Yoder opened the scoring in the game at 8:20 of the first period off a rink-wide pass from Anthony Miner (Glendora, Calif.). Finland recorded its first of four power-play goals to tie the game at 3:43 of the second period.

Finland then tallied three straight goals, two of which came on the power play, to take a 4-1 lead midway through the third quarter. Yoder made it a two-goal game with a one-timer from the left circle at 5:40. Finland added another goal with 1:12 remaining in the third quarter to send the U.S. into the final frame trailing, 5-2.

Travis Noe (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) scored two goals in the final quarter to bring Team USA within a goal. Despite a furious effort in the final minutes of the game, the U.S. was unable to find the equalizer.

Jerry Kuhn (Southgate, Mich.) recorded 28 saves for the U.S., while Juha Taponen made 36 saves for Finland.

All games from the of the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation InLine Hockey World Championship are streamed live and for free on IIHF.com. Use the hashtag #InlineWC on Twitter to join the conversation surrounding the tournament.

NOTES: C.J. Yoder was named Team USA’s Player of the Game … Former U.S. Inline National Team member Joe Cook is the head coach for the 2012 U.S. Inline National Team for the third time (1999-2000), while Jami Yoder, who is also a former member of the U.S. Inline National Team, is serving as an assistant coach. Corey Rastello is the equipment manager for the team and Brian Brewster is the athletic trainer … Defenseman C.J. Yoder is the captain of Team USA. The alternate captains are Rafael Rodriguez and Greg Thompson … In the 15-year history of the IIHF InLine Hockey World Championship, the United States has earned gold medals in 1996, 1997, 2004, 2006 and 2010; silver medals in 1998, 2001, 2009 and 2011; and bronze medals at the 2000, 2003 and 2005 tournaments. There was no tournament played in 1999.

GAME SUMMARY
Scoring By Period
USA
1 -0-1-2 = 4
FIN
0-1-4-0 = 5
First Period – Scoring: 1, USA, Yoder (Miner, Lee), 8:20. Penalties: FIN, Huhtala (roughing), 9:38.

Second Period – Scoring: 2, FIN, Saarinen (Miettinen), 3:43, (pp). Penalties: USA, Cadiz (slashing), 2:44; USA, Rodriguez (hooking), 6:35; USA, Thompson (hooking), 8:51.

Third Period – Scoring: 3, FIN, Lappalainen (Markkanen), 1:20; 4, FIN, Lappalainen (Markkanen), 3:14 (pp); 5, FIN, Kuusela (Saarinen), 4:19 (pp); 6, USA, Yoder (Cadiz), 5:40; 7, FIN, Miettinen (Pellinen), 10:48, (pp). Penalties: USA, Cadiz (tripping), 2:36; USA, Kuhn (slashing), 3:47; USA, Campbell (hooking), 9:46.

Fourth Period – Scoring: 8, USA, Noe (Miner, Yoder), 1:17, (pp); 9, USA, Noe, 9:36. Penalties: FIN, Suhonen (hooking), 2:20; FIN, Miettinen (slashing), 6:01; FIN, Lappalainen (cross-checking), 6:56; USA, Gawrys (slashing), 11:26.

Goaltenders (SH/SV)
USA, Kuhn, 46:55
33/28

FIN, Taponen, 48:00
40/36

Power Play: USA 1-5; FIN 4-7

Penalties: USA 7-10.5; FIN 5-7.5

Click here to enter your team in the most unique tournament you or your team will ever play in.

Grab your Skates and Flip Flops, TCS Roller Hockey is taking it to the Beach!

Be a part of the newest, most exciting tournament series in Inline Hockey!

Come join us at North Avenue Beach Sports in beautiful down Chicago.

-Entry Fee: $395 Per Team + TCSRH Membership ($20 – Year/$10 – Weekend)
-3 on 3!
-Registration Deadline: Monday before each event
-Age Divisions: 8u, 10u, 12u, 14u, 16u, 18u, Adult, 30+, 40+
-Gold, Silver, & Bronze divisions will be offered pending # of teams entered

*1st & 2nd Place: Team Trophies & Individual Awards

Along with the great fun and competitive hockey that TCS Roller Hockey provides, your team and fans will get to experience the beautiful scenery of downtown Chicago. The rink is strategically placed on North Avenue Beach. Not only is the skyline in clear view, but the hockey is played steps away from Lake Michigan. Play the game, then take a dip in the cool lake, or lie in the sun and work on your tan. What a way to spend the weekend!

