Top U16 Hockey Players Meet in Nationals in Reston

Reston is hosting some of the top youth hockey teams in the nation this week as the USA Hockey National Tier II U16 Championships take place at and the Ashburn Ice House.

 Thirty-six teams, all state champions, will compete in a five day, 97 -game tournament to crown national champs in three separate divisions.

Preliminary rounds began Wednesday and run through Friday to trim the field from 12 to eight in each division.

Quarterfinal play takes place from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday at both rinks. Semifinals are 5 and 7:30 p.m. at Ashburn and 5 until 10 p.m. at Reston.  Championship games are scheduled for 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sunday.   All games are open to the public. Daily admission is $15 for adults and $7 for youths, 17 and under.  Tickets are available at the door.

 After a day and a half of preliminary action teams from North Dakota, Maine, Missouri, and Western Pennsylvania lead their respective divisions.

 The host club, Reston Raiders, lost their first two games of the tournament, 6-4 to the Spokane (Washington) Junior Chiefs and 4-2 to the Indiana Hoosier Wings. 

They will finish preliminary round play Friday at 8 a.m. against the Altoona, PA-based Mid-State Mustangs at the Ashburn Ice House at 8 a.m.

 “This tournament features several of the top youth hockey players in the country at a point in time when they’re just hitting their peaks as athletes,” said Steve Winter, Chairman of the Host Committee for the Reston-based event.  “Some of these games have been among the most exciting hockey I’ve seen in my career.”

 For information, call 202-438-8100 or visit www.usahockey.com/youth.