Robbinsdale Adapted Hockey Team Shoots For Another State Title

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- During the boys state hockey tournament, you hear about the big schools: St. Thomas Academy, Edina and Duluth East among others.

But none of those teams have dominated as much as one adapted hockey team in the Twin Cities metro area.

"There are a lot of sports out there, but this is a very unique one," said Steve Onsum, an assistant coach with the Robbinsdale Robins adaptive floor hockey team.

When Onsum looks at the Robbinsdale Robins, he doesn't see players with physical impairments. He sees competitors eager to win.

"They don't talk about being undefeated. They don't talk about how many in a row that they've won. We just go out there and our goal is to try and win every game," said Onsum.

Onsum used to play for the Robins and has been a coach for the past 16 years. During that time, the Robins have won eight state titles, including a state championship last year. The rules are similar to regular ice hockey. Penalties are even called for checking from behind.

The Robins have 18 players from Armstrong, Cooper, Mound, and Hopkins' schools, and each player has a disability. That includes Corey Tesch, who plays with cerebral palsy.

"I walk very slow and I don't run as well as other kids," Tesch said.

But this sport gives Corey a chance to shine. The star of this undefeated team though might be junior goalie Charlie Wittmer.

"It's really fun. I don't think I'd be doing anything else besides this. There is no other feeling like it, when we won the state tournament it was like great," Wittmer said.

Like Corey, Charlie feels fortunate to be involved in a program like this and it shows. He shut out their first three opponents this year and was the goaltender when the Robins won state last year.

And that's the goal once again, to add yet another title to the banner.

"It's so exciting to see them succeed at sports because a lot of them have never played before. They don't have the opportunity in little league and things like that to play a lot," Onsum said.

The Robins have a 10-0-1 record on the season so far. The Adapted Floor Hockey State Tournament is March 16 at Bloomington Jefferson High School. The Robins have also won state adapted soccer three years in a row and state adapted softball four years in a row.