[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 84 (Thursday, May 26, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S3284]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATING THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY YOUTH HOCKEY ASSOCIATION BLUE 
                                 DEVILS

 Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, today I wish to congratulate the 
Montgomery Youth Hockey Association's, MYHA, Squirt AA Blue team for 
winning the 2016 International Silver Stick championship in Sarnia, 
Ontario. I am proud that this year--for the 3rd year in a row--the name 
of the Montgomery Blue Devils from Rockville, MD, will be on a plaque 
placed alongside the Silver Stick trophy in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 
Toronto, Canada.
  The International Silver Stick tournament has attracted teams from 
all over the United States and Canada since 1958. The laudable purpose 
of the tournament is to develop and promote ``Citizenship and 
International Goodwill through hockey.'' The Montgomery Blue Devils 
team of 9- and 10-year-olds--a squad of 15 boys and 1 girl--exemplified 
this philosophy both on and off the ice. Led by tournament ``most 
valuable player'' Reid Pehrkon, the Squirt AA Blue team outscored its 
opponents by a margin of 30 goals to 17. The team defeated the North 
York Knights in Toronto, Canada, in four overtimes, 5-4, to win the 
championship for a 3rd consecutive year. Compiling 145 victories in the 
process, the Blue Devils can legitimately lay claim to being the best 
AA team in North America.
  In addition to winning the International Silver Stick tournament, the 
team won its regular season title, the league playoff championship, and 
the International Silver Stick regional championship.
  Throughout the season, the AA Blue team lived up to its simple 
rallying cry of ``work,'' and never wavered from the main goals 
established by Coach Rob Keegan and assistants Dave Cohen, Stu Margel, 
and Lee Rosebush, which were ``to be the hardest working team around 
and to always believe that the team is more important than the 
individual.''
  I ask my colleagues to join me today in congratulating the MYHA Blue 
Devils Squirt AA Blue Team for its dedication to the values of teamwork 
and perseverance while winning a third consecutive International Silver 
Stick Championship. Team members include Ethan Birndorf, Caden Blazer, 
Will Cohen, Andrew Fou, Nick Garner, Cody Keegan, Alexander MacMillan, 
Dylan Margel, John McNelis, Jack Oliver, Reid Pehrkon, Dakota Rosebush, 
Brady Silverman, Jack Slater, Lucy Thiessen, and Maddox Tulacro. We 
should also express our appreciation to the coaches mentioned above and 
to the parents, other family members, and friends who have tirelessly 
supported and mentored this superb group of youngsters.

                          ____________________