The Second-Annual Palmer Lake Classic

PALMER LAKE, Colo. (KRDO) -- It's officially a tradition. Palmer Lake hosted the second-annual Palmer Lake Classic, with four teams (up from two in 2022) competing on the frozen pond.

Chaparral beat Cheyenne Mountain, 4-3, and Lewis-Palmer, 2-1, in a shootout to win the tournament.

But the results are not as important as the tradition. The players had a blast.

"Reminds me of like when we were little, we go out on ponds, this (is) a really good opportunity they set up," Pine Creek defenseman Parker Gavitt. "I mean, this was awesome. They did a really good job. The ice is actually really good, so it was just a lot of fun."

"It's really cool and it's cool to see that this in one year it did double in size," said Cheyenne Mountain forward Wyatt Furda. "So like maybe even though I'm a senior now, it'll grow and grow and grow until it's a huge thing."

The tournament is quite the spectacle, with small nets, and shin-high boards.

"I was just practicing yesterday. We have the nets out there, so I had no clue what they were like," said Lewis-Palmer goalie Braden Tucker. "And, you know, I've never seen that like that before. But it was fun."

In many ways, it's a tribute to players who grew up playing on frozen ponds.

It's a new Colorado tradition the players hope becomes permanent.