Pre-nationals Tournaments

[InlineMBA]

UNLV is pretty smart - they're playing in the NARCh Regional this weekend in Las Vegas.

http://www.narch.com/attachments/030708_vegas.pdf

Here's the rest of the NARCh Regionals being held before Nationals:

March 14th-16th - Skate Zone @ Lake Worth, FL
March 28th-30th - Center Circle @ Rahway, NJ
March 29th-30th - Silver Creek Sports Comp @ San Jose, CA
http://www.narch.com/attachments/08regsched.pdf

Here's the upcoming TORHS Schedule:

March 14th-16th - Tab Ramos Sports Center @ Aberdeen, NJ
March 14th-16th - Jopa Sports @ Houston, TX
March 28th-31st - Matteson Square Gardens @ St. Peters, MO
April the 4th-6th - Harrison City Hockey Complex @ Gulfport, MS
April the 4th-6th - Capital Clubhouse @ Waldorf, MD
http://www.torhs.com/

Here's AAU's upcoming Regional Schedule:

March 14th-16th - Sportsplex @ Feasterville, PA
March 14th-16th - All American Sports Mall @ St. Louis, MO
March 28th-30th - Sportzone 2 @ New Port Richey, FL
March 28th-30th - Joe Dumars Fieldhouse @ Detroit, MI
April the 4th-6th - Jopa Sports @ Houston, Tx
April the 4th-6th - Carolina Sportsplex @ Raleigh, NC
http://aauhockeytournaments.org/

And, here's 2Hot4Ice's Schedule:

March 14th-16th - J.C.C. Detroit @ Detroit, MI
March 28th-30th - Face Off Hockey Center @ Denton, TX
March 28th-30th - Hot Shots Arena @ Mt Pleasant, PA
http://2hot4ice.com/2006web/tournaments/events.html

Found this tournament for Tour Cup:

April the 4th-6th - Hat Trick Hockey @ Palatine, IL
http://sportsplexstc.net/files/all3tourcups8112.pdf

It sure makes a heck of a lot of sense for Nationals bound teams to play in a Regional Tournament, in the Adult Division, before Nationals.

And, I'm sure there's plenty more out there,

Steve Inge - ROXBURY 8

[UNLVIH]

We are in the qualifier but the competition isn't gonna be all that great. Also, seeing that we had regionals last weekend, it's tough for a lot of our players to get work off twice in a row and some had to drop out. We entered mostly because it was in town, truth be told. The facility it's held at isn't our favorite either (gripes with the owner...) but bottom line is any hockey is better than no hockey!

[alex]

We are in the qualifier but the competition isn't gonna be all that great. Also, seeing that we had regionals last weekend, it's tough for a lot of our players to get work off twice in a row and some had to drop out. We entered mostly because it was in town, truth be told. The facility it's held at isn't our favorite either (gripes with the owner...) but bottom line is any hockey is better than no hockey!

Isn't LVRCH the only rink in Vegas?

[UNLVIH]

LVRHC is the only rink with Sportcourt in Vegas, but the facility is crap. We skate at Crystal Palace on a wood floor. It's a good place to practice. If I was a business guy and had more capital to work with, I would definitely consider opening a premium facility in Las Vegas... it's something that's lacking, and Vegas is a great venue for tournaments.

[alex]

LVRHC is the only rink with Sportcourt in Vegas, but the facility is crap. We skate at Crystal Palace on a wood floor. It's a good place to practice. If I was a business guy and had more capital to work with, I would definitely consider opening a premium facility in Las Vegas... it's something that's lacking, and Vegas is a great venue for tournaments.

Oh, ok, didn't know Crystal Palace was still there. Yeah, you'd think there'd be a top notch facility in Vegas. We're heading up there today for the tournament. I hope the rink is better than last time I was there for USA Inline Cup. Unfortunately, I think the poor facility might be one of the biggest hang ups to bringing PIHA to Vegas next year.

[UNLVIH]

USA Inline was a joke... 24-hr schedule? We got shafted, we played at 6am, 1am and 4am. I don't believe the facility has changed much since then but I couldn't tell you, none of us play there.

[PGHhockey]

I've been playing in a dekhockey tournament at LVRHC for 3 years now, and as well as the tournament is run and as good as the competition is - that's about how bad the facility sucks.

2 bathrooms, each with only 1 toilet. Are you serious? That was the first time in my life I've ever experienced what it's like to be a woman waiting in line for the bathroom. I guess I can relate to females just a wee little bit more now.

But, given the ridiculous cost of real estate and building in Vegas, combined with the fact that the unions now act like the Mob out there (maybe Jimmy Hoffa is still alive and calling the shots), and that you'd need a heck of a lot more interest to build a bigger, better facility - I guess I understand why they're still operating the way they are.

By the way, the first year they did that tournament was in '06 - and we played the playoffs on Sunday on a rink built inside the Paris casino during the week of the Lets Play Hockey convention - and as cool as it sounds to play in the Paris, it was horrible. Poor lighting was the big problem.

At least they had free bottled water for us.

[Downz39]

I was wondering what happened to the UNLV guys that played there, I just assumed what was said. I agree with Louis that the USA schedule was crappy for normal folk, but great from someone like me who works swing/grave and is up those hours. I'm playing this weekend, have no clue who is on my team, but I think there is competition enough with just Pama Chupacabraz who is a Men's Platinum finalist at basically every National. Alex I think I played with you on Takacs team for USA Inline? Good luck to everyone playing this weekend, and to UNLV at Nationals, they are definitely a solild team, and I'm not sad that some of them will miss this weekend. I hate them. Not because they are bad guys, because they aren't, but because they are young and fast, I'm slow and old, and I can't chase them around all game long. As for having PIHA in Vegas, I'm praying Stio can get it together, because there is talent here, just hoping problems like the UNLV guys have won't keep them from playing, because they would be a great addition or foundation.

[UNLVIH]

Is that Mike Downey? Wild guess here =D

Yes real estate is extreme here in Vegas. There USED to be the necessary interest to run a quality establishment but a lot of the stuff that happened three or four years ago ended up with many of the roller guys migrating to ice.

A few of us had actually developed a business proposal to grow a quality facility in Vegas and it's quite viable, you just need to move into a good location. Building your own place is almost out of the question, you nailed that one on the head.

And I remember when they had the games at the Paris, wasn't that during Topcat?

[Downz39]

Good guess buddy. I don't know how you got it, haha. I would love if the facility was in a different area. I know when I first moved out here it was at that place on Sunset, but by the time I started playing there it was on Sahara. It just sucks to go in and out of the rink and have bums there asking for money. Not to mention the hookers and transvestites that are nearby. Ahh hopefully there will be a rink one day where you don't have to hold your sticks in a position to defend yourself on the walk to the car.

Louis I sent you a PM.

[PGHhockey]

I can't recall if Topcat was going on during that time or not...

But speaking of, has anyone heard of a resurrection? I considered making a move to buy Topcat a while back, but I felt the market was kinda flooded at that point. Is it still for sale?

And yes, the rink is certainly not in the best part of town. Vegas is such a great city for tournaments, too.

What other Adult tournaments are run in Vegas besides USAHIL?

[UNLVIH]

That's about it. Nobody wants to bring their tournament here, the facility sucks that much. I'm afraid it's gotten worse since I was last there several months ago; the bathroom situation is ridiculous. It really is a shame.

I find it difficult to believe that anyone could run a decent tournament at his rink. I think that we can see that with the amount of teams that entered in this NARCh qualifier (there were very few). All the RR games were run over the course of one day, basically. You'd expect just the opposite for a Vegas tournament but this is what it's come to...