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T h e o p e n i n g g a m e o f t h e t o u r n a m e n t brought in 2,700 students from 12 schools. Another 2,500 were scheduled to attend the game between Japan and China but snow forced a delay at several schools. O n e s c h o o l t h a t wa s a b l e t o b r ave t h e slushy roads was the Bellamy Bulldogs from nearby Rome, which bussed in 240 fourth, fifth and sixth graders. Under the watch- ful eye of teachers and chaperones, they e n j oy e d a d ay away f r o m t h e c l a s s r o o m while learning about the game and the coun- tries playing in front of them. "The first thing is that I hope they have fun. The second thing is experiencing the different cultures that are playing here," said Rob Mahardy, a fourth grade teacher at Bellamy. And who knows, one of those kids sit- ting inside the A dirondack Bank Center may be the next Hilary Knight or Kendall Coyne Schofield. "I don't know if any of my students play hockey," Mahardy said, "but I would think that after watching these women play it would inspire some of these girls and boys to give hockey a try." In addition to giving away free tickets, tournament organizers distributed 13,000 activity books to students in 55 schools throughout the surrounding counties. The 12-page activity book featured col- oring sections, mazes and word searches designed to create excitement for the tour- nament by helping students learn the rules of the game and interesting facts about the 10 teams that competed in the tournament. More than 400 of the activity books were hand-delivered by members of the Utica University women's hockey team to students at Westmoreland Upper Elementary School. "We are so fortunate to have an event like this happening in our region. It gives our students the chance to learn more about women in sports, the challenges they face and what it's like to be a woman who plays a sport," said Rocco Migliori, superintendent of the Westmoreland Central School District. "This activity book not only (helped) prepare our kids for the championship game, but it (also taught) them about countries, where they're located and the rules of hockey. We are so grate- ful our students (had) the opportunity to be a part of such an incredible event." P 28 // MAY 2024 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM New York hosted the Women's World Championship for the first time since 1994. "The first thing is that I hope they have fun. The second thing is experiencing the different cultures that are playing here." –Rob Mahardy PHOTOS BY Images on Ice