PIHA Gateway Insider

Charity Partnership and much more...

2008-01-16T17:00:00.000-06:00

All About the Kids!
PIHA Gateway and Variety The Children's Charity of St. Louis Form Partnership
Four special nights planned at PIHA Gateway games with Variety kids.
St. Louis, MO - January 16th, 2008 -

PIHA Gateway and Variety the Children's Charity of St. Louis have formed a relationship. Variety is now the official charity of PIHA Gateway. Variety assists children with physical and mental disabilities in the Greater St. Louis region, EACH time they need assistance from infancy to the age of 21. Beginning next Saturday, each rink in St. Louis will be hosting a special Variety Night during a PIHA game. Variety kids will get to meet the players, watch some great hockey, and as a special treat the Variety Children's Choir will be singing the national anthem. "We are delighted about this new partnership," said Variety Executive Director Jan Albus. "It will be a lot of fun for our kids." "The PIHA players and management are extremely excited about welcoming Variety kids to the games and we are looking forward to making it an unforgettable night each time they come," added PIHA Gateway Director of Marketing and Public Relations David Garland.

The first Variety Club night is on January 26th at Midwest Sport Hockey. Subsequent nights include February 9th, March 14th, and April 12th. Make sure to grab a UPS Chuck-A-Puck on these special nights as all proceeds will be going to Variety. For more information on Variety the Children's Charity of St. Louis, visit www.varietystl.org

Variety the Children's Charity of St. Louis is the exclusive charity that serves children with physical and mental disabilities in the Greater St. Louis region, each time they need assistance, from
infancy to the age of 21. Variety reaches 200,000 children annually and is known around the world as the entertainment industry's charity.

Website Update: New Features Continue to be Added!

Fans logging onto www.pihagatewayhockey.com will notice some new features being added daily to the website that once completed will stand in front of the inline hockey world.

New features include:
-Photo galleries (credit to Jackie Smith, Kenny Daleo, and John and Susan Lawing for the amazing photos. Information on how to purchase photos is below)
-PIHA Gateway TV updates: Includes television interviews with David Garland and other players as well as a draft party clip featuring MANY PIHA Gateway players and families!

Coming soon:
-Radio Show Online: In case you miss the weekly radio show "Get Inline: Your Source for Professional Inline Hockey in St. Louis" you can catch the show on the website.
...plus stats, standings, scores, new news features, and much, much more coming soon.

More information on our photographers:
Jackie Smith www.photos-by-jackie.com
John and Susan Lawing (Lawing Photography) www.collages.net Latest games:
USERNAME: PIHA-01-13-08AAA
USERNAME: PIHA-01-13-08MINOR
USERNAME: PIHA-01-13-08PRO
The password for all of the sites is: 7405
Also a special thanks to Kenny Daleo who has been snapping some great photos as well.
Our photographers are excellent! Make sure to purchase photos of their sites and show your support.

A Look Ahead to NEXT WEEKEND (January 25th and 26th)

The first 500 fans to each game this weekend will get a great coupon from either CFM/Shell or On the Run Mobil!

Of course FREE 180 Energy drink will be provided for fans 13+ and UPS Chuck-A-Puck will make a splash with great prizes including a video-ready IPOD Nano!

Fri, Jan 25th: Police and Firemen Appreciation Night!

Friday January 25th at the Matteson Triplex
The Game: Midwest Tornados at St. Louis Cobras
The Times: 8:00 PM Pro with Minor Pro at 6:30 PM with AAA following Pro
The Fun: Police and Firemen will be on hand to hang out wit the kids who can meet real life hereos! Make sure to keep an eye out for the SPECIAL halftime show that will not be one to be missed.

Sat, Jan 26th: Variety Night **NOTE TIME CHANGE**

Saturday January 25th at Midwest Sport Hockey
The Game: River City Whalers at Midwest Tornados
The Times: Pro begins at 8:30 PM with Minor Pro at 7:00 PM and AAA following PRO! NOTE: Everything is ONE HOUR later than originally scheduled!
The Fun: Variety kids will be in the house to sing the national anthem and meet the players! All proceeds from Chuck-A-Puck will go directly to Variety the Children's Charity of St. Louis.

Tickets to all games are only $5 with kids 8-and-under ALWAYS Free! Log onto www.pihagatewayhockey.com for more information!

PIHA Gateway Radio Show: "Get Inline: Your Source for Professional Inline Hockey in St. Louis will be LIVE at 2:00 PM THIS SUNDAY on 1380 AM (the show will return to the normal 1-2 PM Saturday slot the following week)!

Make sure to tune in and learn all about PIHA Gateway and other inline hockey around St. Louis and the United States with host David Garland. Make sure to call in and be LIVE on the air.

Fans can call in by dialing 314-969-1380 in St. Louis and 1-800-491-1380 nationwide!

SPECIAL TIME AND DAY THIS WEEKEND: 2-3 PM SUNDAY Janaury 20th! Topics include a look at youth hockey in the area and much, much more!

PIHA Gateway LLC was formed to create a highly organized, grassroots-based, entertaining and professional inline hockey league with the goals of developing a loyal fan base, introducing newcomers to inline hockey, growing the sport at all levels, supporting local communities, and bringing inline hockey to the next the level.
-Highly organized
-Incredible presentation
-Fan friendly AFFORDABLE sports experience
-Integrated media approach (Internet, TV, radio, Podcasting, Newsletters)
-Fun entertainment for families and fans of all ages
- High accessibility of professional athletes
-Support of local charities and organizations
-Supported by businesses that want to see our sport and community flourish

Visit our website at www.pihagatewayhockey.com

Call into the radio show this Saturday plus all kinds of PIHA action in the STL!

2008-01-09T18:43:00.001-06:00

Ready for awesome hockey, live music, entertainment, and IPOD Nano?
Three nights and days of hockey action including debut of the Chicago Untouchables!
St. Louis, MO - January 9th, 2008 -

Hockey fans in St. Louis this weeked will certainly get their fix of fun. For the first weekend all season, PIHA fanatics will be treated to three days and nights of fun starting with the Cobras and Whalers on Friday night at Omni. The much anticipated debut of the Chicago Untouchables will occur on Saturday night at the Matteson Triplex vs. the Cobras. In case you missed it, the Untouchables will put on an encore performance for a special Sunday game vs. the Southside Snipers at All American.

Special guests, giveaways, performances, and discounts will occur throughout the weekend for fans of all ages! Last week TWO fans won flatscreen televisions! This weekend will you be the one to walk out with an brand new IPOD NANO?!?!

The first 500 fans to each game this weekend will get a great coupon from either CFM/Shell or On the Run Mobil!

Of course FREE 180 Energy drink will be provided for fans 13+ and UPS Chuck-A-Puck will make a splash with great prizes including a video-ready IPOD Nano!

Friday Night: Omni Youth/ Mobil Speedpass/Clownvis
Friday January 11th at Omni Sportsplex
The Game: St. Louis Cobras at River City Whalers
The Times: 8:00 PM Pro with Minor Pro at 6:30 PM with AAA following Pro
The Fun: He is part clown and part Elvis! CLOWNVIS will be on hand to put on a singing performance and entertain the crowd! Attention kids: make sure to come out and enter the FREE drawing for a FREE session of hockey at Omni. In addition, all kids that sign up on Friday night for their next hockey session will get $10 off and a free Blues hat. Fans will also get sign up for a free Mobil SPEEDPASS to make your gas-purchasing much easier.

Saturday: Mobil Speedpass and Untouchables!
Saturday January 12th at Matteson Triplex
The Game: Chicago Untouchables at St. Louis Cobras
The Times: Pro begins at 7:30 PM with Minor Pro at 6:00 PM and AAA (Whalers vs. Cobras) following PRO!
The Fun: Fans can pick up a FREE Mobil SPEEDPASS plus chuck your puck to win an IPOD Nano. Other surprises!

Sunday Special: 1380 Game of the Month/AZ ONE!
Sunday January 13th at All American Sports Mall
The Game: Chicago Untouchables at Southside Snipers
The Times: Pro 2:30 PM and Minor Pro at 1:00 PM. Come early for AAA (Cobras vs. Snipers) at 12:30 PM
The Fun: AZ ONE will be LIVE in performance! These talented ladies are worth the price of admission alone plus some! Kids make sure to pick up 1380 goodies while your parents sign up for a FREE Mobil Speedpass!

Tickets to all games are only $5 with kids 8-and-under ALWAYS Free! Log onto www.pihagatewayhockey.com for more information!

Two Flatscreen Televisions Won Last Weekend!
Congratulations to our two winners of the flatscreens this past weekend (photo left taken by Ken Daleo)! For awesome photos from the entire weekend, check out www.photos-by-jackie.com!

PIHA Gateway Radio Show: "Get Inline: Your Source for Professional Inline Hockey in St. Louis will be LIVE at 1:00 PM THIS SATURDAY on 1380 AM!

Make sure to tune in and learn all about PIHA Gateway and other inline hockey around St. Louis and the United States with host David Garland. Make sure to call in and be LIVE on the air. We will be discussing last week's games, the Chicago Untouchables looming debut, the history of pro inline hockey, and much, much, more! Special guests include Brian Tucker (Director of Game Operations) plus one more guest TBD! If you have a musical act or think you have what it takes to be a halftime performer, you will DEFINITELY want to catch the show!

Fans can call in by dialing 314-969-1380 in St. Louis and 1-800-419-1380 nationwide!

Tune in EVERY WEEK from 1-2 PM (CST) on Saturday for the latest and greatest in inline hockey.

Monkey Invasion

2008-01-03T18:17:00.000-06:00

No Monkeying Around: Improved Cincinnati Squad Visits Snipers/Tornados THIS WEEKEND!
Friday at All American and Saturday at All American AND Midwest Sport Hockey!

The Holidays are over and it is freezing outside; however, the rinks will be heating up in St. Louis weekend as the Cincinnati Flying Monkeys make their way to town for a weekend of fun. This year's Monkey team has the same crazy orange and teal jerseys but a new look on the rink. Playing the Tornados tough was the first for the Monkeys to become a contender in the talent-loaded PIHA Gateway Division. This weekend features endless entertainment and fun starting Friday night at All American!

