California youth hockey team involved in Colorado crash faces tragedy and plays on

It was an emotional morning at Edge Ice Arena in Littleton, Colorado, as the Santa Clarita Lady Flyers took the ice for the first game of a weekend tournament.

The California team would go ahead and play, despite the tragedy that hit the team Thursday as a van filled with players and family members was knocked off Interstate 70 just east of the Eisenhower Tunnel, about 60 miles west of Denver. The driver of the van, who was the father of one of the players, was killed.

"The Western Girls Hockey League is heartbroken," a statement from the organizers of the tournament's website read. "This is an incredibly difficult situation for the Santa Clarita Lady Flyers, the WGHL, and the entire girls' hockey community."

It followed a statement from the team's president, Prescott Littlefield: "Words cannot express the heartbreak we are experiencing. Please hold these families in your prayers."

A Sprinter van carrying 10 people was headed east toward the tournament site Thursday when a snowplow navigating icy conditions went through a center cable rail and hit two vehicles before striking the van. The van was knocked off the highway and down a steep embankment. The driver of the van, identified as a team father, died on scene.

One child was airlifted to a trauma center in critical condition. No new information on the condition of that child was available on Friday. Four other kids were treated and released from Denver Health, and three adults were also treated and were in fair and good condition at last report.

Colorado hockey families were immediately sympathetic.

"Because we've all been there, driving the van full of kids," said hockey mom Christine Tippett, who attended the Flyers' opening game of the tournament Friday morning. "With hockey, it's during the winter and a lot of travel."

In spite of the hardship, the Lady Flyers team of girls 12 and under, reduced in number, took the ice to play the Utah Lady Grizzlies. Colorado teams and families were there in support.

"You could feel the positive energy," Tippett said. "They needed support. They're far away from their families."

Tippett and friend Lyndi Blom were involved with the Dawg Nation Hockey effort to raise money to support the affected families. The nonprofit has already raised about $32,000 in a fundraiser on its website.

"We're so fortunate to have a place, an organization like that that's able to support families in times like these," Blom said.

There was a moment of silence before the game started. Then the game went on as normally as possible.

"It was a fun game to watch too because they went out and competed hard and were scoring goals and they won the game and people were crying," Blom said.

The Lady Flyers emerged with a 3-2 victory.

In the stands, everyone was supportive.

"When you're a girl hockey player, it doesn't matter what your jersey color is. We're all together. We're all the same team. We all compete hard on the ice and we're family off," Blom said.

The Utah team gave their support in a traditional handshake at center ice. Then the Lady Flyers left the ice through a tunnel of cheering players composed of other teams in the tournament.

"It's so good to see. Because that's what hockey should be," said Tippett. "We are family. We want to support each other."