Florida International Holiday
Invitational on tap for Estero By Matt Mackinder
M
ore than 70 teams will converge on Estero’s Germain Arena later
this month for the 12th edition of the Florida International Holiday Invita- tional.
The 70 teams will play at divisions
from Mites on up to Midget Major at the Tier II A and AA levels on the three ice sheets at Germain Arena, also home to the 12th annual Florida College Classic Division I college hockey tournament Dec. 29-30. The youth portion runs from Dec.
27-31. According to tournament direc-
tor Dave Kessel, the invitational is a tournament that fills up quickly and is one many organizations, in-state and out-of-state, circle on their calendars once the dates are announced. “This isn’t your normal everyday tournament,” said Kessel. “There aren’t just the Florida teams that come to play. This season, we have a team from Montreal, three or four from Toronto and a couple from the Carolinas, At- lanta and Virginia. I think it’s a good mix and will certainly give our Florida teams a chance to see where they stack up against teams from other parts of the country.” Kessel said the college event, pit- ting the University of Maine, Cornell University, Clarkson University and the University of Massachusetts, is a good opportunity for the youth players to get a firsthand glimpse at D-I hockey at its best. Maine and Cornell are the main- stays at the tournament, while the two other teams rotate on a yearly basis. “I think a major selling point for a lot of these youth teams is the fact that they can walk next door and see what it takes to become a Division I hockey player,” Kessel said. “To play college hockey is a lot of these kid’s dreams, but until they see a college hockey game up close, I think that’s when they realize all the hard work that goes into becoming a college player.” Every player that plays in the invita- tional tournament also gets a ticket to the college tournament.
Another unique aspect to this tour- nament is the fact that every game is played until there is a winner, meaning the shootout is not utilized. “I was coaching the Jr. Everblades 18U team one year and we went to eight overtime periods,” said Kessel. “I think when you have a shootout, that makes it an individual game and hockey is a team-oriented game. None of our games will have a tie at the end. I have never been to another tournament or heard of another tournament that does this, so it’s something we take pride in. “We also have a running clock if the
goal differential is more than five goals or if the teams combine for more than 20 penalties. We don’t promote blow- outs. We want to promote good hockey and not let games get out of hand.” Kessel also said that he takes an- other source of pride in keeping the tournament on time, something he said that isn’t always easy. “I’ve talked to parents and coaches
who have told me that they go to other tournaments and games can get one or two hours behind; that doesn’t happen here,” said Kessel. “All of our games are on time and some can even start earlier than scheduled. We’re very strict when it comes to this, but everyone takes notice and is ready to go. “I really think our tournament is one of the most competitive around. When the tournament sells out more than 60 days out, you know you’re doing some- thing right.”
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PAST FLORIDA COLLEGE CLASSIC CHAMPIONS
2010 – St. Cloud State University 2009 – University of Maine 2008 – Cornell University
2007 – University of Massachusetts-Lowell 2006 – University of Maine 2005 – Cornell University 2004 – Boston College 2003 – Cornell University 2002 – University of Maine 2001 – Northern Michigan University 2000 – University of Maine
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Estero’s Germain Arena
RUBBERHOCKEY.com 13
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