The Northampton varsity hockey team hit the big ice on Wednesday, Nov. 26, as they faced off against Freedom at the new PPL Arena in Allentown.

Skating on the Lehigh Valley Phantom's home ice, the crowd of hometown fans seemed just as thrilled as the players for this exciting change of venue.

"Coming out on the ice was different for the coaches and the players but I think it made the most difference to the parents and the fans that came to watch the game," commented Northampton's head coach Brian Ruff. "Sitting in that arena and watching their kids play in a place like that - it really made the experience that much better for the parents."

The Kids did their part to make the experience memorable for their fans too as they outscored Freedom by a final of 7-3.

Freedom came out strong, scoring on Northampton goalie Patrick Lothian at 12:47 in the first period. Northampton waited only seconds to respond with the Kids first goal, scored by Chris Croll at 12:21. Northampton would go on to take the lead with the first of two back-to-back goals by Anthony Belsky.

"Getting an early lead was big for us" explained Ruff. "It helped us shut down their (Freedom's) key players".

Northampton's Lothian allowed only three goals on 24 shots while the Kids offense continued to score. Goals by Northampton's Chris O'Donnell at 5:08 and a second score by Croll at 2:24 closed out Northampton's five-goal run in the first period. Northampton added to its lead with goals by Stephan Grober at 15:59 in the second and Nick Gutekunst at 10:35 in the third.

In the end, the Kids first experience on professional ice was a great experience just as their coach hoped it would be.

"I told them to have fun, go out and enjoy this day. It's not every day you get to do something like that but at the same time, this game still counts. It was important that we got that early lead, because then we could just enjoy it," Ruff said.

And every indication, from the winning score to the smiles on the faces of the players and fans, told the story that this was a day that was truly enjoyed by all.