G.T.A. Tykes Shaken Up After Arena Roof Collapses
Posted February 17, 2010 6:52 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It was a close call for an Ajax boys’ ice hockey team this weekend. They barely escaped unharmed when the Pittsburgh-area arena they were playing in literally collapsed around them.
The Ajax Knights Tyke White team was in the dressing room after their game Sunday when the roof started caving in. The team and their parents had only minutes to escape from the falling debris, leaving many folks badly shaken up.
“A lot of the boys were in shock, panic attacks. A lot of people sick, literally to their stomachs, just with anxiety and what could have been” says Sherri Desroches, vice president, Ajax Minor Hockey Association.
The team had just finished a close game that had nearly gone into overtime, meaning they could have been on the ice when the building started to crumble.
A zamboni driver was on the ice at the time but managed to escape unhurt.
The arena was built in the late 1960s, but the cause of the collapse hasn’t been determined. Authorities are trying to determine if a heavy snowfall may have caused the roof to cave in.
The team was scheduled to play on Monday night, but the game has been cancelled. The league will make counseling available to any players that need it.
