Four League teams set for exhibition games on East Coast
The United States Hockey League preseason begins with four Member Clubs participating in the USHL Atlantic Challenge in East Meadow, New York from September 5-7th, 2014.
Three teams from the USHL Eastern Conference and one from the Western Conference are scheduled to participate in the preseason event. The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Muskegon Lumberjacks will make a return after competing last season in the inaugural USHL Atlantic Challenge, while the Lincoln Stars and Team USA Under-18 squad make their first appearance in the preseason showcase.
The second annual event is being hosted by the Long Island Gulls and New York Bobcats youth and junior hockey organizations. Games are begin played at the brand new Twin Rinks Ice Center of Eisenhower Park, a 165,000 square foot hockey and entertainment facility that opened this past March with two NHL-sized ice surfaces in addition to dedicated off-ice fitness and training areas. The center is also home to Ferraro Brothers Hockey development camps and clinics which are owned and operated by USHL alumni Chris Ferraro and Peter Ferraro. The brothers are also part-owners of the Muskegon Lumberjacks.
The USHL Atlantic Challenge is the largest exhibition of USHL talent outside the League’s Midwest-based footprint, providing fans, players, and scouts in the East Coast region a first-hand look at the nation’s only Tier I junior league. Last season’s event attracted numerous scouts from NHL teams and NCAA Division I hockey programs.
“We are delighted to have an opportunity once again to showcase the USHL brand of junior hockey in the East,” said Bob Fallen, USHL President and Commissioner. “This event provides players, coaches, and families in the region that are unfamiliar with Tier 1 junior hockey a glimpse of the speed and skill required to play at this level. Last year’s inaugural event was a huge success, and we look forward to another quality experience this September having this event at the brand new Twin Rinks Ice Center.”
USHL Atlantic Challenge Schedule
Friday, September 5th
5:00 PM – Cedar Rapids RoughRiders vs. Lincoln Stars
8:00 PM – Team USA vs. Muskegon Lumberjacks
Saturday, September 6th
3:30 PM – Lincoln Stars vs. Team USA
6:30 PM – Muskegon Lumberjacks vs. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
Sunday, September 7th
12:30 PM – Lincoln Stars vs. Muskegon Lumberjacks
*All times are Eastern Daylight Time
In addition to the USHL preseason games, the USHL Atlantic Challenge features an invitational tournament for some of the region’s top Under-16, Under-18, and Tier III youth and junior programs. A full list of teams and schedule of games for that tournament will be released later this summer.
USHL games played during the USHL Atlantic Challenge can be viewed live or on-demand via FASTHockey, the League’s broadband broadcast provider, and all live scoring of the games can be found on the USHL Scoreboard powered by Pointstreak.
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the USHL celebrates its 13th season as the nation’s only Tier I junior hockey league in 2014-15. A record 35 players were chosen in the 2014 NHL Draft and more than 300 players on team rosters last season have committed to NCAA Division I schools, further establishing the USHL as the world’s foremost producer of junior hockey talent. For more information, visit us on the web at www.USHL.com or visit the League’s social media platforms, including Facebook (www.facebook.com/ushlhockey), twitter (www.twitter.com/ushl), and YouTube (www.youtube.com/ushlinteractive). Fans can also watch USHL action all season long, live or on-demand via FASTHockey (ushl.fasthockey.com).
It’s not just hockey. It’s the USHL.
