sticks to the team.
After the theft, the local hockey community stepped up and started a GoFundMe to help replace the stolen sticks. They raised nearly $6,000, which is just amazing!
The team announced that they’ll reschedule the game against Anoka later this season. They also gave a shoutout to the Duluth Police for their quick work in recovering the sticks. Fingers crossed they’re in good shape!
