The IIHA Saints rose to a new day in Iceland and they were in for a special treat. Initial plans to head to the Blue Lagoon were amended and the Saints were instead going to visit the Secret Lagoon. As everyone knows local knowledge is always welcome and our wonderful host Lilia made sure we were looked after well.
After a bus journey out of Reykjavik the Saints arrived at the Secret Lagoon. The Secret Lagoon was made in in 1891 and is Iceland’s oldest swimming pool. This natural hot springs made it the ideal location for our Saints to chill out and relax the muscles. The parents and coaches also made sure that the facilities were well used. A delightful location where you could actually boil eggs in water over 100 degrees centigrade. It is fair to say that everyone had a fantastic time in the Secret Lagoon.
After heading back to our accommodation it was then time to face 2 games back in the ice rink in Egilshöllinni; an amazing building with a vast array of sporting and leisure facilities. Huge is an understatement. The Saints took on the 2 teams from the previous 2 games and again showed great skill and hard work by taking the 2 games with wins making it 4 wins for 4 games.
The IIHA Saints played great hockey and were constantly improving as the games progressed. What was clearly evident was the improvement as the players spend more time on the ice. With a facility such as those on view in Iceland it is fair to say that Ireland could ice some very talented players and teams who could compete a very high levels.
The Saints headed back to their accommodation to start packing for a very early (3.30am) departure for the airport.
The IIHA would like to pass on their thanks and gratitude to the players, parents and coaching staff of the Under 14 IIHA Saints. The coaches and players of the 2 teams who the Saints played. The wonderful Icelandic team of coach drivers, rink managers, facilities staff and President of the Icelandic Ice Hockey Association Mr.Vidar Gardarsson for his hard work with the IIHA President Mr. Aaron Guli in the planning and preparation of the trip to the land of Fire and Ice.
To see images from the trip why not visit the IIHA Facebook Page and Flickr Page.
The IIHA Saints travel again soon so be sure to keep a close eye on the IIHA Website for more information.