The first 500 fans to each game this weekend will get a great coupon from either CFM/Shell or On the Run Mobil!

Of course FREE 180 Energy drink will be provided for fans 13+ and UPS Chuck-A-Puck will make a splash with great prizes!

Friday Night: Mobil Speedpass Night
Friday January 4th at All American Sports Mall
The Game: Cincinnati Flying Monkeys at Southside Snipers
The Times: 9:30 PM Pro with Minor Pro at 8:00 PM and a special 7:30 PM AAA Game (Snipers vs. Whalers)
The Fun: Super Shot Halftime fans will be randomly chosen from the crowd to shoot for great prizes and also UPS Chuck-A-Puck! Mobil Speedpass Night sign up for a FREE MOBIL SPEEDPASS and get a free Mobil keychain!

Saturday: Skate With The Pros!
Saturday January 5th at All American Sports Mall
The Game: Cincinnati Flying Monkeys at Southside Snipers
The Times: Special afternoon start with Pro at 2:30 PM and Minor Pro at 1:00 PM and a 12:30 PM AAA Game (Snipers vs. Tornados)
The Fun: Super Shot Halftime fans will be randomly chosen from the crowd to shoot for great prizes and also UPS Chuck-A-Puck! In addition, BRING YOUR SKATESto skate with the Snipers Pro team immediately following the second pro game.

Saturday Night: PIHA Price Is Right!
Saturday January 5th at Midwest Sport Hockey
The Game: Cincinatti Flying Monkeys at Midwest Tornados
The Times: Pro at 8:00 PM with Minor Pro at 6:30 PM stay late for AAA (vs. Whalers)
The Fun: PIHA Gateway PRICE IS RIGHT! Make sure to play Chuck-A-Puck at halftime. The winners will get to compete in a showcase showdown. One fan WILL BE LEAVING WITH A FLATSCREEN TV GUARANTEED!!!!!

Tickets to all games are only $5 with kids 8-and-under ALWAYS Free! Log onto www.pihagatewayhockey.com for more information!

PIHA Gateway Radio Show: "Get Inline: Your Source for Professional Inline Hockey in St. Louis debuts at 1:00 PM THIS SATURDAY on 1380 AM!

Make sure to tune in and learn all about PIHA Gateway and other inline hockey around St. Louis and the United States with host David Garland. Special guest interview with River City Whaler and Team USA player JP Beilsten.

Tune in EVERY WEEK from 1-2 PM on Saturday for the latest and greatest in inline hockey.

Snipers/Cobras Photos, Sniper Opening Weekend Preview, Brotherly Love

2007-12-17T14:42:00.000-06:00

type in: www.collages.net
click on: view an event
user name: PIHA12-14-07
password: 7405
log in: “your e-mail”
click on: games or web show

Please note each time the username will be: PIHA and
the date. There will no space after PIHA and
month-date-year (using two numbers for each, i.e.,
00-00-00 month-date-year

The final shots (Snipers in last year's yellow jerseys) are the AAA game. The photos of are Pro and AAA.

Snipers Opening Weekend THIS WEEKEND: So much fun that one night just wouldn’t cut it...

PIHA Gateway and Southside Snipers proudly present Snipers Opening Weekend brought to you by CFM/Shell. Come watch the defending PIHA Gateway Champions take on the St. Louis Cobras on Friday Night and Midwest Tornados on Saturday night in a rematch of last year’s championship game. Entertainment includes:

-First 500 fans on both nights will get a great coupon courtesy of CFM/Shell!
-FREE Sniper schedule magnets on Friday night and FREE CFM mugs on Saturday night!
-Bring in your ticket stub to St. Louis Pizza & Wings to get HALF OFF a pizza.
-Chance to win a FLAT SCREEN TV and other prizes during UPS Chuck-A-Puck
-Free 180 Energy Drink to get you energized!
-Look for prize packs including FREE Pepsi products, car washes, Tour Hockey hats, etc.
-Kids can get free autographs from the players!
-Great halftime show on both nights featuring 8-and-under and 10-and-under all stars.
-Post-game party at Van Patrick’s at All American for fans 21+ which includes great drink/food specials.

Friday Night: Pro games begin at 8:00 PM (Minor Pro at 6:30 PM and stay late for AAA)
Saturday Night: Pro games begin at 7:30 PM (Minor Pro at 6:00 PM and stay late for AAA)

The entire evening only costs $5 and kids 8-and-under are always free. Season tickets will be on sale throughout the evening which includes gifts from our sponsors. Make sure to visit our website at www.pihagatewayhockey.com
All American is located at: 11133 Lindbergh Business Ct. St. Louis, MO 63123

Finally an article:

Brotherly Love
PIHA Gateway a family affair on and off the rink
By David Garland

A costly turnover at center finds its way onto the stick of Whaler sniper Danny Daleo. In a blink of an eye the pass is sent forward to a teammate and in the back of the net. It was almost as though Danny new exactly where to pass to puck as though there was some connection between him and the recipient of his perfect dish. That is because Danny “dangles” Daleo was making a pass he has made for years, to his brother Kenny. There is no doubt that special connections exist in the sport of hockey. Hull and Oates were a prominent duo that dominated for the St. Louis Blues in the early 90’s; however, there is something special about ACTUAL brothers playing hockey together. Perhaps it is the history: the battles in the driveway before and after dinner. Perhaps it is the rivalry: competing for spots on same team or just trying to be better than each other. But of all the tangibles, the most interesting connection is chemistry. Watch two brothers on the rink and they can often find each other without looking. They just know where to pass the puck or what their brother is going to do. In the PIHA Gateway division, these connections come to life on a nightly basis as TEN sets of brothers play in the league this year.

Some duos play together on the same team. Kenny (27 years old) and Danny Daleo (25) can be seen as a lethal offensive set on the River City Whalers often playing on the same line. Although differently talented players, often fans refer to them simply as “The Daleos”. Down I-70, the Cobra family connection between Ryan Marchand (Forward) and Brandon Marchand (Defenseman) runs even deeper as their father Chris “Pops” Marchand coaches the team. With a four year age difference, Brandon and Ryan haven’t played together in years until the inception of PIHA Gateway in 2006.

Phil and Chris Hausmann make the drive from Cahokia, IL to be a large part of the Southside Snipers Minor Pro team. Relatively unknown in the St. Louis hockey scene, the Hausmann’s have made a steady impact on the league both on and off the rink with talented sticks and helping with the community. Josh and Jeremy Bruce also fall into the category of complete performers. The duo works together flawlessly on the rink and lends a helping hand throughout the St. Louis area. The league named them co-recipients of the “Commitment to Community Award” for the 2006-2007 season.

Tony Merkel played in 2006-2007 for the Southside Snipers which inspired younger Kenny Merkel to tryout for the 2007-2008 season. When younger Kenny was drafted by the River City Whalers, the Whalers were persistent in acquiring Tony via trade to keep the boys under one roof.

The tallest of brothers, Eric and Kyle Middendorf, both tower over the competition for the Southside Snipers Minor Pro team. Eric, “the shorter one”, who stands over 6’3” and Kyle were instrumental to the Southside Snipers Minor Pro championship run in 2007. This year Eric is playing both Minor Pro and AAA with the Snipers making sure to play with two of his family members on AAA including Kyle and newly appointed Snipers AAA coach, father Don Middendorf.

Finally, three sets of brothers are playing in the same organization but on different teams. With Pros being a minimum of 18-years-old and Minor Pros having to celebrate their sixteenth birthday before lacing them up, some brothers, if for no other reason, are separated by birth. Although younger brother Brent recently turned 18, Blake and Brent Propp spend time both together and apart on the St. Louis Cobras. Blake is a standout on the Pro team and younger brother Brent is spending time in both the Pros and Minors as he is being groomed for the future. Also on the Cobras, Shane Wilson skates with the Pro team while younger brother Tommy (the youngest player in the league) is a sparkplug with Cobras Minors. Physical presence Ryan and Eric Dauernheim skate in West County with the Midwest Tornados Minor Pro and AAA teams respectively.

“Is that Blake or Brent?” a fan looks through his program this past Saturday night trying to decipher the two similar-looking and similar-playing brothers. These questions among others are not uncommon at the rinks this year. Even Chicago may have a TRIO of brothers (The Costanza’s) when they open PIHA Gateway play in January. Want to show your young ones about the importance of family sticking together? Check out a PIHA Gateway game and you will see real life examples set to the tune of professional inline hockey.

Win A Flat Screen TV Friday Night at Snipers vs. Cobras

2007-12-11T15:17:00.000-06:00

Snipers vs. Cobras on Friday December 14th: Win a Flat Screen TV on Cobra Youth Night!

Event Preview:

On Friday December 14th, the St. Louis Cobras will host the defending PIHA Gateway Champion Southside Snipers at the Matteson Triplex on Cobra Youth Night. The Pro games begin at 8:00 PM and fans are encouraged to come early for Minor Pro (6:30 PM) and stay late for AAA. As a special promotion, all youth Cobra players who tried out for ANY youth Cobras team will get to attend the games for FREE and get autographs from the pros! In addition to the BEST INLINE HOCKEY IN THE WORLD, fans will be treated to plenty of entertainment including:

- A Chance to win a FLAT SCREEN TELEVISION during UPS Chuck-A-Puck!
-Need energy? Get energized with FREE 180 Energy Drink!
-Prize packs including FREE 12-packs of Pepsi products, car washes, and Tour hockey hats for select fans.
-Stick around for for the “Mini Cobras” playing a 10-minute game at halftime.
-Kids bring your pens, grab a free autograph book, and head to the Pepsi Autograph Booth to meet your favorite player!

...plus more surprises!!! Admission is only $5 and kids 8-and-under are always FREE. Season tickets will be on sale throughout the evening ($50 for your favorite team’s home AND away games and $75 for an All Access League Pass to every PIHA Gateway game plus a great gift from our sponsors!) Visit our website: www.pihagatewayhockey.com.

