The Black Mambas are league champions.
On Sunday, August 30, the Parente & Norem sponsored hockey club defeated the Mighty Swans 5-3 at Center Ice of DuPage to claim the C3 Sunday League Championship, capping a season that saw the team win from opening faceoff to final buzzer.
The Black Mambas compete in the C3 division of the Sunday League at Center Ice of DuPage, one of the busiest adult hockey communities in the western suburbs. The team is managed by Parente & Norem attorney Charlie Bletsas, who does more than run the bench, he laces up and plays defense.
Parente & Norem is proud to sponsor the club and to see the firm's name on the ice alongside a group that earned every point it took this season.
The Black Mambas finished the regular season 10-3, a record that put them among the top clubs in the division and set them up for a playoff run.
They answered the challenge. The 5-3 final over the Mighty Swans gave the Black Mambas the C3 Sunday League Championship and closed the book on a season that ended exactly the way the team drew it up in the fall.
Parente & Norem has been part of the Chicago area for decades, and the firm's connection to the community has never been limited to the courtroom. Sponsoring local teams, schools, and organizations is one of the ways the firm invests in the neighborhoods where its clients live and work.
Adult leagues like the C3 Sunday League are built on the same things the firm values such as showing up, doing the work, and standing up for the people next to you. Whether that is a defenseman blocking a shot in the third period or a lawyer taking a case to verdict, the principle does not change.
Sponsorship also keeps rinks full and leagues running. Ice time and equipment are expensive, and community support helps make sure the players who want to keep skating have somewhere to do it.
The Black Mambas will not have long to celebrate. The next season begins Sunday, September 13, and the team will return to Center Ice of DuPage with a target on its back and a title to defend.
Congratulations to Charlie and the entire Black Mambas roster on a championship season!
