Unlike many other sports, ice hockey is not an official sport under the Iowa High School Athletic Association. Those wishing to play have limited opportunities in the Midwest High School Hockey League (MWHSHL). The MWHSHL has teams from across Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas. Ankeny High School (AHS) students play for one of  three in the Des Moines metro. Those teams include the Ames Cyclones, the Des Moines Capitals, and the Des Moines Oak Leafs. 

Every year, the Oaks Leafs and Capitals host one of their cross-town rivalry matches the week of Thanksgiving. The Turkey Cup is an opportunity for the teams to collect funds for community outreach efforts. 

“The Turkey Cup means a lot to me,” said Ankeny Centennial High School (ACHS) junior Beau Pennington, of the Des Moines Oak Leafs. 

AHS junior Brett Augustine, from the Des Moines Capitals, said the Turkey Cup brings together the Des Moines hockey community and provides “…an opportunity to play with and reunite with people I’ve played with my whole life.”

“The Turkey Cup is the biggest attendance game of our season and brings out people from all over the Des Moines area. We get to see people that have graduated and left the program,” Augustine said. 

AHS junior Gage Behrens of the Des Moines Capitals agrees with Augustine mentioning that the ability to play in front of friends, family, and community residents who typically do not come to games is a great opportunity for the teams. 

AHS junior Greyson Beenen of the Des Moines Oak Leafs says “Our team uses Turkey Cup as an opportunity to reach out to the community and help people in need.” 

This year the game proceeds supported the Adopt-a-Family program which helps support Des Moines families in need through the holiday season. This year players from both the Oak Leafs and Capitals will shop for and wrap presents that will be given to children in their program. 

On Nov. 26 the Des Moines Oak Leafs hosted the Des Moines Capitals for the Turkey Cup at the RecPlex in West Des Moines. Despite being away, the Capitals junior varsity (JV) team looked strong, securing the 4-2 win in the third period with an empty net goal scored by Dallas Center-Grimes sophmore Jackson Omvig. The JV team improved to 10-1 on the season. In the varsity match, a fast-paced game saw the Capitals take a lead in the first period. The Oaks Leafs came into the second period looking to get back into the game, a hope that was stopped by Gage Beherns, when he scored his fifth goal of the season. The Capitals held strong throughout the third period and would improve to 9-2 on the season.