Photo: Colorado State University

2nd Annual Rocky Mountain Face Off®
Presented by The Colorado Eagles
CSU Rams vs. UNC Bears
Budweiser Events Center
February 5, 2010 7:05 PM

Proceeds benefit youth hockey in Northern Colorado.

Tickets, priced at $11, $16, and $21 (plus applicable fees), on sale starting Monday, January 11th at 10 a.m.

http://www.comcastTIX.com

(877) 544-8499

The Budweiser Events Center Box Office
Fort Fun in Fort Collins
The Colorado Eagles Office in Windsor
Woody’s Newsstand & Café in Greeley

Specially priced student and children’s ticket prices are available at the Budweiser Event Center Box Office only.

Press Release: http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/reeases/?id=3945783

Spread the word. I hope to see you all there. It should be a great night of college hockey, with proceeds going to a great cause.

Pond hockey is a form of ice hockey very similar in its object and appearance to traditional ice hockey, but far simpler and designed to be played on part of a natural frozen body of water.

–Wikipedia

When it comes to natural resources Fort Collins must be at the top of the list. The steppe upon which we live is rife with ponds, some larger and deeper than others; all freeze over when winter arrives. If global warming exists, it isn’t apparent here, at least not this winter. We have gotten more snow and we hockey players have enjoyed more nights of single digit temperatures than in previous years. This winter has been the best in five years for pond hockey.

Included in the loose umbrella of natural resources are the warm bodies willing to take up a shovel and carve out an outdoor rink. Add to that donated shovels, some two by two wood strips and a couple box goals; we are in business. Four on four is the norm. One or two subs on the makeshift bench is ideal.

One can expect a lot of time with the puck. Skating and passing, passing and skating. Interestingly, It reminds me of roller hockey. I haven’t encountered any puck hogs on the ponds here in my five years. Also note worthy, I haven’t encountered any ice whores either; think of those hosers who won’t sub out leaving others stranded as observers on the sideline. Those issues tend to be more a part of hockey’s roller counter part.

Equipment is at a minimum. I’ve never seen a helmet. I’m one of the few who wears shin guards. Most players bring only skates, jersey, gloves and a stick. Generally we’ll wear a white jersey over a dark t-shirt or sweat shirt, or vice-versa, weather depending. Sticks are thrown in, teams formed then game on! Games play anywhere from five to fifteen points scored. This seems to correspond to how much time the group generally has before they have to return to their regularly scheduled lives.

New Years is just around the corner. New Years day is quite popular with pond hockey enthusiasts. Plan on coming to your pond of choice early.

At the midget level, all the parents have seen enough coaches, enough players and enough games to know a puck hog and a bad plan when they see one. We as a group grumble in the stands when we see the D men try to skate coast to coast with the puck, freezing their offense at the blue line in the process. We endure one hurried shot somewhere in the direction of the goal,  blind centering passes with no consideration of their open points; puck hogs all.

Finally in a home game, our boys started playing together here and there. After a long loosing streak they manage to win a game 4-1! Nobody knows why. The day before the game the team had a mis-cued practice where many players missed and after ten minutes the coaches skipped; still they played the most team hockey we parents had see all season.

Notes:

• As this writing team is 2-4-3
• High Plains High School Hockey Tryouts Begin January. Are you registered?
• Next game vs. Hyland Hills (2-6-1)

CSU Hockey is also hosting the 4th Annual Sam Spady Firefighter vs. Police Charity Hockey Game this Fri at EPIC at 730pm. Proceeds are split 50/50 b/t the team and the Sam Spady Foundation (a nationwide alcohol awareness program that has chosen Ram Ride as this year’s local recipient of the proceeds.)

If you have additional questions try to contact someone with CSU hockey. We are not directly involved with these events, just helping spread the word.

The University of Colorado Hockey Team is excited to announce that we will be having our annual Rocky Mountain Center Ice Showdown hockey game against Colorado State at the Pepsi Center!

The game will be held on Thursday, November 5th at 7:00 pm. We worked out a great deal with the Colorado Avalanche and will be offering a $20 ticket that is good for BOTH our game against CSU, as well as a ticket to the Avalanche game (worth $58) against the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday, December 9th. Furthermore, there will be free parking at our game on November 5th. Our team receives a portion of this ticket sale and it is a huge help in our efforts to fund our season.

The CU Hockey Team is asking for your help in getting the word out about this great deal. Any hockey fan knows that a $20 ticket for an Avalanche game is unbeatable, let alone a ticket to the CU vs CSU game as well. Please let your hockey clubs know how to get this deal.

We appreciate your time and can’t wait to see you at the game.

The University of Colorado Men’s Hockey Team

Rocky Mountain Center Ice Showdown

AT THE PEPSI CENTER

Tickets will be first-come, first-served and will be based on availability

Thursday November 5th 2009

CSU vs. CU Women Club Game 5pm | CSU vs. CU Men Club Game 7pm

$20 Tickets Include:

• $5 Donation to the University of Colorado Club Hockey Program
• Lower Level ticket for all the CU club games on November 5th, 2009
• Free Parking the night of Nov. 5th

Colorado Avalanche Upper Level ticket, a $40-$53 value for the CU ALUMNI NIGHT with THE AVS

Wednesday December 9th 2009 | Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild

Buy Tickets Here»

Remember Tim George? You would have to remember back to Bantam Blue or even further back to PeeWee Black. Tim is the spawn of Brian George. In the past Tim was generally found playing in net. He was often called upon to skate out; a nail biting experience for the coaching staff (read Brian and Flash).

