Eagan Women Take to the Ice to Fight Breast Cancer

The women on Lynne Pernsteiner's hockey team have a few things in common. They love hitting the ice; they lead busy family lives that leave little time for other outlets; and they have all been impacted—in a variety of ways—by cancer.

“I sure everybody has a story about how breast cancer has affected them, and it’s a very personal story for me," said Kim Seitz, one of roughly 20 women who plays with Pernsteiner. Seitz, an Eagan resident, lost her sister-in-law to breast cancer.

So when Seitz learned of the "Stick it to Cancer" hockey tournament—a weekend-long breast cancer awareness fundraiser held at the National Sports Center in Blaine—it seemed like a "no-brainer" to participate.

Seitz pitched the idea to Pernsteiner and her teammates, a group of hockey moms who met at The Pond and began scrimmaging a few years ago. The team embraced the idea and participated in the tournament in 2012.

Last weekend, the team again returned for their second appearance at the tournament, playing three games and placing fourth of six in their bracket.

"It hits home for a lot of people. It’s nice to do something for cause, and have a good time doing it as well," said Pernsteiner, an Eagan resident who first organized the informal scrimmages between the local women as a way to build friendships and stay in shape.

Pernsteiner's group started with five or six regulars, and slowly ballooned over the years to between 15-20 participants.

When Seitz first brought up the idea of participating in the tournament last year, the group of skaters was enthused but nervous, Pernsteiner said. Many of the women had never played at a competitive level, and were unsure of the caliber of the teams at the tournament.

Nevertheless, the group started training at the Inver Grove Heights community center, practicing drills and learning tactics—often with the support of their own children and husbands, some of whom played or coached high school hockey. To help support the team, Seitz took on an additional role as team manager

This year, the 12-person team played three matches at the fundraiser, winning 5-0 on Friday, losing 1-0 on Saturday and tying 2-2 on Sunday, Seitz said. The team, named the "Lucky Lifters," played predominantly against other metro area women—although they did compete against a team from Cloquet on Friday.

No matter the outcome of the games, the group had fun raising awareness, bonding and burning off some energy, Seitz said.

"I think moms tend to always put themselves last, and so it’s been fun to watch everybody really connect," Seitz said. "You do find that you become more relaxed as you start to skate and get your energy out, and it becomes a bonding thing."

Lucky Lifters Team Members Include:

• Becky Greely
• Colleen Cantwell
• Erin Norris
• Fran Forse
• Jennifer Oleary
• Jocelyn Hechtl
• Julie Tadevich
• Katie Anderson
• Kim Seitz
• Lynne Persteiner
• Pam Kruchten
• Susan Kolehmainen
• Laurie Lee