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Ties On X-Bolts Adult Team Go Way Back
The team features a line with two decades of experience together
It’s been over 20 years since Joe Carcerano, Mike Sabatino and some of his buddies first started playing hockey together.
The guys had so much fun as youngsters they knew they had to team up as adults and continue the ride.
Carcerano and Sabatino are two of about 10 original members of the X-Bolts, who play in the A Division of the Rolling Meadows (Illinois) Adult Hockey League.
“It’s always good to lace them up and play with guys you’ve played with your whole life,” Carcerano said.
The guys skated together for the Tier II youth hockey program, Northwest Chargers. Their team jerseys featured a lightning bolt, so that’s where their adult team name was derived. X-Bolts — which features a line that’s been the same for over two decades with three forwards and two defensemen — are a tight-knit group.
“We all live within 10 miles of each other and we’re brothers,” Sabatino said. “We’ll stick up for one another and we’ve got each other’s backs.”
Said Carcerano: “Not to be cliché, but we’re like a family. A lot of us are like brothers to each other. It’s pretty important to us.”
Playing together for so long, the teammates know each other’s ability so well it can be scary. Their on-ice chemistry is like second nature.
“It’s kind of funny, you’re skating up the ice and you can do a spin-o-rama to a guy on the other side and not even have to look because you know he’s going to be there,” Sabatino said. “It’s like telepathy for us. We know where they are when we don’t even see them.”
A lot of the guys on X-Bolts went on to play juniors and college hockey at the Division I and II club levels. From there, they took their talents to the adult league and made an impact.
X-Bolts went two years straight, four sessions, winning the league championship. They came up short in spring session 2015, but rebounded strong and took home the title in fall 2015-16.
The Rolling Meadows Adult Hockey League is quite competitive. Next to Johnny’s IceHouse Adult League in Chicago, the league in Rolling Meadows is the second biggest, Sabatino said.
“A lot of other teams are local club teams that now have men’s teams, so we’ve been playing against them for 10, 15 years,” Carcerano said.
X-Bolts have brought their top seven players each of the last five years to compete in the annual Labatt Blue/USA Hockey Pond Hockey Championships in Eagle River, Wisconsin. The first four years, X-Bolts made it to the quarterfinals of the Silver 21+ Division, but could never get over the hump and win the championship. In 2016, the guys took home the title at Intermediate 21+, going 6-0 in the tournament. X-Bolts won the championship 1-0 over Cheeps.
“It’s fun to get away,” Carcerano said. “You wish you could bring your whole men’s league up.”
Playing in the Pond Hockey Championships for so many years, X-Bolts have learned what it takes to win. One thing they know is important is scoring goals and running up the score because every point counts toward playoff positioning.
The guys feel bad blowing out teams too badly on the pond. However, running up the score in the adult league?
“We might still do it back home, because we’ve still got that rivalry from playing back in youth hockey with all those guys,” Sabatino said. “We keep it pretty friendly back home.”
The guys on X-Bolts plan on playing adult hockey for another 30 years or more.
“We’re going to play until our legs give out, that’s for sure,” Sabatino said. “It’s everything to us. This is what we do. We love it and we won’t stop.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
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Playing hockey can play a big role in staying healthy as an adult
Adult hockey not only promotes a healthy and active lifestyle, it requires it. As adults get older, they increasingly need to emphasize regular exercise and a nutritious diet. There’s no easy way to go about it—but there is a fun, challenging and rewarding option that sticks with you for life:
Hockey.
That’s right. Hockey is part of the perfect prescription for an adults’ health regiment. Just ask Olympian and former NHL player Steve Jensen.
“Physical fitness is something we should all be thinking about as we get older,” says Jensen, a longtime certified USA Hockey coach/official. “There’s no better activity than hockey to stay in shape.”
Dr. Michael Stuart, chief medical officer for USA Hockey, says the positives of playing hockey are contagious.
“Participation in ice hockey provides all the benefits of exercise while building friendships and ensuring a fun time,” says Stuart, who is also the vice-chair of Orthopedic Surgery and the co-director of the Sports Medicine Center at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Dr. Stuart and colleague Dr. Edward Laskowski of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center sketch out specific benefits for hockey players:
- Prevents excess weight gain and/or maintain weight loss.
- Boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol, and decreases unhealthy triglycerides, a cominbination that lowers your risk of cardiovascular diseases.
- Stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed.
- Improves muscle strength and boosts your endurance.
- Relieves stress by helping you have fun and unwind, connect with friends and family, and be part of a team.
- Involves physical activity that can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep.
“Playing adult hockey is a great way to feel better, gain health benefits and have fun,” says Stuart, who also emphasizes maintaining a balanced diet. As for safety concerns, he adds: “The risk of injury is small in no-check, adult hockey games, but players should wear high-quality, well-fitting equipment, including a helmet and facial protection.”
The Minnesota-based Adult Hockey Association is starting to see employers embrace hockey as a health and performance benefit for its workforce. Some businesses are beginning to subsidize hockey registration fees for employees because they feel the activity fits the policy of their wellness programs.
“It’s not a lot, but we’re starting to see more and more trickle in,” says Dave Swenson, the AHA’s secretary treasurer who also serves on USA Hockey’s Adult Council and Minnesota Hockey’s Board of Directors.
Swenson wants this trend to continue growing, not just to see the number of players rise, but to reward players for committing to a healthy lifestyle.
“I’m hoping employers think about that a little more,” Swenson adds. “It’s not just softball leagues anymore. There are recreational hockey opportunities out there for adults.”
Hilary McNeish, a longtime player, ambassador, and current executive director of the Women’s Association of Colorado Hockey, says she sees the positive results in women’s hockey every day.
“There are so many benefits,” says McNeish, “but the quote I hear most from ladies is: ‘It’s like working out a lot, but it’s so fun, it doesn’t feel like working out!’”
Aside from the physical health gains, there’s also a mental side to the story that’s special to hockey players.
“There are so many positive experiences that come with it,” adds McNeish. “Being able to play a sport that so many deem difficult is also great for the mind and wonderful for your personal attitude.
“It’s great to see the looks from people when you can say, ‘I play hockey’”
