The game was held the day after Christmas, 1997. Parents and grandparents of the players dropped holiday plans, cancelled flights out of town, and drove the 80-or-so icy miles to the Central Peninsula Sports Center in Soldotna. They then witnessed what the Homer News dubbed at the time the "miracle on ice."

Today, these players are juniors and seniors on the Homer High School Hockey team. Parents are still driving their hockey players to Soldotna and beyond for games and practices.

And last weekend the Mariner Hockey squad upset North Pole High School in Fairbanks 7-5.

In the 12-year history of the Homer Hockey Association hundreds of kids from age three on have learned to skate and play hockey through the program. As talks of a new ice rink emerged, then stalled, then emerged again, a handful of kids and their parents stuck with the sport.

This Wednesday the Homer Hockey Association learned they will be receiving a $500,000 grant from the Rasmuson Foundation to build a new ice rink (See related story, Page. 3).

Today these players, even with inconsistent ice and a brutal travel schedule, are winning games at higher and higher levels. For members of the association, recent victories at the high school level, and the reality of a new ice rink, mark a turning point for hockey in Homer.

The players, who were dressing in the warming hut next to the ice rink at the Homer Middle School Monday night, just seemed happy to be winning.

"North Pole's school is double our size," said senior wing Max Drathman.

"And they practice every day on ice," added senior center Terry Shroyer.

For head hockey coach Elliot Jackson the wins couldn't have come at a better time.

"The biggest problem was building the confidence level of the team," Jackson said. "Last weekend really helped.

"They believe they can do anything now."

Ken Satre, father of sophomore wing Matt, later put the victory in perspective.

"It was a huge win," he said. "They've learned to play with adversity. They've been down and they know that they can come back and win."

Adversity comes in many forms. Hockey can be an expensive sport at the higher levels. And with equipment costs and the necessary travel needed to compete, many potentially talented players have moved or switched sports.

As Ken was talking, his son busted in to the warming hut and tossed a broken hockey stick at his bag.

"There goes another 150 bucks," Matt said. He grabbed another stick and headed back out to practice.

Ken laughed, and said he hoped the stick was still under warranty.

It was apparent that being a hockey parent takes on many forms of commitment.

"To play hockey in Homer you need a good car," Ken said.

"I logged over 10,000 miles last year. And 15 or 20 nights in hotels on the road."

Ken said that a home ice rink would cut those numbers in half. And there would be other benefits.

"People don't get to see the kids play," he said.

In the short history of Homer High School hockey, only a couple of games have been held on Homer ice.

Terry Greenwald, father of sophomore defenseman Beau, shared the warming hut with Ken as their sons practiced.

"If they got a rink there is something (for the town) to do on Friday nights," he said.

Greenwald recently moved to Homer from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Greenwald said there are six or seven indoor rinks in that town and hockey was a big-time sport there. He was surprised at how well the hockey team skated, without having consistent ice.

"A lot of things are different (here)," he said. "Some things are just the same."

Outside the temperature dropped into the single digits a rarity in Homer. For the past two years warm temperatures played havoc with local ice and dwindled participation in the sport.

"We refunded (participation fees) last year because they didn't have any ice time." Satre said.

Outside, players and coaches shoveled snow and spread water on the surface of the middle school rink with squeegees. These were common ice-making procedures around the country before indoor rinks and Zambonis.

"This is old-time hockey," said Kevin Bell, looking on. Bell is the father of freshman wing Keith, and president of the Homer Hockey Association.

The association has worked for years to get an ice rink built in town. With every step forward, and every setback on the new ice, the team continued to travel to Soldotna for ice time, practice in the high school commons and gym, and compete around the state.

"Traveling is the only way to be competitive," said Ken Satre.

"But winning makes a lot of difference," he said. "It helps younger kids stay in the program.

"My youngest son Sam likes playing with bigger kids. He looks up to them, and he wants to play like that."

Part of the reason for the Mariners good start lies with its new head coach. Jackson has seen what strong high school teams look like.

He graduated from Service High School in 1989 and later went on to play for the UAF Goldkings.

"I came from Service High with a great hockey program," Jackson said. "Hockey ruled and everything came second."

Jackson said it was different when he arrived in Homer this June.

"Here in Homer, hockey came dead last (among high school sports)," he said.

On the ice Coach Jackson sent groups of kids flying down towards freshman goalie Ben Miller during a drill.

Jackson said the team makes up for a lack of finesse with hard skating.

"Right now the kids have to out-skate their opponents," he said.

"They are a little behind in stick-handling, passing and shooting."

"Speed and endurance, from first to last period, makes the difference in the games."

Miller, in the crease, stopped most shots. But on occasion a quick pass, a hard slap-shot, or a one-timer bounced off the post or sneaked into the net.

Wave after wave of players tested the Miller wall.

"From the first day until now they can skate circles around themselves," Jackson said.

The team's skills will be tested once again during two "home" games up in Kenai when they face Delta Junction which lost to North Pole last week Thursday and Tri-Valley on Friday.

Coach Jackson is also trying to pick up some games against powerhouse peninsula teams like Sohi and Kenai Central Varsity.

To the players, parents and their new coach there is a sense that anything is possible.

"Who would think a bunch of kids who spend a bunch of their time on dry land could beat anyone?" Jackson said.

You just have to believe in miracles.

Ben Stuart can be reached at bstuart@homernews.com.