By Ike Richman
USA Hockey Correspondent

USA Hockey Tier II 12 and Under National Championships From March 30 until April 3 at Sovereign Bank Flyers Skate Zone at Voorhees; Nation's Best Youth Hockey Players will Showcase Talent in Elite Tournament

The nation's best Tier II PeeWee youth hockey players will compete in the 2005 USA Hockey Tier II 12 & Under National Championships from Wednesday, March 30 through Sunday, April 3, 2005 at the Sovereign Bank Flyers Skate Zone at Voorhees (601 Laurel Oak Road; 856-309-4400).

Twelve teams were selected to compete from 11 geographical districts. Two area teams are from the Atlantic district: the Quakers (West Chester, PA) and the host team, Flyers Youth (Voorhees, NJ). The districts that will be represented are New York, New England, Pacific, Rocky Mountain, Atlantic, Southeastern, Mid-American, Michigan, Alaska, Massachusetts, Central, and Host. All teams have qualified for National Championships by winning their respective District Championship; Flyers Youth gets an automatic berth as the host team. The Quakers qualified by winning the Atlantic District Tier II District Playoffs, beating the American Eagles two games out of three, following a round robin that included the top four teams from each of the New Jersey Youth Hockey League (NJYHL) and Delaware Valley Hockey League (DVHL).

The first game of the tournament will be held on Wednesday, March 30, 2005 at 10:30 a.m. with the Hudson Valley Polar Bears (Newburgh, NY) taking on the Biddeford Ice Warriors (Biddeford, ME). The Flyers Youth will play their first game on Wednesday, March 30 at 4:15 p.m. versus the Central Division Champions, the Saint Louis Rockets (St. Louis, MO). The Atlantic Division Champions, the West Chester Quakers, will play their first game on Wednesday, March 30 at 12:45 p.m. versus the Southeastern Division Champions, the East Coast Eagles (Cary, NC).

Later that evening, the Opening Ceremony will officially welcome the athletes, coaches, family and friends to the competition at 7 p.m. followed by the Easton Skills Challenge at 8 p.m. Each team participating in the tournament will play a minimum of three games. The 12 teams will play a round robin within their division. The top four teams in each division based on their record will move on to the Quarter and Semi-Finals. The championship game will be held on Sunday, April 3 at 1 p.m.

The cost of admission varies. All persons eight years of age and older must have a ticket in order to enter the arena. Adults (18 and over) can purchase a Day Ticket for $10 or a Tournament Pass for $25 (includes program); Children (eight to 17) can enter with a Day Ticket for $5 or a Tournament Pass for $12 (includes program).

"The Sovereign Bank Flyers Skate Zone at Voorhees staff is extremely proud and excited to host this competition," said Comcast-Spectacor Vice President of Rink Management and Development Pat Ferrill. "It is through the hard work and determination of each of these players that we have 12 outstanding teams participating in this very competitive national tournament".

USA Hockey is the national governing body for the sport of hockey in the United States. Its mission is to promote the growth of hockey in America and provide the best possible experience for all participants by encouraging, developing, advancing and administering the sport. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA Hockey is the official representative to the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). To learn more about USA Hockey, log onto their website, www.usahockey.com.