Young players of a Halifax-area hockey team faced off with an unusual opponent as they took the ice for a game over the weekend: a very steep step.

The seven- and eight-year-olds had trouble navigating the deep drop, and many of the Bedford Blues novice hockey players fell as their skates hit the ice in Lunenburg, N.S., to play against the South Shore Lumberjacks.

Assistant coach Jesse Rodgers captured the adorable and hilarious scene in a video that has now gone viral.

The 37-second clip shows players stepping sa国际传媒� and then falling sa国际传媒� onto the ice one-by-one, with some spinning around on their knees before quickly getting up and skating off.

At least one player navigated the drop without falling, throwing his arms in the air in celebration.

sa国际传媒淭hey were just having fun,sa国际传媒� said Rodgers, whose eight-year-old son plays on the team. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 a big jump.sa国际传媒�

Rodgers said the team played at the rink on Friday, and the coaches helped the players onto the ice. But they watched as the other team sa国际传媒� who were more familiar with the rink sa国际传媒� step onto the ice without any trouble.

sa国际传媒淥n Saturday, they wanted to do it too. They were all excited,sa国际传媒� said Rodgers, adding that the step was waist-high for some players.

Rodgers said the clip he posted to Facebook has been viewed nearly 85,000 times, while reposts of the video have garnered hundreds of thousands of views on social media. It was picked up Sportsnet and the popular hockey podcast Spittinsa国际传媒� Chiclets, which has 542,000 followers on Instagram.

sa国际传媒淧eople are just loving it and finding it hilarious,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淚t just keeps going and going and going.sa国际传媒�

He said the attention was a surprise sa国际传媒� he initially posted it so family members who live abroad could see. But hesa国际传媒檚 glad it shows the kids having fun, the ultimate goal for that level of hockey.

Ironically, the kids have dubbed their team sa国际传媒淭he Beasts.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淭hat makes it even better,sa国际传媒� said Rodgers with a laugh. sa国际传媒淭hey look so excited about it in the video and I think people find that adorable.sa国际传媒�

The Canadian Press

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