The Matteson Triplex is located at: 3051 Industrial Park Place West St. Peters, MO 63376

Game Preview:
In the Pro division, both the Southside Snipers and St. Louis Cobras are coming off winless weekends. The Cobras, after a hot start which included a mauling of the River City Whalers, were snake bit last weekend against the stifling Midwest Tornados who held the Cobras to only one goal in two games. Look for Cobras offense to pick it up against the Snipers. With talent including “Johnny Mac”, Jeff Hill, Brandon Marchand, and other explosive offensive weapons, it will be difficult to keep the Cobras off the scoreboard. On the other side of the rink, the Snipers got off to a slow start against the River City Whalers who avenged last year’s playoff elimination at the hands of the Snipers. Although the Snipers lost both games by only one goal, the normal Sniper defensive shutdown showed some cracks that will have to improve this weekend.

Who is hot?
St. Louis Cobras: Jeff Hill (3g 2a) leads the Cobras in offensive production
Southside Snipers: Jeremy Scott (1g) with increased playing time this year will be an impact player with the Snipers.

In Minor Pro, the undefeated Snipers take on a Cobras team heating up after finding the net five times against the Midwest Tornados in the second game this past weekend. Damion Matteson, returning from injury, recording a hat-trick in his first game of the season. The Snipers AAA team lost a close overtime game against the Whalers and will be looking to brothers Eric and Kyle Middendorf to lead them past the Cobras who have numerous talented offensive weapons including their very own set of brothers: Josh and Jeremy Bruce.

Travis Tornado
A special feature by James Lambert

Midwest Tornados sweep St. Louis Cobras; Fudge named Pepsi Star of the Game twice

Travis Fudge scored three goals and put up five points as the Midwest Tornados swept the St. Louis Cobras 2-0 and 4-1 on Saturday night.

BALLWIN, Mo. - The Midwest Tornados opened the season with a doubleheader sweep of the visiting St. Louis Cobras in PIHA Gateway action Saturday night at Midwest Sport Hockey. Travis Fudge scored twice to lead the Tornados to a 2-0 win in Game 1, and also had points on three of Midwest 's four goals in the 4-1 Game 2 triumph.
Fudge and the defending regular-season division champion Tornados were outstanding at both ends of the floor Saturday night. The Tornados enjoyed a 23-9 shots-on-goal edge in Game 1, building a 2-0 halftime lead on two goals by Fudge while outshooting St. Louis 12-2. At one point during the second half, the shot tally was 18-4.

Jake Menzel earned the shutout, highlighted by a crucial early-second-half glove save of a point-blank backhand bid by Ryan Marchand.

In Game 2, Midwest goalie James Cash, the 2007 PIHA Gateway Most Valuable Goaltender, stopped 19 of 20 shots to lead his team to a 4-1 victory.

The Cobras took the early lead when John McGuinness scored just 1:23 in. But it was the only goal the Cobras would score all night. From a first half full of scoring chances for both teams, the Tornados would emerge with a 2-1 halftime lead thanks not to Fudge's goalscoring, but to his playmaking.

Late in the first half, Fudge and rookie Patrik Wuennenberg failed to convert on a 2-on-1, as Wuennenberg chose to shoot from the right wing instead of attempting a pass to Fudge in the slot. Wuennenberg's wrist shot was over the net. But the Tornados quickly regained, regrouped, and broke in 3-on-2. Fudge attacked down the right wing, pulled the puck wide, and found Wuennenberg, the third man in, at the top of the "triangle." With the advantage of a better scoring angle -- straight down the center lane -- Wuennenberg buried his first goal as a PIHA Pro to tie the game 1-1 with 2:19 left in the first half.

In the waning seconds of the half, Fudge set up Drew McCann on the doorstep, and McCann broke the tie and gave the Tornados a lead they would not relinquish.

Kyle Gouge put Midwest ahead 3-1 at 5:29 of the second half.

Fudge's shorthanded empty-netter with :31 to play was the third goal and fifth point of the evening for the Springfield , Mo. , native.

NOTES / ANGLES / OPINIONS

The only weakness the Tornados showed Saturday night was a shockingly futile 0-for-5 performance on the power play. The Cobras penalty kill, featuring Brandon and Ryan Marchand and goalies Brian Coleman and Steve Reed, deserves much of the credit for that.

Other than the power-play struggles, Midwest is a machine; maybe even better than last season. To hold the talented Cobras to just nine Game 1 shots on goal was very impressive. And in Game 2, Cash showed that his MVG '06-07 season was no fluke. Gouge, George Collins, and Mike Inouye are dangerous new offensive weapons. So far, the Tornados look like the most balanced team in the division.

The Cobras played better than the result would seem to indicate, but long stretches of puck-possession dominance by Fudge, Gouge, and Brandon Barnette, particularly in Game 1, kept St. Louis from sustaining an attack.

In Game 2, Cash was the biggest difference. Following McGuinness' goal, Cash shut out the Cobras for the remaining 22:37 of game time, stopping 17 shots during that span.

Cobras netminder Steve Reed put on a performance in Game 2 that may have been the best of his PIHA career, despite the loss. Reed's '06-07 season ended in disappointing fashion when he lost to the Tornados during the playoffs back in April despite being spotted an early 2-0 lead. But upon returning to the same rink for the first time since, Reed bounced back strong and gave the Cobras a chance to win. He was under heavy fire all night long, and ended up stopping 21 shots.

But when it comes down to it, Fudge took control, and showed why he is one of the best roller hockey players alive, when his energy and athleticism are channeled in the right direction. Fudge was more than just a sniper last night; he also played an exceptional game on the defensive end. And, of course, he notched five of the nine points scored by the Tornados. Gouge, McCann, Wuennenberg, and Nick Syrigos had the other four.

Friday is 80's night, Win an Air Hockey tale on Saturday night, Opening night recap

2007-12-04T19:01:00.001-06:00

Friday December 7th: 80’s Night at Omni Saturday December 8th: Win an air hockey table at Queeny!

Looking towards this weekend: “80’s Night” Friday night at Omni and “Mite Nite” Saturday night at Queeny Park.

Remember the 80's? Side ponytails, denim jackets, plastic jewelry, horrible sweaters, and*stone washed jeans? Time to BUST THEM BACK OUT for the River City Whalers home opener this Friday night (December 7th) at the Omni Sportsplex. Fans will be treated to the BEST INLINE HOCKEY IN THE WORLD and great prizes for fans wearing 80's costumes including a Saved by the Bell DVD and 80's music.* Other exciting events include:
-Special 80's version of UPS Chuck-A-Puck
*-80's music all night long with DJ/MC Andy Zilch
-Drink Specials for fans 21+ (get a free beer if you purchase a bucket)
-Prize packs including FREE 12-packs of Pepsi products, car washes, Tour hockey hats, and more.
-Need energy? Get energized with FREE 180 Energy Drink!
-Kids bring your pens, grab a free autograph book, and head to the Pepsi Autograph Booth to meet your favorite player!
...plus more surprises!!!

The hockey action will be fierce when the defending champion Southside Snipers visit the River City Whalers featuring JP Beilsten. The pro games start at 8:00 PM. Come early for the Minor Pro games at 6:30 PM and stay late for AAA following the Pros!

The Omni Sportsplex is located at: 4160 Industrial Dr. St. Peters, MO 63376

"Mite Nite" is going to be a blast on Saturday night! Saturday night at Queeny Park the Tornados will be opening up at home against the Cobras. The theme for the evening is "mite nite" and it will be a blast with the little 10-and-unders in the house. The kids will be playing a 15-minute mini-game at halftime and lining up for autographs from players at the Pepsi Autograph Booth.
-Midwest Sport Hockey will be rocking with FREE 180 energy drink
-Awesome UPS Jobs Chuck-A-Puck promotion:* TWO banners will be laid out on the floor and fans will have a chance to throw chuck-a-pucks for prizes. Land on the UPS banner and you will win a prize pack and gift certificate (to be announced where) and if you land on the special red area of the Tour banner you win an AIR HOCKEY TABLE which you can take home that night!

-This will be a great on-the-rink match up at all levels and the hockey will speak for itself. There will be PIHA Gateway prize packs and also other fun interactive games and giveaways. Pro games begin at 7:30 PM after the Minor Pros face-off at 6:00 PM. Stay late for AAA following pro!

Midwest Sport Hockey is located at 550 Weidman Rd. Ballwin, MO 63011

Tickets to all games are only $5 and kids 8-and-under are ALWAYS FREE~

Season tickets on sale at all games in December!
Our new website is now partially up! Many more sections will be added with tons of information but for now you can see the "skeleton". The address is www.pihagatewayhockey.com.

Professional Inline Hockey in St. Louis Opens Season Two By Lighting The Lamp
The Cobras hosted over 500 people on December 1st in battle with the Whalers.

December 4th, 2007- St. Louis, MO- The jerseys arrived, the players waiting anxiously, the fans enjoyed free BBQ and autographs while at last PIHA Gateway season two dropped the puck on an incredible night of fun and action at the Matteson Triplex. A lively crowd packed the house at the Triplex despite other obvious other entertainment options (Mizzou football and Blues hockey at home) to watch PIHA Gateway season two unfold with a red-worthy performance. A red-worthy performance, you ask? Besides fantastic giveaways from Pepsi and Tour Hockey, the professional atmosphere at the rink was heightened by new goal lights (which light up along with a siren after goals are scored) installed by Rick Matteson. Now the term, “the red light goes on” is truly applicable to PIHA. The rink was buzzing with kids getting autographs and UPS chuck-a-pucks, fans making predictions, refs talking with coaches, and the MC/DJ Andy Zilch entertaining the crowd with a combination of high-energy music and classic organ tunes. Once the puck hit the floor, the season truly began to unfold.

PRO: The St. Louis Cobras (2-0-0) huge off-season acquisitions paid off whole-heartedly in the Pro division. Jeff Hill, John McGuinness, and Matt Johnson along with the other new Cobras all delivered on their debut night. In game one, Blake Propp turned on the first red light of the season off a perfect pass from Jeff Hill just 1:35 into the game. The back-and-forth first period saw the first three shots of the season go in with the Cobras netting two and the Whalers one. St. Louis was able to defeat River City 5-2 with goals by Brandon Marchand (2), Propp, Jeff Perkins, and an empty-net goal by Jeff Hill. Brian Coleman was sharp in net for the Cobras turning away 17 of 19 shots to record his first win of the season. The shorthanded Whalers (0-2-0) (without the services of Team USA All Star JP Beilsten and high-flying Kenny Daleo) got help on the scoreboard from Minor Pro call-up Eric Leitman and hard-shooting defenseman Danny Frey. Mike Browne, making his pro debut, picked up the loss for the Whalers despite an incredible glove save in the first period robbing Blake Propp of a sure goal.

