Long Beach State Roller Hockey Team Ranked No. 2 in Nation; Playing in National Tournament This Week

Long Beach State roller hockey, which competes as a club team at the university, is set to play in the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association (NCRHA) National Championship Tournament April 4-7 at the Matteson Square Gardens Tri-Plex in St. Peters, Mo.

The 49ers finished the regular season with a 24-2 overall record, and they are ranked No. 2 in the nation heading into the national tournament. This will mark the team's second straight appearance at nationals in only its third year of existence.

Twenty teams will compete in the national tournament, playing in round-robin action the first day, and then those advancing will take part in single-elimination play the final two days. Each team is guaranteed of a minimum of four games.

Long Beach State captured first place in the Western Collegiate Roller Hockey League (WCRHL-the West Coast NCRHA member league) regular season with a 19-1 record and earned an automatic bid to the national tournament by winning the WCRHL Regional Championship held March 3-4 at the Anaheim Hockey Club.

Long Beach State played five games during two days of regional competition, collecting victories in each with wins over UC San Diego (5-0), University of Southern California (10-1), University of Nevada (5-3), University of San Diego (6-1) and UC San Diego (7-2) to capture the WCRHL regional title. The final two wins came in round-robin competition between the University of San Diego, UC San Diego and Long Beach State. The University of San Diego, Cal Poly Pomona and University of Nevada will also represent the WCRHL at the national tournament.

For the regular season, Long Beach State had three WCRHL All-Stars -- sophomore Justin Barney and freshman Ryan Burrows, both from Yorba Linda, and senior Jeff Aoki from Fountain Valley.

-- Shayne Schroeder

http://karl.papubs.csulb.edu/news-events/story.cfm?hackid=775