THE BIGGER PICTURE

by Richard Graham

A major tournament is a great place to talk to a wide variety of inline hockey’s movers and shakers about how the sport is progressing in their regions.

On a suggestion from TORHS America National Finals Tournament Director Ian Mackie, Inline Hockey Central interviewed several people at the event to learn what they think about the sport in general and the TORHS Finals in particular.

Ralph Sowder, South Florida

Ralph Sowder is based in New Port Richey, Florida, and has been involved with inline hockey for 10 years. Sowder says he was caught in the “typical trap,” in which the coach didn’t show up, he was pulled from the bleachers to stand in, and he has “been hooked ever since.” Both of Sowder’s sons – Lucas (Tour Scorpions, Squirt AA/AAA) and Logan (Mean Machine, Midget AA) – are playing at the TORHS Finals

PHOTO MANIA

Check out the photos, folks. It's past time for me to concentrate on some more article writing. 

CATCHING UP

by Richard Graham

Running from June 26 to July 5, 2009, in Palm Beach, Florida, the 2009 TORHS Nationals is now past its midway point, but the inline hockey action is still red hot. With 22 divisions and 156 teams, there are some 1,500-plus players competing, and that makes for incidental contact both on the rink and in the narrow, crowded aisles at Skate Zone.

[For complete game statistics, event blogs and photography of the tournament, its Skills Competition and its Two-on-Two Challenge, please see http://www.torhs.com/Nationalsblogsandpictures.htm. Ian Mackie and Jim Anderson are blogging detailed insider accounts on the tournament that you can’t get anywhere else.]

RAZOR'S EDGE

by Richard Graham

For a game that started slowly, the TORHS America Pro Division Final sure sped up in a hurry.

Both the Tour Mudcats and the L.A. Pama Cyclones seemed to be feeling each other out for a while before getting rolling – one Mudcats’ defender stood behind the net for about a minute before finding an outlet pass… and boos were heard from the crowd that was waiting for a show. That show soon began, and the action that ensued had end-to-end rushes, 14 minutes worth of penalties, shots, scores, spills and thrills.

Just over three minutes into the game, Chris Peterson drew first blood for the Mudcats after receiving a pass from 2009 Lindenwood University killer PJ Tallo.

RULES & REGULATIONS

by Richard Graham

There seems to be an increasing interest in National Hockey League games since it went to four-on-four in overtime during the regular season. (Does that remind you of any particular version of hockey?) You see that same level of interest in TORHS America games that are close near the end of regulation time – fans start to ask the question out loud: “Do you think there will be a shootout?”

When Ron Beilsten and Greg Gawrys purchased TORHS a couple of years ago, they instituted a shootout to break ties at the end of regulation in round-robin games. The rule change has made the tournament more appealing to both players and spectators, according to Beilsten.