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Volume 1, Issue 4
April 16, 2004

Dear alumni, family, friends and supporters,

Spring quarter is fully underway and the Gauchos are still adjusting to the reality of not being in Anaheim for the NCRHA National Championships. If you haven’t done so yet, wander down to http://www.ncrha.org/championships/ and get live updates from DI, DII and DIII play. After a terrible start, the West is holding up very well and is looking to advance deep into the elimination rounds.

Spring Update

Spring workouts are going well. The new weight training program has unfolded slowly but surely as the Gauchos get used to their new schedules. Though I can be at our Recreational Center’s weight room only so much, it’s been obvious that Santa Barbara has a few new gym rats. This lifting program will continue on into summer and the next school year as Santa Barbara aims to get both their hockey game and bodies stronger.

Goalie Battles

In addition to individual weight training sessions, our goalies are getting the best workouts they’ve gotten perhaps all year. Once or twice a week, as schedules permit, a dozen or so skaters gather in the upstairs room of Robertson Gymnasium to put our goalies to work. These one and a half to two hour sessions have our netminders facing hundreds of shots in several different kinds of drills. This is the first time this has been implemented here at UCSB, and hopes are high that the payoff come the Fall will be huge. Freshmen Sean Seal and Jason Green, and transfer senior Mike Lovato, are steadily improving. We already have news that former UCSB netminder Pat Chen is back from his year off from school and is ready to get back between the pipes for the Gauchos. Though we can’t say too much now, Santa Barbara has also gotten wind of a junior transfer goalie fresh from a stint in Major Juniors in Canada. With a possible five goalies coming into the Fall, and who knows how many incoming freshmen and transfers after that, it’s looking like this Spring and Summer should be an interesting battle to see where everyone stands.

UCSB Hockey Alumni Interviews

Since the last edition of our last Newsletter (March 9, 2004), UCSB has conducted interviews with several of our alumni.

The series began with Dave and James Wagner, two of the most prolific scoring threats in the history of our program. The brothers Wagner led Santa Barbara to several top ten finishes throughout their careers, including a national runner-up finish in 1999.

You can read about Dave Wagner here: https://ucsbhockey.tripod.com/index/davewagner.html

James Wagner’s interview is here: https://ucsbhockey.tripod.com/index/jameswagner.html

The latest addition to the series is club founder Stephen Underhill (class of 1997). Steve has just recently returned to California after a two year stay in Germany. He was instrumental in the growth of UCSB Hockey, and backstopped the Gauchos to some of its first and biggest wins as Santa Barbara’s original goalie. You can catch up with Steve at: https://ucsbhockey.tripod.com/index/steveunderhill.html

Next up for an interview: Brendan “BS” Sheehey! Easily the most infamous of our alumni, “BS” is currently attending San Francisco’s UC Hastings College of Law with fellow Gaucho Andrew Cahill.

Spring Showdown by the Sands

The details are finally coming together for UCSB Hockey’s Spring fundraiser! The team will hold a No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em tournament, which is a very popular form of poker that’s recently spread across the country like wild fire.

All proceeds will be donated to the Jack Canfield Chicken Soup Fund, a resource for UCSB students who encounter medical difficulties during their college careers. As part of their fundraising agreement with Recreational Sports, the team will be matched with half of what they make when fundraising, so even though we’ll give all the money raised from entry fees to the Fund we will still walk away with something to help us out next year. It’s a win-win situation for everyone as the Chicken Soup Fund gets some badly needed allocations, UCSB Hockey raises money for next year and somebody walks away with the Grand Prize!

Though that Grand Prize has yet to be finalized, we’ve gathered a great collection of other prizes for the tournament. Jamba Juice, Woodstock’s Pizza, Gina’s Pastaria, the UCSB Bookstore and several others have already lined up to donate to the fundraiser. Other businesses include: Costco Wholesale, Comp USA, PC Club, Borders, Sportmart, Camino Real Movie Theater and Starbucks. Right now a deal is in the works to get a HD television as the Grant Prize for the tournament, with other prizes for everyone at the final table.

Though a date has yet to be set, the most probable weekend will be May 22/23. The “Spring Showdown by the Sands” will likely be held at the University Center’s Corwin Pavilion, and we’re hoping to get at least a hundred to one hundred and fifty players to attend in order to raise our goal of $3000 for the Chicken Soup Fund.

If you’re interested in donating a prize to the event, or money to the fund, please Contact Us!. There’s still plenty of time to make this upcoming fundraiser a huge success!

Alumni Game and SLO Scrimmage

We’re going forward with our Hockey Night in Santa Barbara. After a one year hiatus, the annual scrimmage with Central Coast rivals Cal Poly SLO will see be renewed. Additionally, in celebration of our tenth anniversary as a club, UCSB will be holding an Alumni Game prior to the SLO scrimmage.

A preliminary date has been set for Saturday, May 15. A possible time for the Alumni Game will be 6 PM, with a thirty minute break before the featured scrimmage between the Gauchos and the Mustangs at 7:30 PM. The event will take place at the Earl Warren Showgrounds, ten minutes south of UCSB.

Alumni response has been enthusiastic, and we expect enough of our “old timers” for a two squad scrimmage! Club founder Stephen Underhill has even been penciled in as one of the goalies for the game....

Beforehand we are planning a barbeque for everyone to enjoy. A possible site for the BBQ would be Cathedral Oaks Park, halfway between the Showgrounds and UCSB’s campus. Alumni, friends, family and fans (and of course the team) are all invited to meet and eat with each other.

Additionally, at the games we’ll be selling our apparel (short and long sleeved Tees and hooded sweaters). We’re working on getting some food vendors out there to feed the starving crowds. Finally, the SB Hockey Association’s youth hockey organization will be asked to let some of their kids have a small scrimmage during the break between our Alumni Game and the featured game against SLO.

May’s going to be an exciting month, and if you’re anywhere near the area during Hockey Night in Santa Barbara come on by!

RecCen II Construction Update

The rink structure is getting more and more definition. Everyday construction sounds can be heard from the bike paths leading past the current RecCen, and workers are constantly scaling the site. Everyone’s getting excited as our dream comes closer and closer to being realized!

Here are some of the new pictures taken fairly recently of the progress on the site: http://community.webshots.com/album/129721525DTdKED

Sponsorships

With the completion of a one of a kind indoor SportCourt facility here at UCSB, there’s been a lot of focus on our program. One of the benefits of that focus has been an increased interest from the hockey industry. Though at this point everything is very much up in the air, don’t be surprised to learn in the next few Newsletters that the Gauchos will be sponsored by someone.

Currently we are in talks with Nike, Tour, Innovative and Eagle Hockey. Hopes are high for a deal to be made mutually benefiting both parties as the Gauchos head into their new home this coming November. Updates will be provided as they arrive.


Go Gauchos!

Sincerely,
Jonathan Tu
President, UCSB Hockey


All images and text are the property of UCSB Hockey
Watch as the Recreation Center II and our indoor SportCourt facility develop. This picture album will grow as the construction progresses. The opening date is set for Fall/Winter quarter of 2004-05.