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TWO ATLANTIC HOCKEY ASSOCIATION PLAYERS SELECTED
FOR NCAA SKILLS CHALLENGE
(Air Force's Ramsey and Sacred Heart's Smith Represent Atlantic Hockey)

WAKEFIELD, Mass. -- The NCAA has announced the participants for the second annual Pontiac Frozen Four Skills Challenge, which will be held April 6 at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

Atlantic Hockey will be represented by a pair of seniors in the skills challenge. Andrew Ramsey of the Air Force Academy and Jason Smith of Sacred Heart were chosen to participate.

Ramsey ended the regular season second on the Falcons with 44 points (20g, 24a) in 33 games. Over his four year career at the Academy, he netted 46 goals, added 63 assists for a totale of 109 points. Of Ramsey's 46 goals, 20 came on the power play with six game-winners. He currently stands in 32nd place on the all-time scoring list in Air Force history. Ramsey helped lead the Falcons to a 16-15-5 overall record and a 13-10-5 mark in Atlantic Hockey. Air Force opens up the Atlantic Hockey Tournament at the Cadet Ice Arena on Saturday, March 10 against Holy Cross.

Smith backstopped the Pioneers to the top seed of the 2007 Atlantic Hockey Tournament. This season he set the all-time mark at Sacred Heart for careers wins with 37, while last year posting 18 victories also a new record. During the regular season, Smith, who is a draft pick of the New Jersey Devils, has appeared in 26 games, while posting a 15-8-3 record with a 2.82 goals against average and a .906 saves percentage. Sacred Heart awaits the winner of the First Round contest between #9 American International and #8 Canisius. The Pioneers' Quarterfinal contest will take place on Saturday, March 10 at the Milford Ice Pavilion.

The competition will be conducted in an East versus West format with each team having six male position players, six female position players, two male goaltenders and two female goaltenders. An alternate list has been established in the event that players have to withdraw from the competition due to other commitments, such as their team's participation in the Men's Frozen Four.

To be eligible, all players must have exhausted their collegiate eligibility and be nominated by their head coach. The players were selected by representatives from the American Hockey Coaches Association, the NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Committee and the National Youth Sports Corporation. The competitions will include puck control relay, fastest skater, hardest shot, rapid fire shooting, accuracy shooting and penalty shot. Each competitor will receive a complete set of equipment and a full uniform from Nike Bauer Hockey.

Tickets for the event are $10 and can be purchased at the Scottrade Center box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 314/241-1888. The Pontiac Frozen Four Skills Challenge will begin at 7:30 p.m. Central time and will be preceded by the Hobey Baker Memorial Award at 6 p.m. and the Hockey Humanitarian Award at 6:35 p.m. The Pontiac Frozen Four Skills Challenge and the Hobey Baker Memorial Award will both be shown live on ESPNU.