Many would consider Melton one of the modern game’s innovators and easily one of the best coaches ever. He won countless national titles in USARS, NARCh, AAU, and AIRHS. He also spent some time as coach to the Team USA program. He retired from the sport in 2001, selling his rink and dissolving AIRHS, but his legacy would live on with the countless players who grew up playing Coliseum and 99ers hockey. Melton made a brief comeback in the sport, as the coach of the AIHL’s Philadelphia Brawlers in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. It was reported he passed away from a heart attack sometime on Sunday, March 26, 2012. He was simply a legend in the sport and will be missed.

Friday night games 1 and 2 could not have gone any better if you were a fan of the game and the Sting. Both games ended in a 3-2 score going to the Eastern Conference Champions and both games were right down to the wire. Game 1 saw the Prowlers come out strong and take a 2-0 lead into period two only to see the star studded Sting team come back and go ahead on a Jon Mosenson goal with less than a minute to play. Game two ended in similar fashion but took some extra time after a see-saw battle found the teams tied at 2 after 2. A penalty call in overtime put roller hockey stars Thompson, McGuinness, Healy, and Mosenson on the floor together and finished off the Prowler hopes at a split as Greg Thompson scored the game winner just before the penalty ended.

Saturday’s games proved to be more great matchups and the Prowlers showed they didn’t make the trip to Harrisburg to watch, as they spread the wealth in Game 3 taking it 5-2 and seeing a number of guys get into the scoring action. Pivitol game 4 was one the Parker team needed to have but after all was said and done the Finals MVP and Sting captain, Greg Thompson, came thru again in overtime to push the Sting into a commanding 3 games to 1 lead heading into Sunday.

The Suffolk Sting eventually took it to the Prowlers in Game 5 as they rolled on to win the deciding game 5-2 and hoisted the Founders Cup for the first time in franchise history. “It was a great series, Parker is a tremendous team and still very young with a lot of good years ahead of them. We will enjoy these wins,” said playoff MVP Greg Thompson. The Sting organization had a great weekend as the Minor Division was also taken by the Suffolk Sting as they swept the Parker Prowlers in two games during Sunday’s Final 3 game series. The teams split during round robin play but the entire Sting organization was on a roll this past Sunday and couldn’t be stopped. “It was not a bad weekend for our guys, they all played very well and have worked hard to get these championships. We are looking forward to next year and hope we can keep getting better as the talent in PIHA picks up,” commented the organization’s owner, Jason Muro.

“The weekend was an unbelievable success and we are excited for the years to come. The league would like to thank all the players, coaches, fans and supporters of this weekends events. The Susquehanna Sports Center and its staff did a tremendous job; we look forward to hosting even more right here in Central Pennsylvania,” says league Commissioner, Denis Jelcic.

The weekend will also showcase the Minor Division Finals as the final four teams will play to see who the best minor team in the league is. The east will be represented by the Scottsdale Inferno from the Pittsburgh, PA area while the Sting organization will also be sending their minor team. A very good West Parker Prowlers team heads east out of Denver, CO while the Front Range Thunder takes advantage of the trip east from Colorado Springs, CO. These teams will play a round robin format culminating on Sunday with two 3-game series to see who is crowned champions. Masters and Junior divisions will also be playing during the weekend making for an action packed weekend at the Sports Center.

“We are very excited to be hosting the finals out east this year. The pros should be a great series and the minor teams coming are very, very talented. The league looks forward to seeing everyone in Harrisburg and having a great weekend of hockey,” commented league founder, Charley Yoder. Weekend’s events begin Friday night with the season ending on Sunday. Tickets for the weekend are $5 a day or $10 for the weekend with all kids 8 and under getting in free. If you aren’t in town and still want to take in all the action, you can watch live on Justin.tv. The league looks forward to a packed house and great hockey this coming weekend. Check out the schedule of events below:

Notion Hockey is still in need of 2 more full time players for its 12U team. Our club runs out of Huntington Beach Inline in Orange County. I am still short 2 full time players to come on board and be ready to play with us the rest of the Season (WIHA, NARCh and AAU JO’s). If you think you would be interested please get in contact with me. We run practice every week on Fridays at 4:50 P.M. over at HB, if you would like to check us out or come skate with the team. I can be reached at notionhockey@gmail.com or on my cell 714.814.7129.

