Hockey Is Back!

Inter Regional Preview

The Midwest Collegiate Roller Hockey League finally returns to action this weekend for the first time since November. The MCRHL will be hosting an inter-regional event at Hat Trick Hockey in Palatine, Illinois.

Division 1 and 4 teams will be in attendance from all over the country, along with a few D-2 and D-3 teams from the MCRHL. Here are the teams that will be attending:

D1: Arizona State (WCRHL), Bethel (GPCIHL), Florida Gulf Coast (SECRHL), Lindenwood (GPCIHL), Michigan State (MCRHL), Slippery Rock (ECRHA)

D2: Grand Valley, Western Michigan

D3: DePaul, Michigan Tech

D4: Florida Gulf Coast (SECRHL), Bethel (GPCIHL), Lindenwood (GPCIHL), Michigan State (MCRHL)

MSU D-1 (6-2) will welcome much of their outside competition they expect to see at the National Championships in Rochester, New York. They open up the weekend at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday against Florida Gulf Coast (2-2). Then they face off against Bethel (7-1-2) at 4:00 p.m. Saturday. In their third game of the day, MSU welcomes Arizona State (4-3) from the West Coast at 9:00 p.m. Then in their fourth and final game of the weekend, MSU will have their hands full with the runner-up of last year’s National Championship game, Lindenwood (10-0). The Spartans look to further improve on their impressive plus-25 goal differential against stiff competition this weekend.

On the Division 2 side of things, Western Michigan (4-4) and Grand Valley (7-1) will be the only teams attending. WMU will be looking for revenge on GVSU from earlier in the season when the Lakers won 13-1. The two teams face off at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both teams will also be challenged by DePaul (1-5) and Michigan Tech (0-6) from Division 3 over the weekend. GVSU currently has a six point lead over WMU in the Division 2 standings.

The aforementioned DePaul and Michigan Tech currently hold third and fourth place in the Division 3 standings with DePaul clinging on to a two point lead over Michigan Tech. They will battle each other at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Some fantastic Division 4 competition is expected as four quality teams will be in attendance. MSU D-4 (6-1) opens up with the first game of the weekend at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday against Florida Gulf Coast D-4 (2-2). They also have two highly-anticipated matchups with the reigning Division 3 National Champions, Lindenwood Gold (7-3). Those will take place at 1:00 p.m. Saturday and 10:00 a.m. Sunday.