LAHA Atoms (6U) Team Surges Ahead Of Santa Fe Capitals In 2024 Holiday Classic Hockey Tournament Opener

Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on December 30, 2024
- 5:14 pm

The U6 Atoms pose with coaches Joe Artnak and Paco Martin before their game Dec. 27 against Capital at the Los Alamos County Ice Rink. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com

Patrick Keenan lines up a shot at the goal. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com

By COACH JOE ARTNAK
Los Alamos Hockey Association

The Los Alamos Hockey Association (LAHA) Atoms (6U) team played the Santa Fe Capitals in their opening game of the 2024 Holiday Classic hockey tournament, Dec. 26-30, 2024, at the Los Alamos County Ice Rink.

Under a friendly competition format, players battled across the ice for 60-minutes in a constant exchange of exciting plays. Los Alamos found the back of the net multiple times late in the game with a strong performance across all line shifts to surge ahead of the Capitals in their tournament opener.

Los Alamos also competes against NMAHA (Rio Rancho) and WYHA (Tucson, Ariz.). The LAHA Atoms (6U) team is comprised of 48 players aged 3 to 6 years old.

This is a tremendous event for our Atoms (6U) players as well as the entire LAHA family of players participating on Mite (8U), Squirt (10U) and Peewee (12U) teams. The opportunity to play against teams from all over the state of New Mexico as well as Texas and Arizona is invaluable in facilitating the player development we want to cultivate within our youth hockey program.

We greatly appreciate all the support from the Los Alamos County Government, Utilities and Infrastructure Division at LANL and all volunteer parents, coaches and family members that make this event possible and a continued success each year.

Ray Wang, Eli Artnak and Patrick Keenan move toward the puck at mid ice. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com