Coach Josh

The registration deadline is TOMORROW. If you are planning to play in this event and need the weekend to collect your teams fees, as long as you communicate with us we will not charge you the late fee.

The registration form and all paperwork can be found on the NARCh website: East Coast Winternationals Info

One very exciting part of this event is that we have a TON of teams traveling in from out of state to compete, approx 30 in all. If you live in the area and feel that you always get stuck playing the same teams every tournament, there’s no reason you shouldn’t already be signed up! Don’t blow this great opportunity to play a variety of teams without having to travel a great distance to do so.

If you are playing in the event and traveling in, here are the two hotels we recommend. They’re the closest hotels and they’re offering great deals!

Holiday Inn Express – $86, includes breakfast 919-387-3636

Comfort Inn – $75, includes breakfast 919-387-4600

Mention NARCh to get this rate!

See you at Dreamsports!

Daryn Goodwin – NARCh President
daryn@narch.com

This is the ONLY Roller Hockey Tournament that you NEED to Play in 2012! Here’s why………

TCS Roller Hockey has decided to change the game. We will no longer require teams to play in one of our regional tournaments to qualify for our Finals! All teams are open to participate in what promises to be the most well run, competitive, and exciting roller hockey tournament in 2012! No other tournament puts forth more energy and rewards its participants more than TCS Roller Hockey. No one!

Not only are we jacked up about this opportunity, but we are privileged to have the support of some of the key players from the Amherst Center and the Cheektowaga Rec Center. Here’s what they had to say when asked about TCS Roller Hockey coming to Buffalo:

“I was elated to hear TCS Roller Hockey had selected Buffalo to host the 2012 Finals. Summer 2012 will prove to be an exciting time for the roller hockey scene here in Buffalo, and I am pleased to be partnering with Cheektowaga Recreation Center and TCS Roller Hockey on this venture. Buffalo is sure to offer an environment full of energy, enthusiasm, and a competitive spirit, perfect for an event such as this.”

Eric Haak
President and CEO
Western New York Roller Hockey

“Having the TCS Roller Hockey Finals coming to Buffalo and the Buffalo Storm being involved with a great organization like the Buffalo Wings, will be like blowing fresh life into the clay for Inline Hockey in the Buffalo area!”

Tony Pierino
Buffalo Storm Inline

It is so refreshing to see two great roller hockey organizations like the Buffalo Storm and Buffalo Wings come together to support each other, and this event, for the betterment of the sport we love. Just another reason to believe that this Finals will be the can’t miss Tournament for 2012!

For more information on TCS Roller Hockey and our upcoming events, please visit www.TCSRollerHockey.com.

We wish you and your family a great New Year and hope to see you on the rink really soon!

The Winter Wars events are really shaping up and it’s still fairly early in the year. As always, we are really looking forward to these tournaments and can’t wait to see all of the familiar State Wars families and players. It looks like we will also have some “new blood”, so we can’t wait to meet the new teams! Make sure you register your team now because we do not want you to get blocked out. All of the forms you need to register your team are on our site.

Most excited for in 2012:
(No particular order)

THE RINKS:

Getting the RINKS facilities on board and hosting tryouts in Huntington Beach, CA. As a player growing up there were always “stud” teams and players that came out of these rinks. Not only is this is a great facility but they do a great job at growing the sport. Back in my day the Huntington Beach rink was known as “Coast 2 Coast” where the OC Blades used to play out of it. This is a rich area for roller hockey and we are very excited to get some new players involved with State Wars Hockey.

MID WEST WARS:

Our first ever Mid West Wars will be held at the Joe Dumars Field House and at “The New Rink” (April 13-15). Hockey Town is known for some of the best hockey teams in the country. We are really looking forward to a sold out tournament and already have loads of out of state teams committed for the event. Michigan state directors, Matt Koleski and Dave Zarem are really amped up for the event and are really pushing for this event to be top notch. Ice hockey season is coming to an end during this time so we are approaching this as a, “welcome back” to roller hockey tournament. Make sure you register now!

NEW STATES:

We have gotten a number of calls/emails about possibly some new states getting on board for 2012. I’m not going to announce any of them now but you will find out as the year goes on! “New blood” is great for the game and it will make State Wars that much better!