Tim Getting a Little Help

Brian moved Tim, along with the rest of the family to Flint Michigan. When Tim went to that area’s try-outs he was picked up by a competitive midget A team; not for his skills, but for his good nature. It was explained that the coach thought he might be ‘coach-able?!

Michigan hockey is quite different from what we have here in Colorado. Instead of an A team getting ~ 20 games, their system will deliver over fifty! Coaches are in control and earn thousands of dollars in pay; picking their own team and dropping kids due to their actions, or even the actions of their parents.  I can think of a lot of coaches here in the Fort Collins area that would enjoy that season.

As it turns out Tim’s team, the Grand Rapids  Griffins, has been having a terrible season yet Tim has grown to be a solid goal tender. All his skills have vastly improved. Lateral movement, up-downs, and best of all he as learned, finally, to play out of the net!

If you find something you just have to have; visit my contact page and send a message. Please remember to include your name and contact information.

For faster service Telephone: (970) 690-1356

:: Ice Skates ::

Bauer One – BAUER NIKE SUPREME ONE90

Size: US 10D

Price: 225.00 – (These skates retail for about $595.00

Condition: 9 out of 10 – Excellent condition, very low miles.

THE ULTIMATE ICE SKATE. The Nike Bauer Supreme ONE90 skate is Nike Bauer’s lightest skate to date! The Supreme ONE90 has a freakish weight of only 750 grams. The fit of the ONE90 skate delivers zero negative space inside the boot which generates power with greater efficiency, maximizing speed and maneuverability. 3D thermoformed Tech Mesh quarter panels Hydrophobic Clarino synthetic leather Exterior dual-density heel wedge Lightweight insta-form foam ankle pads Precision molded anatomical tongue with high-density metatarsal guard Composite power channel construction footbed Upper boot is thermoformable Ergo toe cap – truly anatomical toecap for a precise fit Range of motion: Modified boot and tendon guard angle to enhance forward backward flex Provides a greater range of motion allowing players to generate every last once of energy Perforated full texallium composite outsole Tuuk Lightspeed 2 Power holder with solid steel runner: Translucent holder that is stronger and more rigid than the classic Tuuk Lightspeed 2 Designed with a longer runner to maximize blade to ice contact and increase speed and energy during the glide phase.

Mission AMP 3

Size: US 8D – Skate Size = Shoe Size

Price: $65.00 -(These Skate Retail for about $350)

Condition: 8 out of 10 – Very Good Condition

- Stainless steel runners

- Anatomical ankle support with ankle pockets, heel collar, and ankle strap for stability

- 6.5 Surlin stiffness rating

- Fiberskin™, polyurethane mesh, WearForce™ abrasion pads, and polyurethane leather trims

- Brushed Clarino™ moisture wicking lining

- BioMorphic boot design

- Superfeet Sensory™ footbed

- Sensory™ synthetic mesh outsole – gives better power transfer.

- White formula™ blade holder with black carbon composite Driveshaft™

- Swedish stainless steel runners with precision laser cut

-Tongue Felt with lace bite protection

A fantastic asset here in Fort Collins, CO are the various outdoor roller hockey rinks. Lucky for us the best rink is less than ten minutes from the house. Fossil Creek Park has a lot to offer, an outdoor hockey rink complete with nets, benches, boards and a nearby water fountain. Saturday mornings belong to a tight group of friends. Generally this group consists of hockey dads and their boys. Oh, we have one hockey mom too, Jan Baby is there and always brings her a game. Ask anybody who tries to beat her. This a a venue where the coaches get schooled by their kids. Consider coaches Brian George, Shane Chipp and Flash Buddy who seem to be getting driven into the boards by the likes of Tim George (heavy hitter), out skated by Jason Chipp, and out scored by Max Alexander. His dad still thinks all those posts he hits are flukes.

There are no membership requirements other than to show up with a stick and a pair of skates. Players begin arriving as early as eight to beat the summer heat and play through the noon hour.  So come on out and enjoy the fruits of Fort Collins. It’s hockey eh?!

Under the expert coaching from Dan Timmons and Clayton Kvasager, the Fort Collins High Hockey Team is cutting through opponents like a knife through butter. This weekends games were no different with wins over Loveland (7-3) and Dakota Ridge (9-3). Today the Fort Collins Hockey team is in first place in the Tier III division with fourteen points. Their nearest opponents are Rocky and Columbine with twelve points each.

Shot by Matt Nagel - Puck On Its Way into the Net

The Friday night game had the team playing in front of the largest crowds seen this season. In fact it was the largest assemblage of fans many players had seen in their young careers! Groups of students had coalesced and were loudly bantering back and forth, their teen-age voices echoing off the stone walls and ice floor of the EPIC hockey arena. This reporter has been coaching and attending hockey games since 1999 and it was the first time attendance of security personnel made sense. I’ll take that duty much more seriously in the future.

Fort Collins High School Hockey Fans

Adam Crawford was net minder for the game whom at this point in the season is enjoying a 2.28 Goals Average Allowed (GAA). Scoring leaders with ten point or more include Cody Palumbo (17pts), Nick Whynott (17pts), Ross Stults (15pts), Tyler Schott (12pts) and Rodger Maddox (10pts). C’mon Matt Nagel, only one more point and you too can join this illustrious group. It wouldn’t be fair not to include the top three penalty leaders, just to keep things in perspective. They include Tyler Schott (16!), Brandon Uhl (14) and Ross Stults (12).

If you want to see some great hockey then come out and support the team. There are plenty of home games left.

See the Photos »

See the Stats

• vs. Loveland/Windsor »
• vs. Dakota Ridge »

Jule Smith, owner of Rocky Mountain Videos has some very affordable video DVDs’ available from the weekends games.

Visit»