Epoxy core with expandable microspheres

A composite article comprising a foam core wrapped with a tape for use as a hockey blade of a hockey stick, the article fabricated by the following steps:

• heating a first plurality of unexpanded thermoplastic microspheres from an unexpanded state to a partially expanded state to create a plurality of partially expanded microspheres;
• mixing the plurality of partially expanded microspheres with an epoxy resin, aramid pulp, and a second plurality of unexpanded thermoplastic microspheres to create an epoxy mixture;
• forming the mixture to create a bottom and heel section of the hockey blade and placing a foam having a lower density than the mixture along a top or a toe to form the top or toe sections of the hockey blade thereby creating a preform for the hockey blade;
• wrapping the preform with fiber tape to create a wrapped preform;
• placing the wrapped preform in a mold;
• wherein the plurality of partially expanded microspheres and the second plurality of unexpanded microspheres are configured to be expanded during a heating process to compress the fiber tape, and to bond to the epoxy resin and the foam;
• and
• wherein the epoxy mixture is a viscous material such that it provides enough pressure to compress and consolidate the fiber tape.