Key Player: Blake Propp. The second-year player out of St. Charles, MO had 1 goal and 2 assists.

Key Moment: Jeff Perkins perfect shot under the bar on a two-on-one put the Cobras up 2-0 just 2:12 into the contest

In game two, John “Johnny Mac” McGuinness and Jeff Hill took over the scoring in a 6-2 Cobras victory to complete the sweep. Mac, the heralded 18-year-old from New York known for his scoring ability and lighting fast hands, showed the crowd why he has a fantastic reputation by netting two perfect goals as well as adding an assist. Jeff Hill added two goals and Jason Shields and Brandon Marchand also contributed on the scoresheet for the Cobras. Florida import and rising star Mike Thiefault had a goal and numerous other opportunities (stymied by winning goaltender Steve Reed) for the Whalers. Bud Mueller converted a late pass from Dan Daleo to add a tally for River City. Craig Bremerkamp made 21 saves in a losing effort for River City. Bremerkamp, traded from the Southside Snipers in the off season, was making his pro debut.

Key Player: Johnny Mac showed the speed and shot with 2 goals and an assist.

Key Moment: Jason Shields' "changeup" goal slipped in to give the Cobras an early lead.

Minor Pro: The River City Whalers (2-0-0) earned two victories over the Cobras (0-2-0) in Minor Pro action winning the first game 2-1 behind solid goaltending of Joe Colmo and Greg Owens shut the door on the Cobras in game two with a 3-0 shutout. Josh Bryson was particularly strong for the Whalers with three points (2 goals 1 assist) in two games. The Whalers also got help from the Merkel brothers (Ken and Tony) as well as Eric Leitman who scored goals in two divisions on Saturday. The Cobras received strong goaltending from Gerald Addison and Brett Mertens, but the only St. Louis player to solve the Whalers goaltenders was Brent Propp.

AAA: The first-ever AAA game came down to the final moment when Josh Buehrig of the River City Whalers (1-0-0) beat St. Louis Cobras (0-1-0) goaltender Brett Mertens with just 5.8 seconds left in the game. The goal broke a solid goaltending battle between Mertens and Joe Colmo who had kept the score tied at one after goals by River City’s Kirk Huff and the Cobras Jason Doza.

Catch the online clip of David Garland (and PIHA players) on STL TV’s “Best of the STL” recorded on October 24th: http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/...l-10-24-07.wmv
(skip to the last few minutes of the clip)

PIHA Gateway and Mizzou

2007-11-27T15:08:00.001-06:00

Mizzou Tiger fan?

Stick around this Saturday after the Pro games to watch the Tigers on TV at the Triplex! $20 all you can drink beer and TWO bands live in concert.

Don't miss PIHA Gateway opening night this Saturday December 1st at the Matteson Triplex. Whalers and Cobras will be facing off with festivities starting at 3PM, games starting at 4PM, and then fun into the night!

Opening Night Is Coming!!!

2007-11-19T01:36:00.000-06:00

PIHA Gateway Opening Night Set For December 1st
Six nights of games highlight a busy December in St. Louis
By David Garland

The training camps are heating up, the tickets are at the printer, and the rinks are being prepared for an opening month sure to shock the PIHA record books. On December 1st at 4:00 PM, the River City Whalers will visit the St. Louis Cobras at the Matteson Triplex to kickoff the second season of PIHA Gateway. With a full entertainment lineup being released shortly, the 1000+ fans will be in for a unique and exhilarating inline hockey spectacle. Tickets are only $5 (includes AAA, Minor Pro, and Pro games) and season tickets will be available for sale ($50 for season tickets and $75 for a League Pass). The first 500 fans will receive a fantastic On the Run Mobil coupon and keep an eye out for the 180 Energy Booth and UPS Jobs Chuck-A-Puck!

With the season facing off shortly, preparations have been going on behind the scenes at the PIHA Gateway offices in St. Louis. A media blitz has resulted in numerous articles including a recent feature in the St. Louis Business Journal. In addition, PIHA Gateway will be advertising in numerous St. Louis publications. Keep your eyes peeled! The “PIHA Gateway Street Team” is ready to launch with a combination of staff, promotions models, and players. Look for the street team giving away gifts from sponsors and promoting the league throughout the St. Louis area. Stop and say hi if you see the team at a mall, movie theatre, grocery store, or bar near you! They will be spreading PIHA Gateway EVERYWHERE!

Did you know that every game night in St. Louis will have a theme this year? After each team completes their opening night, check www.pihagatewayhockey.com for the nightly themes that may include for example an 80’s night. Stoned-washed jeans and side ponytails are a must. Speaking of www.pihagatewayhockey.com, our new website will be launching in just a couple of weeks. The new state-of-the-art website will set the standard in inline hockey for ease-of-use and cool design.

As team training camps are completed, rosters will be released shortly including the Cincinnati Flying Monkeys and Chicago Untouchables.

See you on December 1st!!!

Feel The Draft

2007-11-04T19:52:00.000-06:00

Feel The Draft

Over 500 attend 2008 PIHA Gateway Draft Party

With the second PIHA Gateway season kicking off on December 1st, over 500 inline hockey enthusiasts converged at Midwest Sport Hockey in Queeny Park on November 3rd, 2007. Guests were treated to food catered in by D. Marie’s, Pepsi products, and an evening’s worth of entertainment including the Tour Hockey Draft Raffle featuring the extremely cool and unique Cobalt Q skates, a live performance by
Jellydogg, and a video presentation. Over 130 players were drafted onto the PIHA Gateway St. Louis teams in front of friends, family, and fans. The four St. Louis teams also unveiled their new logos courtesy of Tour Hockey at the Draft Party. With an updated sleek and modern look, the four St. Louis teams will certainly stand out in the world of sports. With Bob Carroll as the MC and sponsors including Pepsi
Americas, On the Run-Mobil, CFM Shell, UPS (www.upsjobs.com), Tour Hockey, US Bank, Jeff Michelman and appearances by the Arch Rival Roller Girls, Tour President Walt Frazier, and members of the St. Louis Variety Club there was a little something for everyone at the event. Finally, in a surprise HUGE announcement, PIHA Gateway revealed a new sponsorship with Anheuser-Busch’s energy drink 180.

Photos from the draft party available starting November 17th at www.collages.net (Username PIHA, Password: 7405)

2007 Awards:
Organization of the Year: Midwest Tornados
Champions Pro Division: Southside Snipers
Champions Minor Division: Southside Snipers
MVP Pro Division: Tommy Bruce (Southside Snipers)
MVG Pro Division: James Cash (Midwest Tornados)
Commitment To Community: Josh and Jeremy Bruce (St. Louis Cobras)
MVP Minor Division: PJ Tallo (Southside Snipers)
MVG Minor Division: Craig Bremerkamp (Southside Snipers)

2008 First Round Draft Picks:
St. Louis Cobras (two picks acquired from River City Whalers): Jeff Hill, John McGuinness, and Matt Johnson
River City Whalers: First round draft picks traded to St. Louis Cobras for Mark Ell and Jeff Mobley
Midwest Tornados: Bill Scalise and Kyle Gouge (acquired from Cobras)
Southside Snipers: JJ McAtee and Todd Hoeferlin

What’s next?

Season tickets are officially on sale! Tickets are available for $50 (includes team of your choice’s home AND away games). In addition, League Passes are available for $75 (includes all access to all PIHA Gateway games in St. Louis). Both season tickets and league passes include great coupons from our sponsors such as free car washes!

The only way to get into the action and get a season ticket is to email pihagateway@gmail.com or visit www.pihagatewayhockey.com. Cash, checks, and credit cards are accepted (Visa, Mastercard, Discover).

Want to become a bigger part of PIHA Gateway? You can purchase an ad in our adbook (ads must be received by November 21st). Email pihagateway@gmail.com for details or visit our website at www.pihagatewayhockey.com.

The 2007-2008 PIHA Gateway schedule will be released in its entirety this week! Mark your calendars for what will prove to be the BIGGEST opening night in PIHA history: December 1st, 2007 when the River City Whalers will visit the St. Louis Cobras at the Matteson Triplex (special 4 PM start).

Another Television Interview and Draft Party Details Announced!

2007-10-23T14:29:00.000-06:00

Inline Hockey fans can tune in this Wednesday October 24th for a LIVE interview with PIHA Gateway Director of Marketing and PR David Garland on the popular television show "Best of the STL"The one hour live variety show featuring a studio audience will air from 7 PM-8PM on STL TV (Channel 10 in St. Louis and check your local listings in St. Charles).

In addition, the exclusive interview on "Primetime Sports" continues to air this week as well!

The show airs at 6:30 PM, 9 PM, and 11 PM for seven days straight and ending on Monday, October 29th) on Channel 20 in the St. Louis area (Channel 18 in St. Charles beginning Wednesday).

PIHA Gateway Draft Party!
Draft Party Entertainment and Sponsorship List Announced
Over 500 guests will be in for an night of endless entertainment and fun on November 3rd.

The 2007-2008 Draft Party at Midwest Sport Hockey within Queeny Park is just around the corner and PIHA Gateway is proud to announce the exciting entertainment that will be occuring throughout the evening and offer a BIG thanks to all of our sponsors for making the Draft Party possible. Queeny Park will be rocking as soon as the doors open at 7:30 PM on Saturday November 3rd for what is sure to be the hockey party of the year in St. Louis.

Tour Hockey Draft Raffle

Throughout the evening guests will get to participate in an incredible raffle compliments of Tour Hockey. The big ticket items include the brand new top-secret never-been-seen " Cobalt Q Skates" that will be making their public debut in St. Louis. The skates which retail for over $450 will be one of the many fantastic items which also include the Code Carbon skate, Carbon GX Goalie skate, Aviator one piece stick, plus gear bags and hats.

Tickets for the raffle will be sold at the event with one ticket being just $2 and 8 for $10.

