Columbus Warriors Debut at the Guardian’s Cup in Rochester

The Columbus Warriors traveled to Rochester, New York this past weekend to compete in their first travel tournament, the Guardians Cup.

The Guardian’s Cup is an annual hockey tournament that brings together active and retired first responders and veterans in a competitive environment with the goal of raising funds for the New York Law Enforcement Assistance Program (NYLEAP). NYLEAP is a nonprofit that provides mental health and wellness resources for first responders across New York State (www.nyleap.org).

The tournament brought together a strong group of warrior hockey programs including the Buffalo Warriors, Long Island Warriors, Saginaw Spirit Warriors, Capital Beltway Warriors, Toledo Warriors, Pittsburgh Warriors, and Flower City Warriors.

Columbus finished 6th out of 10 teams, recording 7 goals for and 16 goals against. While the standings are part of the story, the weekend represented an important milestone as the Columbus Warriors continued building their program, traveling together, and representing the Columbus veteran hockey community on the road.

Following elimination from tournament play, Columbus and Pittsburgh stayed on the ice for a pair of exhibition games. Each team earned one win and one loss, leaving both programs with a .500 record against each other. That split result may have quietly sparked the beginning of an interstate rivalry between Columbus and Pittsburgh.

To be continued..