history - banditshockey

History

It was the best of times, it was the awesomest of times

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The Beltway Bandits started their journey in early 2005. Having realized that the only travel hockey required driving to Maryland or Prince William County (VA), a handful of women in Northern Virginia banded together to plant the idea seed in the minds of female players in the area; that seed grew to what we know today as Virginia's Finest.

Pulling the majority of talent out of the Reston Skatequest Women's recreational league, the Bandits were able to contact local opponents and throw together some scrimmages in an unofficial 2004-2005 USA Hockey season. Sporting bright blue and orange inline hockey jerseys, the Bandits found success in their early games.

Dedicated members of the team found local media and internet advertisements, and found a handful of women who were unaware of any hockey in the area; this group included a Canadian who only had experience playing Ringette from Canada and an Australian girl who happened to be teaching in the US at the time. Other players landed in Bandits talent pool and by the beginning of the 2005-2006 season, the team had found enough interest to hold a veritable tryout session.