November 14, 2006

NCRHA Brings College Roller Hockey to Margaritaville!

WinterFest 2007 to be held in Key West Jan 5-7, 2007

The National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association is pleased to announce that Key West , FL will be the host city for its WinterFest 2007 event, to be held January 5-7, 2007. The NCRHA WinterFest is a new event that has evolved from the Winter Invitational events that have been held the past two seasons in Detroit and St. Louis . However, while those events were by invitation only, WinterFest is open to all NCRHA member schools on a first come, first served basis. For more information, questions, or concerns, please click on the links below, or contact Rob Coggin, Director of League Operations and Officiating by email at [email protected].

Why Key West?

With the southernmost point in the United States Located on the island, Key West has possibly the best climate available in the US during the month of January. The NCRHA wants to give its teams the opportunity to get outside the normal feel of the tournaments and facilities we play in all year and play in a resort type location on an island in the Caribbean! Players will be able to go to the beach in the morning, come in, gear up and play a competitive game of college roller hockey, then gear down and go back to the beach, while also getting to enjoy the Jimmy Buffet style night life that Key West is famous for.

What is WinterFest?

The new winter event isnâ??t designed to crown a champion as much as it is designed to give teams the chance to get away from home during the holiday break, to somewhere warm, compete with other teams they arenâ??t used to seeing and have some fun. We see it as a value added opportunity provided by the NCRHA to our teams for all of the reasons above. WinterFest is different than the Winter Invitationals of the past because it has open registration for all NCRHA member schools. Since this isnâ??t a â??winter championship,â?? we arenâ??t necessarily looking for the 16 best teams in the NCRHA to be there. We want the teams that want to be there!

Who is eligible?

All NCRHA member schools are eligible to register for Winterfest on a first come, first served basis. Teams attending the Winterfest are expected to be in good standing with the NCRHA, and their Member Organization, and have all of their players properly registered with USA Hockey InLine.

What is the facility like?

The rink in Key West is a single sheet, open air with an excellent covered roof and lighted with traditional hockey rink lights underneath, and regulation size with regular boards and fencing with glass behind both nets. It is literally just off the beach. The surface for the rink in Key West is actually smooth concrete (NOT ROLL-ON), as opposed to sport court. This means that players should not have to change wheels, although if they are using soft 72s they might wear more quickly than they are used to (think ice court). 76s should be fine. There was some concern about it tearing up goalie pads, but that wonâ??t be an issue as the floor is smooth. Please see the pictures attached to this article to get a feel for what the arena looks like.

What will the schedule look like?

Games will begin on Friday, January 5 at 8:00 AM and end late afternoon on Sunday, January 7. Teams should plan to arrive by Thursday evening at the latest and depart on Monday at the earliest. Teams flying in and out of Miami will need to plan to leave on Monday, although those utilizing the Key West Airport could take a late flight on Sunday if they wish.

There will be 2 divisions to provide the most competitive opportunities possible. The divisions will be based on how the field looks. We will try to provide chances for teams to play others in their NCRHA classification, D1 D2 or D3, but strong D2 or D3 teams may be bracketed in the top division while weaker D1 D2 and D3 teams would be bracketed in the lower division. What we are really looking for is teams that want to get away, have some fun and play some hockey.

How do we enter and what does it cost?

If you are interested, contact Rob Coggin, NCRHA Director of League Operations and Officiating right away. Rob can be contacted by email, [email protected], or by phone at 719-331-7344. The entry fee is $625. Teams will be prioritized for acceptance in the order that their registration is received. The deadline to submit registrations is Monday December 4 and to receive the registration fee is Monday December 11. Interested teams are encouraged to act quickly as this event is expected to sell out fast. Once the event is full teams will be prioritized on a wait list. You can find an invoice form under the documents section of ncrha.org. Please note that acceptable forms of payment are school check, cashiers check or money order. The NCRHA cannot accept personal checks.

What do we need to know about travel and accommodations?

Look for information right here in the next day or two on Host Hotels and rates, plus information on car rental from Miami if needed. Teams traveling to Key West can fly directly to the island if they can find affordable flights. Otherwise their best bet is to fly into Miami and drive down, which easily takes 2-3 hours down a picturesque one lane highway of bridges connecting the Keys. Of course some teams will elect to drive all the way from school, which also works.