Maroon Union and Sauce players battle for the puck in a Silver Division matchup Saturday for the WGRD Pond Hockey Classic 2015 at Richmond Park in Grand Rapids. (Photo: Rick Martinez/97.9 WGRD)
Maroon Union and Sauce players battle for the puck in a Silver Division matchup Saturday for the WGRD Pond Hockey Classic 2015 at Richmond Park in Grand Rapids. (Photo: Rick Martinez/97.9 WGRD)
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The WGRD Pond Hockey Classic 2015 is done for the weekend and its remaining games will be rescheduled because of tenuous ice conditions at Richmond Park.

As of 9 p.m. EST Saturday, it was determined by tournament officials the ice at the Grand Rapids park was no longer in playable condition and Sunday's schedule has been canceled, said Angela Paasche, the tourney's director and Townsquare Media Grand Rapids live events manager.

Forty-five teams had played games Friday and Saturday in the WGRD Pond Hockey Classic, presented by Labatt Blue and Dematic. Most of Saturday's games had been completed.

Plans are to announce rescheduling of the remainder of the tournament early next week, Paasche said.

"Although we had nice comfortable spectator weather today, the weather has also allowed for the pond to break open in many areas," she said. "This has caused water to flood many areas of the rinks.

Bayberry Pointe and Team Poverty decided to take off their skates for their WGRD Pond Hockey Classic 2015 Bronze Division match Saturday night because of the ice's faltering conditions. (Photo: Rick Martinez/97.9 WGRD)
Bayberry Pointe and Team Poverty decided to take off their skates for their WGRD Pond Hockey Classic 2015 Bronze Division match Saturday night because of the ice's faltering conditions. (Photo: Rick Martinez/97.9 WGRD)
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"After bringing in professional opinions, it has been decided that the rinks will not be playable or safe for (the Sunday) games."

According to the National Weather Service’s Grand Rapids Office, the Grand Rapids temperature -- as measured at Gerald R. Ford International Airport -- hit 32 degrees (freezing) at 7:53 a.m. It hit a high of 38 degrees just before 2 p.m. and it was 35 degrees just before 10 p.m. Wind chills were just below freezing all day long, according to weather officials.

The participating teams have been contacted.

The WGRD Pond Hockey Classic has teams competing in four-on-four games with six- to eight-person rosters on rinks measuring 120 feet long by 60 feet wide.

The rescheduling of pond hockey does not affect the annual WinterWest festival, organized by Friends of Grand Rapids Parks and Welcome West. It takes place Sunday at Richmond Park, with its WinterWest Crazy Cardboard Sled Competition, presented by Grand Rapids Public Schools, at 2 p.m. EST.

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