When you arrive at the event you will have a chance to walk the red carpet and be photographed in front of our red carpet banner featuring our great sponsors including On the Run Mobil, Wallis Companies, and UPS (www.upsjobs.com), and US Bank.

Dinner catered by D. Marie's, beer and wine will be served, and soft drinks/bottled water compliments of Pepsi.

Following 2007 Awards and the 2008 Draft with MC Bob Carroll, fans will have their first chance to purchase tickets and also advertisements for the 2007-2008 League Program.

As a special bonus, those who purchase season tickets or league passes on the night of the Draft Party will recieve a FREE high-end car wash compliments of CFM and Shell Oil!

Season Tickets: $50 and include all the HOME and AWAY games of your team of choice.

League Pass: $75 includes all access to EVERY PIHA Gateway game in St. Louis plus additional perks.

Payment accepted includes check, cash, or credit card (Mastercard, Visa, Discover).

Jellydogg will be performing LIVE following the draft!

Can't get enough of sports on wheels? The Arch Rival Roller Girls will be in the house (St. Louis' all-female flat-track roller derby league). Make sure to mingle with a roller girl and get tickets to their championship on November 24th!

....plus MUCH MUCH MORE!

Thank you to our media partners and addition sponsors including:

STL Planning, SimpleCheapTravel, and TeamPages and of course Jeff Michelman from Stinson, Morrison, Hecker LLP.

Draft Party Schedule: November 3rd, 2007
Doors Open: 7:30 PM
Cocktail Hour/Dinner: 7:45 PM
Awards/Draft: 8:45 PM
Jellydogg will play following the completion of the draft
Tour Hockey Draft Raffle throughout the evening!

Dress for general public: Business Casual

Tickets for general public available at the door for $25 (includes dinner and two drink tickets). It is recommended you RSVP by October 27th to pihagateway@gmail.com.

Entrance is located off of the Weidman Entrance of Queeny Park in the very back at the top of the hill.

The address for Midwest Sport Hockey is:
570 Weidman Road
Ballwin, MO 63011

From I-270 and Manchester Rd. turn west on Manchester Rd. Turn north on Weidman Rd and continue to the entrance of Queeny Park (about 1/2 mile, entrance is on the right). Enter the park and continue on the main park road until it ends.

PIHA Gateway Television Interview

2007-10-21T13:01:00.000-06:00

PIHA GATEWAY INTERVIEW

A televised news segment on the PIHA Gateway division will air next week.

Posted: October 19, 2007 6:24PM; Updated: October 19, 2007 6:25PM

Stay tuned to television next week for an exclusive interview on "Primetime Sports" with PIHA Gateway Founder/Director of Marketing and Public Relations David Garland. Interviewed by Emmy-winning news anchor Randy Gardner, the interview offers a glimpse into the inline hockey scene in St. Louis and PIHA Gateway.

The show will air at 6:30 p.m., 9 p.m., and 11 p.m. for seven days straight (starting on Monday, October 22 and ending on Monday, October 29) on Channel 20 in the St. Louis area (Channel 18 in St. Charles beginning next Wednesday).

Draft Party Expected To Draw Over 500 People
The highly anticipated 2008 PIHA Gateway Draft Party has officially been announced, and it will take place on November 3 at Midwest Sport Hockey at Queeny Park in St. Louis, Missouri. The night will feature a catered dinner by D. Marie's, sponsor giveaways, drinks and cocktails, an awards presentation and high-energy draft, a live performance from the band Jellydogg and much, much, more.

Expected to draw over 500 people, including PIHA Gateway players, family, friends, general public, special guests and members of the St. Louis media, the 2008 Draft Party will be the sports party event of the year in St. Louis.

Fans will have their first chance to purchase season tickets and also mingle with the players. Tickets for the event are $25 for the general public (at the door) and the price includes dinner, two drink tickets, chance at door prizes and all kinds of surprises.
Those interested are advised to RSVP to pihagateway@gmail.com; however, tickets will be available at the door. The complete sponsor list/special guest appearance list will be released next week.

Draft Party Schedule:
Date: November 3
Doors Open: 7:30 p.m.
Cocktail Hour/Dinner: 7:45 p.m.
Awards/Draft: 8:45 p.m.
Entertainment: Jellydogg will play following the completion of the draft
Dress for general public: Business Casual

Season Tickets
On sale officially at the Draft Party
Season Tickets: $50 (includes home and away games for your chosen team)
League Pass: $75; includes access to all PIHA Gateway games. Season ticket holders will receive numerous coupons at the Draft Party, including free car washes from CFM/Shell.

For more information, please visit the PIHA Gateway web site at www.pihagatewayhockey.com.

PIHA Gateway Announces 2008 Draft Party

2007-10-15T17:19:00.000-06:00

The highly anticipated 2008 PIHA Gateway Draft Party has officially been announced! On November 3rd, 2007 Midwest Sport Hockey at Queeny Park in St. Louis, Missouri will be rocking with excitement. The night will feature a catered dinner, sponsor giveaways, drinks and cocktails, an awards presentation and high-energy draft, a live performance from the band Jellydogg and much, much, more! Expected to draw over 500 people including PIHA Gateway players, family, friends, general public, and members of the St. Louis media, the 2008 Draft Party will be the sports party event of the year in St. Louis. Fans will have their first chance to purchase season tickets and also mingle amongst the players. Tickets for the event are $25 for the general public (at the door) and includes dinner, two drink tickets, chance at door prizes, and all kinds of surprises.

RSVP to pihagateway@gmail.com or call the PIHA Gateway Hotline (314) 769-9522 and leave a message.

Sponsorship list for the event will be released soon! Thank you to all of our supporters for making the event possible!

PIHA Gateway Tryouts Completed!

2007-10-05T15:01:00.000-06:00

PIHA Gateway recently completed tryouts for the second season of play.

Close to 150 players are now in the running for roster spots.

Best of luck to everyone who tried out during the draft process!

First Two Tryouts Draw Over 100 Players!

2007-09-30T13:43:00.000-06:00

Pro Inline hockey is back with a vengeance in St. Louis! Tryouts for the 2007-2008 season began this past Saturday at Midwest Sport Hockey where over 80 eager players took the floor to compete for roster spots. The high tempo and competitiveness carried over to the second tryout on Saturday night at Omni Sportsplex in St. Peters. Through two of four tryouts, over 100 unique players have hit the floor.

Players will get a couple of days off and then tryouts continue on Tuesday (All American) and Wednesday (Matteson Triplex) with both tryouts beginning at 7 PM. It is expected that when the smoke clears, over 200 players will be in the running for roster spots.

PIHA Gateway Announces 2007-2008 Tryouts!

2007-08-30T15:08:00.000-06:00

August 29th, 2007-St. Louis, Missouri- The Professional Inline Hockey Association’s Gateway Division (PIHA Gateway LLC) have officially announced tryouts for the second season of the professional inline hockey action. All 120+ roster spots are open for the 2007-2008 season and tryouts are expected to draw over 200 of the area’s top hockey players. All players are subject to an evaluation to be eligible for the 2007-2008 Draft. Players can register by printing off a registration form at www.pihagatewayhockey.com or visiting their local rink. Players who register before the first tryout will be given a special discount of $50 while walkups will be accepted for a fee of $60. Tryouts include four skates and to be considered for the draft, players must attend a minimum of one; however, it is in the best interest of players to attend as many as possible. All tryout information (including FAQ and what to bring/expect) is available online at www.pihagatewayhockey.com as well as at all four local rinks.

Tryout dates:
Friday September 28th @ Midwest Sport Hockey 7-9 PM
Saturday September 29th @ Omni Sportsplex 7-9 PM
Tuesday October 2nd @ All American Sports Mall 6-8 PM
Wednesday October 3rd @ Matteson Triplex 6-8 PM

PIHA Gateway 2007-2008: The Revolution Continues

2007-07-20T19:42:00.001-06:00

Keep checking the blog, www.pihagatewayhockey.com, and www.myspace.com/pihagateway.

Tons and tons of information will be coming soon including:

-Tryouts 2007-2008

-Player Protection Lists

-Awards Banquet 2006-2007/Draft Party 2007-2008

-New exciting surprises!

Information will be coming MID to LATE AUGUST 2007!

Junior State Wars Team DISCOUNT!!

2007-05-13T16:50:00.000-06:00

The good folks at State Wars Hockey are cutting us a break! It now costs (only for Junior division) only $175 (as opposed to the original $250)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Recap:
State Wars Junior tryouts THIS THURSDAY (May 17th) at the Omni Sportsplex. Open to all players living in Missouri that are birth year 1984-1988. Players must arrive by 10 PM for registration and please bring a dark and light jersey.

Due before the tryout is the $25 tryout fee (cash or made out to 'PIHA Gateway'). If selected for the team, a $175 check will be due for $175 (made out to State Wars Hockey). Please remember to bring TWO checks!

Some players will also given the option to play in the Men's Division which is $75 more (Normal Men's cost is $125).

A quick reminder that the tryout is mandatory to be on one of the two Missouri Junior teams and money is due the night of the tryout or unfortunately we will have to go the next player on the list.

Best of luck to everyone!

Team Missouri Junior Tryout Date!

2007-05-08T16:59:00.000-06:00

Team Missouri Junior Team Tryout!

This tryout is MANDATORY for ALL players interested in playing on Team Missouri's Junior Teams (two teams). You must be a Missouri resident and born between 1984-1988.

When: Thursday May 17th All players must be at the rink no later than 10 PM
Where: Omni Sportsplex located at
4160 Industrial Dr.
St. Peters , MO 63376 USA
What to bring:
1. A dark and light jersey
2. $25 Tryout fee (either cash or a check made out to 'PIHA Gateway')
3. Players will find out ON THURSDAY (after tryouts are completed)) if they have made a team. If you make a team, a check for $250 will be due (made out to 'State Wars Hockey'). If a player does not pay after being selected on Thursday night, they will forfeit their spot on the team.
Additional Information: Some players will be given the option to play on Team Missouri Men's Team as well. At registration (at 10 PM) please indicate whether you are interested in playing Men's as well. The fee for Men's is only $75 (as long as you are playing Juniors as well).

Additional Questions? Email pihagateway@gmail.com.

