Boys, girls take their best shots in Navy hockey

Here is a cold, hard fact: Skating fast is a lot of fun.

"It feels like I'm blasting through the air!" proclaimed 7-year-old Owen Taylor of Annapolis after his hockey team finished practice last week.

"I love the speed," said Ellen Heuer, 14, of Annapolis, during a practice with her team. "Swimming is almost as good, but not quite. You don't go as fast."

In the Navy Youth Hockey Association, though, there are several other reasons its 260 participants are devotees. These include not just the various aspects of the sport, such as scoring goals, but also the friendship and camaraderie...