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An Ice Gesture For Hartzell
Michael Vodilko is one big guy.
He appears even bigger when he’s in his hockey padding.
A captain in the Youngstown Police Department, he and other law-enforcement officials from a number of agencies took part in the Guns ’N’ Hoses Hockey Game that pitted law enforcement against firefighters Saturday night at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown.
People who obtained a flier at the police department could see both that game and a Youngstown Phantoms match against the Fargo Force. In return, $3 would be donated to the Michael Hartzell Scholarship Fund.
Hartzell, a Youngstown police officer, was shot to death while trying to arrest a suspect who had shot another man April 29, 2003.
Vodilko and Nick Vouvalis, a member of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives rattled off the list of other police agencies that were to take part in the game, which included officers from St. Elizabeth Health Center, Mill Creek MetroParks police and the Mahoning County Sheriff’s office.
Vouvalis said, “At least 15 to 17 officers were interested and decided to play today.”
He said this is the third time he has taken part.
“I love to do it,” he said.
Vouvalis said that he took up hockey after he was 40 and that a number of police officers take part in games at the Ice Zone in Boardman.
Will Logston of Wellsville, a teacher at Summit Academy in Youngstown and a spokesman for the firefighters, said they were able to get 13 players from fire departments from Youngstown and Akron.
But the difference in strength was not lost on the firefighters before the game.
Logston said, “We’re all going to go full speed ahead.”
And both teams did in a fast, clean game.
The police went ahead, then the firefighters passed them. The police then passed the firefighters again, making a 7-4 game for the police. But the firefighters fought back, and the game ended in a 7-7 tie.
That set up a three-man shootout in which one person from each team tries to get a shot past the opposing goalie.
The police finally got a shot to end the game at police 8, firefighters 7.
Will Hallewell of Salem was watching the game with his daughter, Hannah.
He said of the game for the fund, “I think it’s a good thing. It’s a great idea.”
He commented about the fast-flying pucks: “I’ve been rubbing my legs. They’re hurting just watching the game.”
Robert Lodwick of Youngstown, a member of the Youngstown Police Department, also was watching the game.
He said he had known Hartzell.
“He was a great guy,” Lodwick said.
wilkinson@vindy.com