ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, November 13, 1996 TAG: 9611130043
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: BILL RAY STAFF WRITER
Two years ago, about a dozen Virginia Tech students had a brainstorm.
Tired of playing their favorite sport on make-shift parking lot rinks and sick of getting run off of tennis courts, they decided to organize. The result was the Blacksburg Roller Hockey league.
Today that league boasts more than 100 players on six teams, each playing two or three games a week. The league was expanding so fast that it added a second "B" league this season.
The idea behind the "B" league was to give those players who might not have as much experience a chance to improve. At the same time, it would allow the more skilled players in the "A" league to face off against better competition.
"We used to have six teams with nine to eleven players each," said Mike Perhala , last season's president. "Now we have six teams but with only eight players on a team."
Two years ago the league was no more than a group of guys who liked to play hockey. Now the circuit has formal structure. A few times a week, players would drive to Play It Again Sports in Christiansburg to play on its concrete rink. As time went on, the idea of starting a league was tossed around. The group began putting up fliers and the BRHL was born.
"I just saw some of the fliers the guys had put up," current President Mark Ratterman said. Now Ratterman, a Tech sophomore, is the one putting up the fliers and answering phone calls from interested players.
"We are a very young league," Ratterman said. "Everyone who runs it is under 21 years old. It is about 95 percent Tech students, but we also have a few high school players and a few players who aren't in school."
Now that the league has its wheels on the ground, it is beginning to broaden the scope of its playing. For the first time this season, a group made up of some of the top players formed a team known as the Riddlers. This group plans to compete with teams from all over the country.
This weekend, the team is heading to Virginia Beach for a tournament in which it will play last season's national champions, the Virginia Beach Storm. A few weekends ago, that same group went to a tournament in Altavista in which some of the best teams in Virginia were competing. They came home having swept the tournament, winning five games.
"We just got that started," Perhala said. "[Organizer] Dennis Alvaro came to our BRHC tryouts and told us we wanted to put a team together. He held another tryout and picked a select group of us."
Perhala also said that the league, while having some good hockey talent, is open to players of all skill levels. Only about 20 members have much hockey experience. Because of the varying degrees of skill in the league, a draft was implemented to ensure parity.
"The first year you got your own team together," Perhala said. "Now we have a draft with the first team getting the first and 12th pick. Every team with the exception of one or two has about four or five good players."
The league is open to anyone who is interested. Seasonal fees are $50 which includes 20-25 games, plus a four-team playoff. Also included in that cost is a new jersey each season. For more information call Ratterman at 232-2806.
LENGTH: Medium: 61 linesby CNB