3:41 p.m., Feb. 8, 2010----The University of Delaware and the Delaware Sports Commission have been awarded the bid to host the 2011 American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Men's Division 1 ice hockey national championships from March 5-9 next year.

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The five-day tournament, which is expected to generate at least $1.5 million in economic impact, was last held at UD a decade ago, said ACHA Commissioner Brian Moran.

"It was time to come back to the East," Moran said of the venue selection process, which involves site visits and a thorough evaluation of the facilities and geographic location. "It used to be everyone came to us and said they would like to host then we would vote. We've taken the ownership of making the decision on where we want to go."

ACHA began as a men's collegiate hockey league in 1991 and quickly grew to a league of more than 150 teams in three men's divisions. The Women's Division 2 was added in 2006. The association now has five divisions with more than 375 teams from across the nation. The purpose of the ACHA is to support quality, unity and regulation of intercollegiate hockey programs nationwide.

Matt Sparks, executive director of the Delaware Sports Commission, said the tournament is an excellent opportunity to meet the commission's priority of bringing more out-of-state players into Delaware while focusing on amateur and collegiate events.

"This is a rich state in terms of ice hockey when you consider the proximity to Philadelphia and Baltimore,” Sparks said. "Bringing the championships here will give the fans a chance to see competitive hockey that they don't get to see outside the NHL."

Marshall Stevenson, president of ACHA, said the UD's Newark campus is a prime location with easy access from I-95.

"All you have to do is let people know about the event and the attendance will be great," said Stevenson, former head hockey coach at Towson University. "In recent years the tournament has become a big production."

Jim Kaden, manager of UD Ice Arenas, said the selection of UD for the tournament was a great honor and a reflection the state-of-the-art facilities with robust support services designed to meet the needs of first-time competitors and champions alike.

"This is an ideal location for the championships," Kaden said. "The event will benefit from the rich experience that we have gained hosting major ice skating events, hockey games and a busy training schedule."

"We want to capitalize on the success of the University of Delaware, the hockey team and the great location," Sparks said. "The kind of vibrance that the event will bring to the community is very important. Having the arena full and people talking about it will spread the word throughout the state. This is a perfect fit and we are proud to be a partner with ACHA."

The UD Ice Arenas hosted the 2010 Eastern Sectional Championships in November 2009 and will host the 2010 Collegiate Figure Champions on April 17-18.

"One of our strategic goals is to bring high level championships to the University of Delaware Ice Arenas, and hosting the 2011 ACHA National Championship is a great honor,” Kaden said.

Skaters at the University of Delaware Ice Arenas have access to two ice surfaces, at the Fred Rust Ice Arena and the Gold Ice Arena, as well as strength and aerobic training rooms and a dance studio. The facilities provide the most complete training environment in the country.

Article by Martin A Mbugua