November 5, 2008
Collegiate Roller Hockey Returns to Margaritaville!
NCRHA WinterFest 2009 heads back to Key West, FL in January
The National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association is proud to announce that
Key West
,
FL
will again be the host city for it’s Winterfest 2009 and 2010 events. This year’s event will be held January 4-6, 2009. The NCRHA 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]. The entry fee remains at $550 per team this year.
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
(or close enough)! For example, 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 winter event isn’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 aren’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 isn’t a ‘winter championship,’ we aren’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 a roll-on type surface that is very grippy, 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.
What will the schedule look like?
Games will begin on Sunday, January 4 at 8:00 AM and end late afternoon on Tuesday, January 6. Teams should plan to arrive by Saturday evening at the latest and depart on Tuesday at the earliest. Teams flying in and out of
Miami
will need to plan to leave on Wednesday, although those utilizing the
Key West
Airport
could take a late flight on Tuesday if they wish.
If there are enough teams, 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 at [email protected], or by phone at 719-331-7344. The entry fee is $550. Teams will be prioritized for acceptance in the order that their registration is received. The deadline to submit registrations is Friday, December 5, 2008.
What do we need to know about travel and accommodations?
Look for information on Host Hotels and rates, plus information on car rental from
Miami
if needed right here in the next day or two. 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.
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