Team Missouri State Wars Tryout JUNIOR Division!

2007-05-07T23:57:00.000-06:00

Attention Missouri residents born between 1984-1988.

Team Missouri will be choosing TWO teams to compete this year at State
Wars in Chicago this August (check out www.statewarshockey.com).

We will be conducting a mandatory tryout for the Junior division;
however, it will NOT be this weekend during youth State Wars tryout.

Stay tuned for more information including fees, payment, tryouts, etc.

There will be a small tryout fee and the cost to play will be $250.
For those trying out, payment will be due the day of the tryout.

Thank you and keep checking your emails. Feel free to bring along
anyone that you think would fit the mold for Team Missouri!

Please let EVERYONE know about this. Thanks!

Snipers Supreme; Minor Playoff Information

2007-05-07T23:55:00.000-06:00

The Pikes Peak Prowlers rolled into town looking to take out the Southside Snipers this past weekend at All American Sports Mall. The Prowlers were met with a relentless Snipers attack and were sent back to Colorado after being defeated three games to one. The Snipers had many stars throughout the weekend including Phil Maroon who scored two shorthanded goals in the final game to ice the Western Conference Championship for the boys from the Southside. The Snipers will now head to the PIHA National Championship and face the grizzled Boston Roller Rats for PIHA Supremacy, prize money, and championship rings.
PIHA Gateway will be in action for one final event this season: The Minor Playoffs. Kicking off at 3 PM on Saturday, the Gateway teams will battle it out for the first EVER Gateway Minor Championship. On Mother’s Day (Sunday May 13th) a champion will be crowned.

Gateway Minor Playoffs

Semi Finals All Games SATURDAY May 12th

River City Whalers (3rd) at St. Louis Pythons (2nd) 3 PM at Matteson Triplex

Midwest Tornados (4th) at Southside Snipers (1st) 7:30 PM at All American

Championship "Mother's Day Madness"

If Snipers win 2 PM All American

If Pythons win and Snipers lose Noon Matteson Triplex

If Pythons and Snipers lose TBD Omni Sportsplex

Southside Snipers to Host Western Conference Championship!

2007-04-29T16:01:00.000-06:00

The Rocky Mountain Division champion will be coming in town this upcoming weekend (May 5th and 6th) to take on the Southside Snipers for the Western Conference Championships.

The winner will earn a bid to the PIHA National Finals in Colorado Springs over Memorial Day Weekend.

A best-of-five game series will kick-off Saturday night May 5th at 7 PM at the All American Sports Mall in South County for the first two games of the series.

Games will continue on Sunday at All American (times TBA this week).

Fans will be treated to entertainment and giveaways from sponsors throughout the evening!

Come support the BEST inline hockey league in the world. For more information visit www.pihagatewayhockey.com

PIHA Gateway Divisional Championship

2007-04-26T19:43:00.000-06:00

Southside Snipers vs. Midwest Tornados
This Saturday 4/28/07 at Midwest Sport Hockey
7 PM start for a Best of Three series

Entertainment includes:
Sponsor gifts
Dance For Your Dinner
Many other suprises

Come check out the full production including 8 cameras!

For those looking at this blog, I will now be keeping the newest updates on our website www.pihagatewayhockey.com!

Check out the blog there!

It's PLAYOFF Time!

2007-04-23T00:55:00.001-06:00

All playoff tickets will be sold at the door and everyone with the exception of kids 8-and-under will need to pay the $5.

Pro Playoffs:

Divisional:
Tuesday April 24th 7 PM Midwest Sport Hockey: St. Louis Pythons (4 seed) at Midwest Tornados (1 seed)
Wednesday April 25th 7 PM All American: River City Whalers (3 seed) at Southside Snipers (2 seed)
Divisional Championship: If Midwest Tornados win: Saturday April 28th 7 PM at Midwest Sport Hockey
If Snipers win and Tornados lose: Friday April 27th 7 PM at All American
If Snipers and Tornados lose: TBD at Omni Sportsplex

Playoff rules for Divisional Playoffs:
-Best of 3 series played in one night for all rounds. The third game (if needed) is a 12 minute mini game and is NOT sudden death.
-Overtime is 4-4 sudden death with regular penalties being called (12 minute periods until a winner is reached).

Conference:
May 4th, 5th, 6th (2 dates) best of 5 game series (5th game is a mini game if needed) played at the winner of the Divisional Series' home rink vs. Rocky Mountain Champion. More details will be forthcoming.

Minor Playoffs:

We will be doing our minor playoffs the week of MAY 7th! I need times and dates from All American and the Triplex ASAP!

The games will be:
Midwest Tornados at Southside Snipers at All American
River City Whalers at St. Louis Pythons at Matteson Triplex
Winners will meet at the home rink of the high seed.

Playoff rules for Minor Playoffs:
-Best of 3 series played in one night for all rounds. The third game (if needed) is a 10 minute mini game and is NOT sudden death.
-Overtime is 4-4 sudden death with regular penalties being called (10 minute periods until a winner is reached).

PIHA Gateway Website Launches!

2007-04-15T15:27:00.001-06:00

4/15/07-St. Louis, Missouri- PIHA Gateway LLC is proud to announce the launch of our state-of-the-art website www.pihagatewayhockey.com. Months of planning and hard work have resulted in a website that will revolutionize not only the inline hockey community, but the sports community as well. With an edgy black, white, and grey theme the website offers everything from weblogs to podcasts (Coming soon). Website viewers will be treated to constantly updated pictures, team information, stories, and videos among many other features. Additionally, PIHA Gateway LLC has officially announced our new internship program for the 2007-2008 season. Check the website for details.

Along with the website launch, PIHA Gateway LLC is now offering a FREE newsletter (weekly during the season and monthly in the off season). The newsletter will offer quick updates, player interviews, fun stories, along with special promotions, etc. Sign up for the FREE newsletter by visiting the website and clicking the subscribe button.

PIHA Gateway LLC also has a new hotline and voicemail system: 314 769-9522

WWW and You've Got Mail

2007-03-29T12:04:00.000-06:00

In the next two weeks, the official PIHA Gateway website will be launching along with a comprehensive newsletter!

Stay tuned to the blog, www.thepiha.com, and/or www.myspace.com/pihagateway!

Gateway Minor All Stars SET!

2007-03-19T15:49:00.001-06:00

PIHA Gateway Minor All Star Game!

St. Charles vs. The Midwest

Posted: March 19, 2007 6:44PM; Updated: March 19, 2007 5:48PM

St. Louis, MO- This Friday (March 23rd) PIHA Gateway will be hosting its first annual Minor All Star Game! The game will feature the top Minor players from all five Gateway teams! Faceoff is set for 7 PM at the Matteson Triplex. The night will include entertainment, prizes, and other goodies for players and fans. Admission is FREE!

PIHA Minor All Stars!

St. Charles

Jake Amlong

Jeremy Bruce

Josh Bryson

Matt Cherry

Jake Hill

Joe Heimburger

Brad Leonard

Damion Matteson

Dave Thomas -Goalie

Rick Reeves -Goalie

Coaches:

Jason Hill

Steve Leonard

Rick Matteson

*Honorable All Star (out with injury) Kyle Seifried

The Midwest

Bryce Biggs

Tyler Chapman

Johnny Cochran

JC Hall

Rob Medlock

Eric Middendorf

Kyle Middendorf

PJ Tallo

Craig Bremerkamp- Goalie

Justin Axelson -Goalie

Coaches:

Steve Davies

Tim Lowe

Jimmy Owens

Game Time is 7 PM at the Matteson Triplex Friday March 23rd!

Fun, entertainment, prizes!

Gateway Minor All Stars

2007-03-17T14:48:00.000-06:00

Friday Night March 23rd at Matteson Triplex: St Charles vs. The Midwest

Players will receive custom jerseys

3 12 minute stop clock

Entertainment, prizes, fun

Players will be notified THIS MONDAY. A list will be posted on Myspace, www.thepiha.com and your coach should contact you as well.

Player list will also be up on this blog as well.

Radio and Newsletter

2007-03-07T15:22:00.000-06:00

Great news to come:

-PIHA Gateway will soon have a radio presence!

-Look for the new PIHA Gateway newsletter in your email soon!

-All Stars are right around the corner and the Snipers are heading to take on the Monkey's this weekend while the Whalers and Pythons tangle in St. Louis.

Coming to St. Louis soon is a great opportunity to promote PIHA: College nationals for BOTH ice hockey and inline hockey.

We will have a promotional team promoting during that week!

More All Star Info

2007-02-26T20:15:00.000-06:00

This is UNOFFICIAL (meaning not announced yet)
-Steve Hewkin (Tornados)
-James Cash (Tornados)
-Coach Robby S (Tornados)
-Tommy Bruce (Snipers)
-JP Beilsten (Whalers)
-Kyle Gouge (Pythons)

Wondering what these guys will look like?

Minor All-Star Weekend will also have some sweet gear:

All Star Selections Posted Soon!!!

2007-02-22T15:47:00.000-06:00

All Star Rosters will soon be released!

5 players from PIHA-Gateway made cut and 1 coach...see if you can guess who:
1 southside sniper
2 Midwest Tornados
1 St. Louis Python
1 River City Whaler

Players will be going to Colorado..all expenses paid plus receive custom jerseys, pants, and gloves. SWEET!

As promised trade show pictures!

2007-02-15T15:01:00.000-06:00

The Sports Expo rocked....especially when random snakes showed up from Grant's Farm!

Our table was awesome

Another shot of our booth

Explaing what we are all about

Our booth was always packed

Telling sports fans about our league

Some of our team

I can't believe I held a Python

Chris Hausmann hanging out with a garden snake

Crowd files in

Mike Casa Grande sniping on an 11-year-old field hockey goalie

My mom, Brian Dane, and the snake

Mo and Josh Bruce with the snake

Pythons with the....Python

Watching Pythons players play field hockey players

Limited Edition PIHA-Gateway Tee Shirt

2007-02-13T12:40:00.000-06:00

Tee shirts are $10 and are in sizes Medium and XL.

They can be delivered to you at your next game!

Click the pic for a better look!

Sports Expo great, pictures coming soon!

