The Cache Valley Independent Wild hockey team began the year with a large amount of new players, but they've been training hard and it's paying off. With seven wins, two losses, and one tie, CVI Wild has been playing at an impressive level that they hope to continue all year.

Matt Rahmeyer, team captain, says that the team “has really improved since the beginning of the year and has come together.”

The team is not affiliated with a high school, but plays in an independent league. Although the teams competing in this league don't have connections to high school sports programs, the competition is equally tough, according to Rahmeyer.

Teams in the Independent League will participate in a tournament soon and CVI Wild has been practicing hard. With two more games and practices twice a week, they hope to be fully prepared.

The hazardous nature of Hockey can put players out of commission and make team building more difficult. This year several members of CVI wild have been injured during play. Logan High Junior Corey Dethier, sustained a broken collar bone when he hit the side boards during a game.

“It wasn't very fun,” says Dethier who claims that the period of recovery was much more painful than the accident and was unable to play for a long time.

After a brief stint in a sling, Dethier has recovered and returned to the team. In addition to building his own skills, he hopes to provide vital support for the team in the upcoming Independent League tournament.

“It feels great to be back,” says Dethier, who greatly appreciates his opportunity to be back on the ice and playing.

Regardless of the team's performance in games to come, their record to this point speaks for itself. The improvements made by CVI Wild this year have been impressive the players hope they are long term developments.

Since Warren Miller’s movie Off the Grid came to Logan in early November, skiers and snowboarders alike have been impatiently waiting to hit the slopes.

Finally, on December 19, Beaver Mountain opened to the delight of residents of Cache Valley.

Bill Emmett, the LHS Ski Club advisor, believes the sports are popular in Cache Valley not only because of the close proximity to many of the nation’s best ski resorts, but also because skiing and snowboarding are life-long sports.

“It’s a fun sport to do in the winter; you get to spend time outside,” said avid skier and LHS freshman Rachel Wootton. “I like skiing because I like getting better,” she continued.

Beaver Mountain has always been a favorite of the valley’s residents. “It’s a down-home resort,” commented Emmett.

For many it’s the community aspect that brings them back to Beaver.

“I always see people there that I like,” said Wootton. “You get to know the runs really well.”

“The grilled cheese and fries are wonderful,” said sophomore Paul Kang. But he does like “to hit the powder, go on the terrain park and bomb runs” almost as much as the food served at the Beaver Mt. Lodge.

As for the tensions between skiers and snowboarders, Emmett finds that they seem to be restricted to the older generations.

Wootton said, “it doesn’t matter to me if they ski or snowboard, just as long as they are courteous to other people on the mountain,” said Wootton.

Kang adds, “When there are good skiers who can do tricks, I respect them.”

So far this year, skiers and snowboarders haven’t been pleased with the snow. Wootton has been forced to ski in the trees to find any powder and thinks that “the coverage is terrible.”

Many spots on the runs are wearing thin, leaving skiers weary of frequently skied slopes.

Emmett, who has been skiing locally for years, can only recall one year that was worse than this winter. He thinks that in the years to come the snowpack in Logan, as well as around the world, will vary more and more every year due to changes in global temperatures.