Madison Square Tops Lakeland in 12th Annual Baltimore Street Hockey Tournament

Baltimore, Md. – When the final buzzer sounded at the Baltimore Street Hockey Tournament on Aug. 2, kids on the Madison Square team excitedly rushed to the middle of “The Dome” at Madison Square Recreation Center in Baltimore City and poured water from coolers on their coaches.

Madison Square’s team successfully defended their home court, celebrating its 6-1 comebackwin over defending champion Lakeland by hoisting a mini Stanley Cup above their heads and posing with a championship banner.

“We got our get-back,” Kofi Brown, a participant on the Madison Square team, said. “It feels good.”

Hosted by the Washington Capitals and Baltimore City Recreation and Parks, Brown and his older brother Osei, 13, have participated in the Baltimore Street Hockey Tournament for the past three years with the Madison Square team. The two look forward to the tournament each year, and practice three times a month as part of their recreation center’s summer camp leading up to the big day.

“We appreciate the Capitals for bringing this to our building,” Madison Square Recreation Center representative and coach of the Madison Square team Eliot said. “They brought it to us for the first time about eight years ago, and it’s been a hit since. The community loves it, the kids love it, and we all look forward to it every year.”

The August event marked the twelfth annual Baltimore Street Hockey Tournament, with this year’s competition featuring eight rounds of street hockey between the nine participating recreation centers. Each team played at least five 10-minute games. Three games ran concurrently throughout the day to utilize the entirety of the Recreation Center’s space, with one rink set up in the gym, another atop the outdoor basketball court dubbed “The Dome,” and the last an inflatable rink assembled in the parking lot.

“To have this tournament continue for 12 years is a testament to the dedication and passion that Baltimore City Recreation and Parks has for providing kids in their community opportunities to play sports and stay active,” Capitals manager of youth hockey development Andrew Nash said. “This tournament is highly anticipated every year, and the games get more and more competitive. The Washington Capitals would like to thank BCRP and all the site directors for their partnership and another year of exciting street hockey.”