In an effort to highlight some of these players, I did a few interviews asking them some questions. Here are their stories.
Dave Natale
Why did you start playing hockey? I was eating dinner with Sidney Crosby one night and he thought I'd be a good player. I told him he was probably right and I thought I'd give it a try. The A League was full and Sundays worked pretty good for me.
What is your favorite part of playing hockey? I really enjoy the cold ice. I like it so much that I lay on the ice quite a bit. Some think that I'm falling down because I don't skate very well, but I drop to the ice on purpose just to feel that cool sensation all over my body.What position do you play? Either corner back, or linebacker. I'm pretty flexible with that since I'm the best player on my team. It allows the others to try different positions. I could even play goalie if I wanted to, but that position is way too easy (you don't even need to know how to skate).
Any advice you can give to new players? Don't give up and don't try to be as good as me. It doesn't make sense to have such high expectations and never attain your goal. Rather, go out and have fun. Skate around in circles and fall down every once in awhile, its ok.
Ann Huyck
Why did you start playing hockey? I got kicked off the HS wrestling team, chess team & Peace Club. I was always looking to start fights and they did not tolerate that in school. I figured hockey would give me an opportunity to lay someone out.
What is the toughest thing about playing hockey? The car ride to the rink and the car ride home. My dad thinks he knows everything. "Break the puck out of your zone faster", "Don't get caught too deep in their zone", "blah blah blah" is all he says. Have you ever seen him play? He shouldn't talk.
What equipment brands do you wear? Whoever pays me the most. I had a sponsorship with RBK, but after they dumped all their money into that Crosby kid, they didn't want to pay me what I felt I was worth. Whatever. I know Easton and Bauer will come crawling soon and even Gatorade called my agent the other day.
Do you wear make up when you play? You think that's a funny question? I can let you use my makeup to cover up the black eye and bruises I'll give you if you step on the ice.
Any advice to new players trying out the sport? Yes. Stay out of my way when I'm on the ice. It will be more fun for new players to skate around, shoot the puck and try and score when it doesn't involve me. My suggestion is to just give me the puck if you're playing against me.
Jon Young
Why did you get into playing hockey? I was extremely addicted to watching TV. I could not get enough Desperate Housewives, Days of Our Lives & The View. I only slept 2 hours a night and the doctor told me I had to do something or I would need serious medical attention. As I left the doctor and started crossing the street, I was almost hit by a Zamboni. It was like a sign from above.
Do you know others that play the sport? I didn't at first, but I've now made a ton of friends. Actually, Dan Zahn, Chris Pauli, Bryan Bane & Sara Keller are all now my roommates. We bought a 2 bedroom house just 4 blocks from Bucs Arena. We made a pact to not buy a television and spend our waking hours doing dryland training
What's your most memorable moment during a game? Once I was skating with the puck as fast as I could and lost an edge and fell. Quickly, I recovered and regained the puck . Then I did this out of control 360 degree spin and while falling again, swung at the puck and it went in. It didn't matter to me that this was just during warm ups and that there was no goalie in the net, it still felt good.What advice would you give a new player? Don't watch too much TV, eat too much toast, or wear anything with the color red. If a stranger asks you to tie their shoe, politely say that you have to go to the hardware store. Should you forget your hockey stick at home, it's not a good idea to use a toilet plunger as a replacement. Keep your head up, your stick down & your mouth shut.
Sarah Lumbrezer
How did you get involved in hockey? My ancestors were at one of the very first hockey games ever. Players did not wear gear and only used skates & sticks. One game, my great-great-great-great grandfather witnessed a player constantly falling on his butt. He ran to his car and got some cardboard, dish sponges and newspaper. During the intermission, he grabbed that player and shoved all that stuff into the player's pants. The protection this offered was superior and all players wanted the same thing. Thus, the "Lumbrezer" was invented (know simply 
known as Breezers). I was busy running the family business and never had a chance to play until now.
known as Breezers). I was busy running the family business and never had a chance to play until now.If you could change one thing about hockey, what would it be? I would like to see 2 goalies in each net. Currently, it's so easy to score in our league. Any shot on net will almost always go in and scores of 94-87 are for basketball not hockey.
What makes you a good hockey player? Back in 2004, I did 4 years of hard time at Mitchellville Correctional for Women. Every day was a battle. Whether it was other women trying to take my dinner, or someone trying to lift my smokes, I had to fight to survive. This gave me some thick skin and allowed me to take on any challenge...even hockey.
How do you feel about the league being co-ed? I think it's great. The women in the league try hard to make the guys feel like they belong. We won't pressure them as much during scrimmage and this allows them to stickhandle a little longer. We realize that they are not as skilled as we are, but we accommodate since they don't have an "E" League yet.
Well there you have it. Some bits of info to make the D League a bit more personal and not as intimidating. Stop on out any Sunday at 2:30 PM at Bucs Arena to watch these players show their stuff. All we ask is that you don't ask for autographs until AFTER the players are changed and ready to leave.
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