INDIANAPOLIS--The NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Committee has announced the host sites for the 2013 and 2014 Men's Frozen Four. Pittsburgh, Pa., will host the 2013 Men's Frozen Four at the Consol Energy Center, while Philadelphia, Pa., will serve as the host for the 2014 championship at the Wachovia Center. The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) will serve as the host for the event on April 10 and 12, 2014.
"The Frozen Four is one of the premiere national championships and a showcase of hockey's top collegiate student athletes," said Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko. "This awarding of the event is a true testament to both the development of ice hockey programs here in the Greater Philadelphia Region which has produced young ice hockey players who have gone on to compete in the Frozen Four, as well as to the die-hard hockey fans here in our region who will be able to show their passion for the sport of hockey on the national stage. We would also like to congratulate the ECAC on their tireless efforts in helping to bring the event to Philadelphia."
"We are extremely excited about the opportunity to host the 2014 Frozen Four," said ECAC Commissioner Rudy Keeling. "To do so in such a wonderful facility in a completely sports-minded community will go a long way toward making this one of the best Frozen Fours in recent history."
The Wachovia Center, home to the National Hockey League's Easten Conference Champion Philadelphia Flyers, will also host the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships, as well as the 2013 NCAA Men's First and Second Round Basketball Tournament Games. The Wachovia Center, which opened in 1996, has already hosted the 2000 NCAA Women's Final Four, the 2001 NCAA Men's East Regionals, the 2006 and 2009 NCAA Men's First and Second Round Basketball Games.
The Consol Energy Center is set to open in August 2010 and will be the new home to the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins. Robert Morris University, a member of the Atlantic Hockey Association, will serve as the host institution for the championship taking place on April 11 and 13, 2013.
"The number of quality bids submitted made the process of choosing the host sites extremely difficult for the committee," said Bill Bellerose, chair of the Division I Men's Ice Hockey Committee and associate athletic director at College of the Holy Cross. "We are extremely pleased with every aspect of both winning bids - from the venue, to the community support to the cities themselves, everything will be first-class. We are confident both sites will put forth the ultimate championship experience for the student-athletes and fans alike."
"The City of Philadelphia is thrilled to welcome the NCAA Frozen Four and its many fans to the City of Brotherly Love in 2014," said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. "Kudos to all of the local partners involved in bringing this prestigious sporting event here."
"The Frozen Four is one of the NCAA's premier championships and will bring thousands of visitors to Philadelphia from around the country," said Larry Needle, Executive Director, Philadelphia Sports Congress, a division of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau. "We are excited to partner with Comcast-Spectacor, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and the City, in hosting this great event."
These two championships will be the first two NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship events held in the state of Pennsylvania.
The 2011 Men's Frozen Four will be held in St. Paul, Minn., at the Xcel Energy Center, April 7 and 9. The 2012 championships will be held at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., April 5 and 7.
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