Being able to walk in the locker room, skate on the rink, and tour the player’s lounge inside Munn Ice Arena was only a dream in 1986 for MSU roommates Lyla Akouri and Lisa Boyce. Years later, the two came back to participate in the women’s hockey clinic, held on Wednesday, and experience first-hand what their MSU idols did before game time.
“It is such a thrill to be here and walk in the foot steps of all of our hockey players we admired back then,” Akouri, a Farmington resident, said. “It’s so cool to be behind the scenes and see names and pictures we recognize.”
Hockey head coach Tom Anastos and his wife, Lisa, put together the women’s hockey clinic to show moms of young athletes and hockey fans what it takes to be a Spartan athlete. Many of the women who participated have no familiarity of hockey, other than family members play or watching an occasional Detroit Red Wings or Spartan game.
These women were guided through group dynamic stretching, taken on a guided tour though the underground of Munn, which they finished in the men’s locker room. Anastos shined some inside to these women, from telling them to not step on the ‘S’ in the middle of the floor to how to put on body pads and tape their sticks.
“We try to leave this area for the players,” Anastos said.
Even for former MSU student and East Lansing resident Lindsay Fast, who’s husband (Brad Fast) played hockey for MSU from 2000-2003, she had never been anywhere inside Munn besides the bleacher seats. Now the Fast family has three boys, so Lindsay felt it was time to learn more about the game her family loves.
“I think it’s great to bring the women together,” Fast said. “Also, encourage people who have hockey playing kids, to get the mom’s to know a little bit. It’s nice when can see what if feels to be like to play hockey and be apart of it.”
Participants got the chance to step onto the ice and learn from some of the MSU hockey players themselves, in addition to Anastos and assistant coach Tom Newton.
Following their on-ice session, individual and group photos were taken with coaches posing with hockey sticks and pucks. The evening ended with appetizer dishes and beverages during their question and answer session with Tom and Lisa Anastos at the Huntington Club.
"When we went here, you were not allowed down here [in the locker room]. We were never able to tour. It’s just fun to see,” Boyce, a South Lyon resident, said.
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