2007-02-11T21:46:00.000-06:00

The Sports Expo today at Scottrade Center was a fantastic experience. We passed out flyers, pocket schedules, and even some free tickets. We told everyone all the details of our league while a slideshow scrolled pictures of games set to music. We had a banner made that had all the teams on there (Sherry, yes the Monkey's were on there!). This event was great exposure for the St. Louis community. We collected business cards and emails as well to help build the fan base. We also met some very interesting people. One of my favorite groups of people were the Professional Female Football players (the team is called the St. Louis Slam). They are also a niche sport and we talked about doing some cross-promoting. We could do something funny such as have a minor team play them in flag football at halftime and our boys could go to their games as well and promote our league (the games are at CBC high school). Additionally, an administrator from a Francis Howell school suggested some of our pro players show up at their fitness expo on March 9th and give a hockey demonstration on the gym floor. Great way to promote and get kids interested in the sport!!! The Hanson Brothers were in attendance as well and everyone received autographs from the Slapshot stars. I want to give a special, special, special thanks to everyone who helped including setup, promoting, and working 1-5 PM. Everyone had a smile on their face and had a great time. Pictures from the event will be posted soon.

Special Thanks:

-Carolee Leathers (St. Louis Pythons) who worked on getting our great banner donated

-Mo (St. Louis Pythons)

-Chris Hausmann (Southside Snipers)

-Brian Dane (St. Louis Pythons)

-Mike Casa Grande (St. Louis Pythons)

-Damion Matteson (St. Louis Pythons)

-Josh Bruce (St. Louis Pythons)

-Jeremy Bruce (St. Louis Pythons

Mobil on the Run jumps at the opportunity to be a PIHA-Gateway Sponsor!

2007-02-07T12:18:00.000-06:00

More information coming this afternoon!

Great news for the league and St. Louis Pythons/River City Whalers!

-Dave

Pepsi joins the PIHA Team!

2007-02-06T14:11:00.000-06:00

Next time the '3 Stars of the Game' are presented over the loud speaker, look for an important change. The '3 Stars of the Game' are now brought you by Pepsi. Pepsi America has inked a deal with PIHA and is excited about forming a long term relationship.

Colorado will be coming to town after the regular reason because St. Louis will be hosting the 5-game Conference Finals! It will be a great event!

Two big games this week: Whalers at Snipers on Thursday night and Snipers at Tornados on Friday night. This weekend also features a ton of college games in the St. Louis area.

-Dave

Are you an All Star?

2007-02-01T15:56:00.000-06:00

March 23rd-25th will be the All-Star break as the nation's top Pro players converge on Colorado for the All Star game at the Tour Arena. Players will receive jerseys, pants, shells for goalies AND possibly helmets and gloves. Pretty sweet.

Minor player will also get to compete in the Gateway Minor All Star Game during the same weekend! Details will be forthcoming but I can tell you minor players will also get an All Star jersey.

-Dave

Sports Expo, Funny Pictures

2007-01-30T17:27:00.000-06:00

The contract was just signed today for PIHA-Gateway to participate in the St. Louis Sports Expo on February 11th from 1-5 PM at Scottrade Center (where the Blues play). The event is not only great for promotion but also for a great cause: St. Patrick's Center which helps the homeless. Some great personalities will be in attendance including numerous St. Louis sports celebrities and the Hanson Brothers from the movie Slapshot! We will have our own booth setup and have the right to sell tickets, merchandise, and promote our league. I will be able to get a select number of PIHA players into the event as well. Over 35,000 sports enthusiasts attend this event every year and booths are set up with everything from pro sports teams to sports video games to sports memorabilia. It will be a great way to promote the league and inline hockey in general! Pictures will be posted following the event.

Picture of fun:

Gateway Ref-in-chief Tom Micks (sweet teeth):

-Dave

Pythons Home Opener

2007-01-29T00:01:00.000-06:00

The Pythons home opener lived up to expectations this past Saturday night at the Matteson Triplex. Over 600 fans were in attendance and the event went into the wee hours of the night with all kinds of entertainment. Kids were entertained by the bouncy pit, magician, four corners game, and autographs from Python players. A light show (complete with fog machine) introduced the Whalers and Pythons (pro and minor teams). A fan narrowly missed a chance at winning $1,000 and two 50/50 drawings were held. Overall it was a fun evening and clips will go up shortly on Youtube.

The hockey this past weekend was great as the Whalers returned to action. Great to see guys like Pete Messina making the trip into St. Louis (from Chicago) to play in the games. Some of the games were a bit more high scoring this weekend and extremely entertaining!

This past Friday, we had a photo shoot at All American for an upcoming article on PIHA in St. Louis Magazine. JP Beilsten and Phil 'Philthy' Maroon joined me for some great photos! Make sure to check out St. Louis Magazine in a couple of weeks.

The PIHA newsletter is currently being finalized and will go out soon. Emails will also be going out later this week about the PIHA Street Team.

Now some fun stuff from Python opening night (random pictures I took with my camera phone):

Python photo board for fans to know the Pythons:

Fans could buy some great Pythons merchandise:

Crowd getting their tickets for the first minor game:

Laundry List of activities for the evening:

Mystifying card tricks with the Pythons magician:

More Magic Action:

'Space Bounce' was packed all night with young ones:

Who is this blurry man? It's Vio!

The crowd is PACKED

The rink is decked with Python logos:

Nothing like matching AJ Speno autographs:

Fans get a chance to play games on the rink:

-Dave

Want to joing the PIHA Street Team?

2007-01-23T15:55:00.000-06:00

Attention PIHA-Gateway Players,

PIHA is currently looking for around 10-15 ENERGETIC and OUTGOING players that are interested in joining the PIHA Street Team!

What is the PIHA Street Team?
The Street Team is a grassroots marketing approach to get schedules and information in the hands of many St. Louisans as possible. It may include:
-Special charity events.
-Attending crowded events in St. Louis to pass on information and promote the league.
-Goofy promotions such as players in full equipment skating through Forrest Park.
-Street promotions.
-Fun events at some of St. Louis' hottest night spots (for those 21 and older).
-Other fun surprises and perks.

Requirements:
-PIHA Pro or Minor Player.
-Willingness to approach complete strangers.
-Fun, outgoing, and creative.
-Interested in learning about marketing.

Other information:
-There is no payment for being a member of the PIHA Street Team but you will have a ton of fun and learn a lot as well;however for those interested in $$$$.....
-Members of the street team who excel may be chosen for a new guerrilla marketing team coming soon to the St. Louis area (promoting other products and businesses besides hockey) which will be PAID!

If you are interested, please send an email to pihagateway@gmail.com and briefly tell me why you would be good for the position.

-Dave

On another note, watch out the REAL Python visiting Matteson Triplex on Saturday night...you'll see what I mean.

Photo Shoot and Phone Calls

2007-01-22T16:43:00.000-06:00

This Friday will be a fun day for PIHA-Gateway and will be a great start to a weekend that has three sets of games. At noon on Friday at All American, St. Louis Magazine will be dropping in to do a photo shoot for their next issue that includes an article on PIHA-Gateway. Whaler JP Beilsten and Sniper Phil Maroon will be part of the shoot as well. Later in the afternoon (and this is tentative), sportscaster Frank Cusumano may be stopping in to do some interviews and some filming. If you are a PIHA-Gateway PRO player and are interested on being on TV, let me know!

Today's theme at the PIHA Gateway offices: Phone Calls. I'm so excited to type right now because that means I'm NOT making a phone call. Today calls were made to over 40 St. Louis-based companies that are interested in learning about our league. I got to talk to a myriad of assistants, presidents of major companies, and voicemail systems. I sent each of these businesses a letter last week. Persistence (not annoyance) is key when you want to get something done. Example: Sending a letter via snail mail, three days later calling, followed by a follow-up and email. We could have some new sponsors right around the corner that are as excited about our league as we are!

Other news and notes:
-Email pihagateway@gmail.com to be added to our newsletter mailing list for some great e-stuff!
-The Philly Growl never cease to amaze me with creativity. They have found a way to show a pre-game video that is similar to the one that the Blues come out to (video clips, player close ups, graphics, music). How did they do it? They hang a banner that comes down from the rafters at the rink and then they project the video onto it. All for 1/1000000000000000 the cost of a jumbo tron. Those kinds of creative ideas will be brought the Gateway City in no time! Great job Growl (your six years leg up experience is a great learning tool for everyone).

-Dave

Pythons and Bling Bling

2007-01-21T19:37:00.000-06:00

While coaching this weekend out at Matteson Triplex, I talked with Rick about the plans for their home opener which is this upcoming Saturday (January 27th starting at 6:30 with the minors). Their home opener is going to be AMAZING! The crowd will be packed with younger fans and older fans alike. Every member of the Cobras organization will be there. The event will not only be a hockey game, but also a night of entertainment for everyone.
Some of the things on tap include:
-A smoke machine and light show entrance for the Pythons (involving a snake, but I don't want to give too much away).
-Great giveaways such as Pythons tee shirts.
-All kinds of entertainment and prizes throughout the night with different contests, a blow up tent for kids to jump on on the mini rink, a magician, and an extremely funny half time show.
-There will also be a skate with the Pythons pro and minor teams and autograph tables set up after the games.
-Members of the local media will also be there.

This event will help expand the bar we have already set. Normally one 'game night' (2 pro and 2 minor games) takes around 3 hours. Rick is turning it into four hours part entertainment part circus and a whole lot of hockey. I'm excited to go see the event and everyone should come check it out! Nights of entertainment like this one will keep the creative juices flowing for the other teams as well.

Speaking of the Pythons, they are working on decking out their rink with Python stuff. They have a board set up already with some news articles and pictures of players:

The River City Whalers will also be getting back into stride this weekend as they play Saturday (away) and Sunday/Monday (at home). They will have some great stuff going on at Omni and I will find out more details from Ian as we get closer.

The PIHA champs that come out of Florida this year (championship over Memorial Day weekend) will take home more than pride and prize money. The winners will get to sport championship rings to show of their championship!

