Charleston, SC: In this the final pre-travel article for the United States Military Hockey Tour of the UK, brought to you by the Citadel, I’ll cover miscellaneous news and notes. If you haven’t been following this series, part one was about the trip itself, how it came to be and what went into the planning of the trip. Part two introduced you to the Navy Midshipmen who are participating, while part three introduced you to The Citadel players.
The combined US Military team will take on two teams from the Scottish National League (SNL) and two teams from the National Ice Hockey League (NIHL). In the United Kingdom the Elite League (EIHL) is the top tier of hockey. The NIHL has two tiers D1 and D2 and are below the EIHL. The SNL is considered a second-tier league, although many consider it more of a D2 level, for NIHL comparison. The NIHL is divided into North and South divisions. The Military team will take on the Kirkcaldy Kestrels and Murrayfield Racers of the SNL and will take on the Sheffield Steeldogs, an NIHL1 North team, and the Romford (London) Raiders, an NIHL1 South team. For more UK coverage, visit Prohockeynews.com and click the International tab and then the Hockey UK tab.
The Kestrels play at Fife Ice Arena, which seats 2,462. The Racers play at Murrayfield Ice Rink which seats 3,800. The Steeldogs play at 1,500 seat iceSheffield, while the Raiders play at the 1,200 seat Sapphire Ice and Leisure Center.
Here are the comparisons of the average height and weight for all teams involved and the average age of the UK teams: Kestrels avg age 21.07, avg height 5’11”, avg weight 165lbs. The Racers come in at 24.27 age, 5’11”, weight 178lbs. Steeldogs 24.1, 5’11’,177lbs. Raiders, 24, 5’11” 171 lbs. The US Military comes in at an average height of 5’11” and 176 lbs.
One last player to introduce you to is Reeves Peterson, who was unable to get his info to PHN prior to the deadline due to other commitments. Reeves is a senior defenseman from Greenville, SC who is going to hopefully go into International Business after graduation. He’s looking forward to “Traveling Europe, playing some hockey with a great group of guys.” He would be home working construction of not on the trip. He also added that “It’s an honor to represent two great schools.”
While the focus is on hockey, there will be plenty of opportunities to tour and experience Edinburgh, Sheffield and London. One of the organized trips is to Stirling, in Scotland to the Stirling Castle and the National Wallace Monument that overlooks the site of the 1297 Battle of Stirling Bridge where William Wallace defeated the English. New Year will be celebrated in Edinburgh and will follow with a day in Edinburgh to explore. There will also be a day in London to explore the city.
For a complete itinerary, visit the Citadels website, citadellbulldogs.pointstreaks.com or follow them on Facebook.
The next article will be once the tour has started. Till then, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
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