STEELE SPORTS

As we reach the middle of November, Steele County residents may have noticed an uptick in mustaches in the community, especially around the ice rinks.
Mustaches are coming out of the woodwork across the county during “Movember,” an annual event to raise awareness of men’s health issues, including prostate cancer, testicular cancer and men’s suicide. Participants sport their “face-furniture” for the entire month of November.
I, myself, attempt to grow a decent mustache each year in support of the cause. I believe it is a creative and fun way to support a superb cause.
However, in all the years I’ve been growing below-average mustaches, I have never seen a group with a more impressive collection of lip sweaters than the Steele County Blades hockey team.
The Blades’ annual Movember fundraiser is underway with athletes and coaches alike grow their best mustaches as the team prepares for its break in the season before Thanksgiving.
Headlining the mustache-mania are familiar Blades faces, including captain Connor Lee, Joey Bunton and Charlie Smith.
According to Smith, the team started the November mustache tradition a year ago and brought it back this year with plans to make it an annual tradition.
The mustaches range from your standard, clean-cut caterpillar type, to Bunton’s wild-man handlebars.
It comes as no surprise that the local hockey team leads the way in a facial-hair-based movement as facial hair and hockey are somewhat synonymous in the sport’s history.
From playoff beards to Movember mustaches, hockey teams have long used facial hair tactics as a way of boosting team chemistry and keeping their eye on a common goal.
The team’s fundraising goal is $200 and donations can be made by visiting the team’s Instagram page @steelecountyblades.
 
Notable moments
Winter sports teams are back in action, with the hockey, basketball, and gymnastics teams participating in preseason events – including practices and scrimmages.
The Owatonna girls hockey team is scheduled to play at 7:15 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, at Mankato East. Earlier in the week, the Huskies played their first game of the season against East Ridge at the Four Seasons Centre.  Results were not available at press time.
Before kicking off the regular season, the team competed in three scrimmages. The Huskies defeated Two Rivers, 6-2, and Prior Lake, 3-1. The team tied Hopkins, 1-1, at the Minnetonka Ice Arena.
Girls gymnastics began practice on Monday, Nov. 8, and has its first meet on Friday, Dec. 10 against Northfield.
Girls basketball also started practices across the Big Nine and Gopher Conferences on Monday, while boys basketball practices begin next Monday, Nov. 22.