Other PIHA news and notes:
-Interesting in working for PIHA-Gateway? Internship programs are on the way!
-A promotional street team will soon be formed as well to help promote the league. If you are interested send an email to pihagateway@gmail.com and I will get you more information.
-Join the PIHA-Gateway Mailing List! The weekly newsletter will have coupons for games, special promotions, chances to win some great prizes, and all kinds of information and pictures about PIHA-Gateway! Send an email to pihagateway@gmail.com with your name and email address!

-Dave

Mystery Photos, James Lambert

2007-01-19T12:21:00.000-06:00

I wonder who put up the cool Pythons photo on the PIHA webpage today? Not too many people have access to the site and I'm not sure who is keeping a secret archive of pictures, but I'd like to see them! Speaking of pictures, Chris Milligan will be 'releasing' his photos from the first few games to me very soon. I will make sure the pictures are posted so everyone can see them and put them up on their Facebooks and Myspaces. I've seen some of the shots and he is a GREAT photographer. I know various people have been taking photos throughout the games (parents, etc.) and some videos as well. If you have photos let me know! Photos are not only fun, but they have some great league purposes as well. One of the goals is to get photos of players decking out the rinks so fans know who the players are wearing the PIHA sweaters. Look at for Chris at some of the upcoming games with his brand new photography equipment. By the end of the season he should get get most everyone photographed!

Kudos to James Lambert. For those of you who do not know James, you should. James has done a great job organizing and doing PR for UMSL roller hockey. Click on that link to see some of his awesome work. He is a whiz at writing game recaps and also can dazzle with the video camera (and editing as well). Just wait till he gets his new video camera! James is very busy and he volunteers his time to the league and I thank him for that. He is extremely dedicated to the sport and it will pay off for him in the long run. You can find James often behind the scenes. He is usually at most PIHA games with his own score sheets doing extremely accurate stats (as we all know *sometimes* the 'official' scorers screw up haha). All PIHA-Gateway videos that you have seen on Youtube are a product of the media mastermind.

Other news and notes: Soon some new merchandise will be available at the rinks..more details to come. Numerous PIHA players tore it up at NARCh Winternationals in Phoenix (Tour St. Louis Junior Team won the gold with a host of PIHA players, D1 Mission Empire Snipers won the gold with Greg Thompson and Tommy Bruce, Pama Cyclones won pro with JP Beilsten. Pretty cool to see that on each of the teams that won three of the top divisions (Junior, D1, Pro) PIHA-Gateway Players were on them. I've seen the new Roller Hockey Magazine and it will be sweet. The Growl and Lunatics up east got some new clips of their games so check them out.
College nationals will be in St. Louis this year.

-Dave

Reply to PRESS

2007-01-18T17:44:00.000-06:00

Any kind of press is awesome. Always a couple of things that are off but it looks great. I wish she had put in the PIHA website www.thepiha.com. She is working in a larger ongoing article as well. There will be a ton more press coming soon: Check out St. Louis Magazine next month! Also, we are working on having some TV cameras out at the Pythons home opener on January 27th. -Dave

PIHA Gateway PRESS

2007-01-18T17:42:00.000-06:00

Check this out: riverfronttimes.com STLog. There is blurb in there on January 18th (today) about PIHA-Gateway. The RFT is a younger 'edgy' newspaper in St. Louis that also does some great online work. Here is a copy of the article: And Speaking of Hockey…
Filed under: Sports
In any other town, starting up a professional inline hockey team would have taken at least two years. St Louis, however, turns out to be an inline hockey hub. “It’s random,” says David Garland, a Washington University grad who has helped to organize the league. “Every state has it, but here there’s a real history of success.”
There’s a strong high school program and a prestigious college team at Lindenwood University that has won the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association Division One title four years in a row. In fact, in those four years the Lindenwood squad has only lost one game, to Meramec Community College. “A huge upset,” says Garland. (Loyal RFT readers already know Lindenwood’s reputation as an obscure-sport juggernaut.)
St. Louis once was home to a professional inline hockey team — the Vipers, who played back in the 1990s. But they were trying to fill 20,000-seat arenas, and even inline-hockey hubs have their limits. The current league, the Gateway Professional Inline Hockey Association, has five teams and more modest ambitions. Games are played at privately owned rinks that seat about 500; tickets are $5 and kids under eight get in free. (For a schedule, visit the league’s MySpace page.
Garland says games have been drawing crowds of 400 or so. “It’s hard to explain to other people how cool it is,” adds Garland, who’s been hooked since he was thirteen. “Ice hockey players love it because it takes skilled players and showcases them, as opposed to in ice hockey, where there are these big goons who just go around and hit people.”
Inline hockey is less violent than ice hockey (no full checking is permitted) and halftime shows have included paper airplane contests.
“At the last game, there were 50 kids wanting to get things autographed,” reports Garland, who plays for the Southside Snipers. “It was a little ego thing.”
-Molly Langmuir

Where are we going?

2007-01-16T23:57:00.000-06:00

I have to say this first year of PIHA in St. Louis has been really exciting for me and the players, fans, rinks are pumped as well. This is really all a learning process for everyone to see what works and what doesn't. We decided to bring the league here without an offseason of planning (meaning we literally decided to do this, had meeting after meeting, and made sure it got done). This of course took a TON of time right off the bat. I think a lot of people don't realize how much work it takes to pretty much bring in a league from scratch and it has been a great collaborative effort.

There was a laundry list of things to be done: Decide tryout format, book tryout dates, make sure players knew about tryouts, had people running tryouts, had proper registration forms, create the schedule, name the teams, design logos, get tickets printed, plan a 300+ person draft party, get a web presence going, get our spot on the new PIHA spot, develop a comprehensive plan to get sponsors for the league, inform the St. Louis community about the league, come up with creative entertainment for fans, etc. etc. That list is just a few things I thought of from the top of my head...the list could easily be quadrupled.

It has been cool to work with so many people (and different personalities!) that really care about this game and are helping to form the future vision of our sport. People like Charley Yoder, Ron Beilsten, Perry Turnbull, Jeremy McCoy, Rob Ferrara, Tammy O'Rourke, Rick Matteson and Ian Mackie. What we are trying to create here is a redefinition of what people think about when they hear the words 'inline hockey'.

What do you think about when you hear the words inline hockey (seriously please leave a comment)? We all love the sport in whatever capacity: Playing, coaching, reffing, managing. There are people that are very passionate about this sport. That being said, there has been a problem with inline hockey being disorganized: Players getting dressed two minutes before game times, no coaches on the bench, fourteen different jerseys, whatever. Of course this is a generalization, but we are trying to establish a PROFESSIONAL image.

What is a professional image? A professional image can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. To me it means games extremely well organized (starting on time, matching jerseys, anthem playing, starting lineups, pumping music) and players (and refs/owners/coaches) looking and acting professional (in dress code, respecting the game, thanking fans for coming, helping to promote the game, taking themselves seriously). We have some really awesome personalities in the league and it is cool to see the guys taking this seriously. This of course doesn't mean not having fun, because everyone out there is involved in hockey because it is fun. It is not like cleaning your room or doing taxes. There are other elements of professionalism more from the business side (a little more boring so I'll keep it brief) which includes an organized business plan, future plans, a strong media presence, keeping Internet sites updated, attracting fans, and delivering what we promise.

Without making this insanely long, I want to finish on why PIHA is a great thing and will build in the upcoming years. Simply, PIHA helps out everyone who helps the sport. Players get to play in a professional, competitive environment with cool perks such as a Championship in Florida. A lot of our teams get little special treats too which are a nice touch such as Gatorade and snacks after games (seems like a little detail, but it is all about the details). Additionally, it is pretty cool to have little kids coming up and asking for an autograph. Sure, it is a little bit of an ego-trip and it is great to see little kids that love the game. They don't care if you are making $1 or $1 million dollars! Owners get a chance to open their rinks up and get more people interested in inline hockey in the building. For example, with the correct marketing, all PIHA games will be packed with players and potential players! With the right business planning and growth, owners (who put up the money for each team to get this going), owners will also see PIHA as a profitable venture besides a 'good deed' (sponsorships, merchandise, ticket sales, etc.). But this league is really about generating new interest in our sport. Little kids are key to bring into the game. We are not at the numbers that peaked in the 90's. My goal is to destroy these numbers in the upcoming years by bringing in the little guys into the sport. The little guys get excited when they come out to the games (big players, autographs, skates after the game) and they also want to play in PIHA. Unlike the NHL, (.000000000000000000000000001% chance of making it), PIHA is actually an ATTAINABLE GOAL for these little guys. They will stay in the sport and there are plans to get new kids in the sport as well. Fans win because they get to come see something that is exciting, affordable ($5 a ticket and children 8-and-under free) and get great access to players. Also, with four teams in St. Louis...a rink is never too far away (just wait till Highway 40 construction hah). Finally, and this is something that will be built with time, companies/corporations can benefit from PIHA through sponsorships, advertising, and being involved in a family-oriented environment. The goal of PIHA is not to have 1,000 fans in a 10,000 seat arena but rather PACK 500 people into a 450 person rink!

All of the above benefits will change over the upcoming days, months, years but the overall goals are embedded in the culture of this league and the game itself. Mistakes will be made and so will improvements. I would love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, comments, etc. You can either leave your name or not when you do so.

Key Questions:
What do you love about inline hockey?
What do you hate about inline hockey?

You can reach me anytime at pihagateway@gmail.com

-Dave

PS Go Blues who killed the Ducks tonight 6-2 and the Cardinals have the All Star game in 2009! I hope everyone had fun at NARCh last weekend (too much work so I couldn't go) but I've heard it was great!

Welcome to the blog!

2007-01-16T16:32:00.000-06:00

I've never really tried blogging before, but I thought it would be a good idea to share some insights about the Pro Inline Hockey Association's Gateway Division. There are a TON of things going on behind the scenes as we try to build this league to get better and better in the future. If you wanted to know more than just the scores and scoresheets, this will be a place to find that kind of information. Whether it is a funny story, a new idea, a mistake, rumors, or thoughts it will be all be posted here. I changed the comment setting so please feel free to honestly comment! If you have a suggestion or a way things can be done better, let me know. If you like something, let me know. I appreciate any input because this league is about everyone: Players, rink owners, fans, little kids, etc. This blog will not really follow too much of a format but instead will pretty much be 'stream of consciousness' but I can guarantee that will be updated often! -Dave