NAU Ice Jacks

Ice Jack News

NAU To Play at Tim's Toyota Center

The # 12 ranked Northern Arizona University DII Ice Hockey Team will finish the regular season with two games vs. # 5 ranked UNLV on Sunday February 14th and Monday (Presidents Day) both games begin at noon. Tickets are on sale at the box office or at http://www.gettix.net/. All tickets are $10.00 per game. All proceeds benefit NAU Hockey and the rink fund. Anyone purchasing tickets for the game that can not attend, the tickets will be provided to Prescott Valley Youth Hockey to allow the young players to attend. Thank you for your support !!

Snow Storm in Flagstaff leads to Roof Collapse at Rink

The Nau Ice Jacks, FYHA youth hockey and all who use the Jay Lively Ice Arena were shocked to hear of the partial roof collapse of the Flagstaff, AZ rink. The collapse was thought to be at about 11:00 PM on Thursday January 21^st. Due to the heavy snow the rink was closed at the time of the accident and no one was hurt. The NAU DII team was due to practice that evening. The City of Flagstaff has been in contact with the hockey organizations and will work on a plan to reopen the facility. Details will follow in the coming months.

In the meantime, the NAU DIII and DII teams will finish their season due to the cooperation and generosity of the people at Tim Toyota Center in Prescott Valley. NAU DII will practice in Prescott Valley the next three weeks and play their last two “home” games vs. #5 UNLV. There is a great opportunity for NAU Hockey to play for the added costs of travel for games and practices and help to rebuild the rink in Flagstaff.

The 4500 seat Tim’s Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, AZ has agreed to help NAU Hockey sell tickets for the two games vs. UNLV on Sunday February 14^th at noon and Monday (Presidents Day) February 15^th at noon. There will be a link on the NAU Hockey web site and the Arizona Sun Dogs web site to purchase tickets for both games. Proceeds will benefit NAU Hockey. We hope that all of our fans will purchase a ticket to the game to support the team and the rink in Flagstaff. Look for the link in the next few days and please buy as many tickets as you can to support the cause.

NAU DIII will host the AA Phoenix Union Hockey club this weekend January 29^th and 30^th at the Oceanside Ice Arena in Tempe, AZ. We expect to have many fans from Flagstaff and the Phoenix area to come out to support the team. Coach Walsh has done a wonderful job helping the team to improve as the season progressed. NAU DIII has many hard-working players who never give up in any situation. We are very proud of the effort and the gritty style of this young team.

NAU DII will travel to Southern California to face Loyola Mary Mount on Thursday Jan 28^th followed by two games in Anaheim, CA vs. Cal State Fullerton Jan 29^th & 30th. The Jacks are currently at 15-6 and still alive to make the regional tournament in Colorado.

NAU Hockey appreciates your support in this difficult time for the organization.

Ice Jacks 2009-2010 Season

The NAU Ice Jacks Hockey teams are charting a new course for the 2009-2010 season. After qualifying for the ACHA Division III tournament for the past three seasons, NAU Hockey has moved the top team to ACHA Division II. NAU finished 8^th in the nation in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2007, 6^th in the nation in Rochester, Minnesota in 2008 and a disappointing 6^th in the nation last season in Rochester, New York as the top seed in the tournament.

This season the DII Ice Jacks squad went back to the old blue and gold colors that made them famous in the 1970’s and 1980’s as a top ranked NCAA Division I team. Former NHL players Bobby Beers and Stanley Cup winner Greg Adams played for NAU in that era. Our current players carry on the legacy of those great teams skating in front of large crowds at 7000’.

NAU DII completed the first half of the season with a 12-6 record. The team can do much better. NAU DII will start out the second half at home with two games vs. Colorado’s Metro State College on January 15^th and 16^th at Jay Lively Ice Arena and finish the weekend January 19th vs. a very good University of Oregon club.

The following week the Ice Jacks skate at home vs. their biggest rivals ASU. NAU students will be busting down the doors to see those games on January 22^nd and 23^rd. The team will travel to Los Angeles on the NAU team bus January 28^th – 30^th to face Loyola Mary Mount followed by two games with Cal State Fullerton. NAU will follow the next weekend with a trip to San Diego to play rival San Diego State the first weekend of February. The Ice Jacks will finish their season with a big home weekend vs. top 5 UNLV Rebels at home. Big crowds will be in attendance for the February 12^th and 13 games in Flagstaff, AZ.

NAU is competing to make the top 10 in the ACHA Pacific Region. The team is currently ranked 12^th. The regional tournament is in Greely, Colorado February 26^th and 27^th, 2010. The top four teams in the Pacific Region qualify for the national tournament in Connecticut in March 2010.

The Ice Jacks are currently working with the Flagstaff Parks and Rec to expand the seating at Jay Lively Ice Arena to 1,500 seating capacity. This will help more of our local fans and NAU students to attend the games. If the bond is approved the construction will begin in the spring and be completed before the 2010-2011 season.