FLICEK CHOSEN FOR SKILLS CHALLENGE
Army Senior Will Participate In Frozen Four Challenge

This story is courtesy of Army Athletic Communications

WEST POINT, N.Y.  - Army hockey player Luke Flicek (Burnsville, Minn) is among the 12 male skaters chosen to participate in the third annual Frozen Four Skills Challenge that will be held April 11 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, the NCAA announced on Thursday.

Flicek is one of six skaters on the East team and the second Army player chosen to participate. Goalie Brad Roberts competed in the initial challenge. Flicek is the lone players representing the Atlantic Hockey Association.

The Skills Challenge will be conducted in an East versus format with each team having six male position players, six female positions players, two male goaltenders and two female goaltenders. A list of alternates has been established in the event players are participating in the Frozen Four or have to withdrawal.

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 NCAA national office staff.

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.

"The Frozen Four Skills Challenge has really taken off as an event," said Joel Maturi, chair of the Division I Men's Ice Hockey Committee and director of athletics at the University of Minnesota. "Each year the caliber of the student-athletes in this competition has gotten stronger and stronger, and we feel this year is no different. The Skills Challenge will once again be a showcase of the nation's best senior student-athletes."

Flicek will be joined on the East squad by goaltenders Kevin Regan of New Hampshire and David Leggio from Clarkson. The other skaters are Michael Brennan, Boston College; Pete MacArthur, Boston University; Jesse Winchester, Colgate; Jon Rheault, Providence and Jake Morissette, RPI.

The female skaters on the East squad include Hayley Moore, Brown; Jaclyn Hawkins, Connecticut; Martine Garland, New Hampshire; Jennifer Hitchcock, New Hampshire; Marykate Oakley, Princeton and Sabrina Harbec, St. Lawrence. The goalies will be Sarah Perry, Sacred Heart and Meghan Guckian, St. Lawrence.

The West team is led by the nation's leading point scorer, Michigan's Kevin Porter, who has 51 points on 25 goals and 26 assists. The rest of the skaters include Jimmy Kilpatrick, Colorado College; Andrew Thomas, Denver; Bryan Lerg, Michigan State; Tommy Goebel, Ohio State and Mike Forgie, Wayne State (Mich.). The West goaltenders will be St. Norbert's Kyle Jones, who leads Division III with a goals against average of 1.18, and Denver's Peter Mannino, who was the 2006 Men's Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player.

The women's portion of the West roster includes Ohio State's Tessa Bonhomme, who is in the top 10 in the nation in assists with 27. Also on the team is Courtney DeHoey, Lake Forest; Karine Demeule, Minnesota Duluth; Bobbi Ross, Minnesota; Shannon Moulson, Niagara and Laura Fast, St. Cloud St. The two female goaltenders will be Laura Hosier, Mercyhurst and Britni Kehler, Minnesota State,Mankato.

Tickets for the event are $10 and will go on sale March 1 at the Pepsi Center box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 303/830-8497. The Frozen Four Skills Challenge will begin at 7 p.m. Mountain time and will be preceded by the Hobey Baker Memorial Award at 5:30 p.m. and the Hockey Humanitarian Award at 6:05 p.m. The Frozen Four Skills Challenge and the Hobey Baker Award will both be shown live on ESPNU.

Flicek is also a candidate for the Hobey Baker Award, along with teammates Bryce Hollweg and Owen Meyer.

Flicek has been among the nation's leaders in assists all season and leads the Black Knights in assists and points. A senior alternate captain from Burnsville, Minn., Flicek has 11 goals, 21 assists and 32 points and helped Army to the top of the conference standings and home ice in next week's playoffs.

Army is 15-13-4 overall and leads the Atlantic Hockey Association with 33 points off of a 15-8-3 record. Army will conclude its regular season this weekend with a home and home series with Sacred Heart. Army will play at Milford, Conn., Friday and host Senior Day Saturday at Tate Rink. Both games begin at 7:05 p.m.