ST.LOUIS:

As many of you know State Wars 8 will be held in St. Peters, Missouri (August 1-12) at the beautiful Rec Plex. Downtown St. Louis is about 30 minutes away from St. Peters and it is a really easy drive down there. You can check out the new Busch Stadium and hopefully check out the World Series Champions, St. Louis Cardinals. Some of you may know, but I actually lived in St. Louis for four years during my college days. Not only am I familiar with the area but also I can guarantee that families will love their STL experience! The rink is almost brand new and the facility is top notch. All of the rinks are NHL size and the lighting/seating is perfect! There are concession areas all over the place and the beer will be on tap! My guess is that it will be a majority of Anheuser-Busch (Just a wild guess). Obviously, ONLY for the parents and players who are 21 and over. There is a huge field area for players to run around on and play soccer or whatever the case may be. Maybe some pre game calisthenics? St. Charles is a couple miles away and it is a huge historical area. Lots to do and see and there is a great “old school” feel to it. Cobblestone roads and lots of neat little shops. My mother used to spend hours down there! Great nightlife and awesome restaurants down on main street too! I was out there for a good friend’s wedding (Tom Bruce, Missouri Meltdown) over the summer and we played an awesome game called demolition ball. Make sure you check out this site. I think it would be a great team building game. If you any questions about the area please feel free to email me!

GREAT HOCKEY:

Over the years we have been very fortunate to have some of the best players in our sport involved with State Wars. This year we really think this is going to be our best year. Missouri is home to some of the best players in our game and we think that this event will get some players out of the “wood work”. I am sure you will see some of the top ice hockey players who do not normally play roller hockey in St. Peters this summer. Overall, this will make the tournament ten times stronger because other states know that Missouri will be making a strong appearance. State directors, players, and parents will definitely look to get the top players at their state tryout so they can take down Missouri! There are also a couple local roller hockey rinks in the area so if you want to practice before or even during the tournament please let us know so we can get you information.

I hope this information helped some of you out who had questions about State Wars. Good luck to all of the teams who are playing in other events this winter and we hope to see you at Winter Wars or maybe even our first annual Mid West Wars.

For questions, please email Greg@statewarshockey.com

With the MLRH West down to a battle for second-place behind the undefeated Mission Axiom, MLRH fans attention now turns to a 45-day mad dash in the MLRH East with twelve games packed into 45 days- – with every team in the chase.
Best of all, it’s going to be a bruising, knock down battle in a division where finesse takes a back seat to big hits, dropping the gloves and a generous helping of trash talk. Welcome to the MLRH East boys and girls where the Chicago Carnage, Detroit Assault, Buffalo Excitement and the New York Rockers are poised to create mayhem in a division that considers itself “tougher than the rest,”

After an opening round that had new MLRH fans in Hockeytown (technically, Novi MI, a Detroit suburb) cheering every hit, all four teams left the arena promising to add some bigger heavy hitters for round two. Kenny Van Skye, the Chicago GM, promises an even tougher version of his team and Andy Billheimer has told anyone who will listen that the NY Rockers will be tougher
next time around and the Buffalo Excitement promise wholesale changes. Only the Detroit Assault seem content to keep their lineup intact.

Who will win is anybody’s guess but one thing is certain… but come championship weekend, California fans are guaranteed a show of old- time, blue-collar hockey. These teams wouldn’t want it any other way.

GM Andy Billheimer Signs New Player For New York Rockers…Andy Billheimer

Eight months ago, Andy Billheimer thought he would never play again and, to keep his hand in the game, signed on as coach of the NY Rockers. After two hockey concussions, it was a work accident that brought Billheimer down when a skid dropped on his head. 4Now, with a clean bill of health,the high scoring forward is “lacing ‘em up” for the Rockers. Keep your head up Andy!

Roller Hockey TV to air from Arizona

The details have yet to be finalized but MLRH and Roller Hockey TV have committed to broadcast an Arizona Arsenal game live from the Castle in Phoenix. The Arsenal, a 2011-12 expansion team have set the standard for expansion teams in MLRH and the league is eager to award them a TV date. ‘This team has been just great and so professional in everything they do. I wish we could clone them,”laughed MLRH commissioner Doug Jones. Without a doubt, the Arsenal play in the most unique arena in MLRH, with an actual castle facade.