MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Registration opens next month for the 2013 U.S. Pond Hockey Championships in Minneapolis.

Teams can start registering for next year’s tournament on Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. at www.uspondhockey.com. Registration is on a first come, first served basis.

Top teams and out-of-state teams from the 2012 tournament will receive a reserved entry spot. Reserved entry spots can be redeemed anytime between Sept. 12 and Oct. 12.

The eighth annual U.S. Pond Hockey Championships will be held Jan. 18-20 on Lake Nokomis.

Organizers say pond hockey celebrates the way the sport is meant to be played — outdoors in the cold, with players using a shovel to clear the ice. Teams compete to have their names inscribed on the Golden Shovel.

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