J.P. Igloo to host 2004 Tier II Midget USA Hockey National Championship

JP Igloo will be the site of the 2004 Tier II Midget USA Hockey National Championship in the 16 year-old and under age division. Twelve teams from all over the United States will come to Ellenton, Florida to compete for the USA Hockey National Championship title.

Teams must qualify by winning their respective state championships, and then win one of 11 District playoffs to be selected as a finalist and compete in the National Championship at J.P. Igloo. The eleven districts are: Alaska, Mid-America, New England, Rocky Mountain, Atlantic, New York, Massachusetts, Pacific, Michigan, Southeast, and Central.

According to Frank Scarpaci, J.P. Igloo Director of Hockey, The National Championship is a very prestigious event and we are elated that our rink has been selected as a host site. Scarpaci continued, This is a very exciting time for Hockey in Florida and give us the opportunity to showcase the best Florida has to offer both on and off the ice. It is estimated that 1,200 hotel rooms will be filled by this event resulting in a strong economic impact for the Bradenton/Ellenton and Tampa Bay areas.

As the local host, J.P. Igloo�s Ellenton Eels Tier II Midget team will be the 12th team competing in the National Championship. The Eels team competes in the Central Florida Hockey League. The Eels are in the midst of a very successful season. Two of the players lead the league in points, and the team is currently in second place in CFHL standings. Team members include nine local players from the greater Tampa area, five players from Orlando, one from Plantation, three from Pembroke Pines and one from West Palm Beach.

In tournament play, the team finished in first place in the 3rd Annual Labor Day Tournament, were runner-ups in the Pembroke Pines Shootout in August; and most recently won the Tier II Columbus Day AA Midget Bracket in Marlboro Massachusetts. The Eels were clearly the underdogs entering the Columbus Day Tournament where they competed against top teams from New Jersey and Massachusetts.

A majority of the Ellenton Eels� players attend the Stephen Husmann Preparatory Academy (Husmann Prep), located in JP Igloo. Husmann Prep is a fully accredited private school that specializes in providing superior educational opportunities for the athletically and academically gifted. It is modeled after the New England Preparatory Schools. The Academy has 65 students, in grades 3 through 12. The School not only trains hockey players but also has a strong figure skating component, educating world-class figure skaters.

The Eel players attend school 9 hours per day. They train 2 hours daily on the ice and average one hour per day on personal fitness and weight training. The players then train 3 nights per week for 1 hour and plays an average of 2 games every weekend. The players maintain a rigorous academic schedule preparing them for college; the national championships and affords them the opportunity to realize their dreams of playing for the US Olympic Team.

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J.P. Igloo to host 2004 Tier II Midget USA Hockey National Championship