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Volume 1, Issue 2
 
February 3, 2004
 
Dear alumni, family, friends and supporters,
 
January has come and gone quickly, and it was a month full of big wins and disappointing losses. The restructured B team finally got its first win and, for the first time in what's seemed a long time, looked like the squad that won the B division last year.
 
Though their tournament in Palomar, San Diego (Jan. 10) would yield a 1-3 record, things have definitely turned around for them. Two tough losses at the beginning of the day could have easily snowballed into a winless tourney, but the Gauchos would battle their way to a 4-3 victory over a formiddable UC San Diego team. They would follow that with a last minute loss to a very surprised San Jose State - and just like that the B team was back in the mix with good showings against two tough Division II schools.
 
The A team would perform much the same, pulling a Jekyll and Hyde manuver throughout January. Riding high on the last tourney of the Fall quarter, the Gauchos were eyeing the medals at the North American Roller Hockey Championship (NARCh)  Winternationals in Las Vegas, Nevada (Jan 16-19). They would eventually go home bruised and battered as the team went 0-3 in round robin play, with two close one goal losses to Missouri Rolla and Moorpark College. The worst loss of the tourney, though, would come at the hands of the Michigan State Spartans: an 0-8 drubbing that showed just how much the Gauchos have to work on. The last time these two teams met was in Chicago, 1999, in the CRHL national championship game - it was apparent things are now very different.
 
Santa Barbara would limp home, and continue the limping into their next tourney in La Verne, CA. Opening up the day with a 1-11 loss to Moorpark College, who had previously tied the Gauchos then beat them by a goal, it seemed the team couldn't get anything right. They would follow this loss with another one, this time to the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos 3-8. The turning point of the tournament and the end of a six game losing streak came, surprisingly enough, thanks to UC Santa Barbara's rival and (at the time) the WCRHL Division One league leader Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Mustangs. With a 5-4 squeaker over SLO, UCSB righted their course and cruised passed UC Irvine to an easy 12-4 victory and into their next event.
 
UPCOMING EVENTS
 
The question now for both squads is "Which team will show up?" The B team's season dangles on a very thin thread of hope - they can reach the postseason with a 4-0 sweep in Davis, CA (Feb. 7) as long as another team goes 0-4. With a solid string of practices behind them, the B team is looking more dangerous than it has all season... but will it matter? They'll have to win some games this weekend to find out.
 
The A team sits in the same boat: which group of players will finally show up? Their upcoming tournament in Lancaster, CA (Feb. 21) will be a good gauge of their season: a showdown with WCRHL powerhouse CSU San Bernardino will be the toughest game of the year for the Gauchos, but if they can pull out some wins in Lancaster then Santa Barbara will be rolling into Regionals with momentum. As it is, UCSB sits comfortably in the middle of the pack as far as playoff spots go. Lancaster will be the measuring stick, though, and the Gauchos will be ready.
 
Beyond the horizon will be Regionals in March, which has been recently announced as taking place at Rollin' Ice in San Jose. Alumni and family from the Bay Area, come out and watch us play!
 
Alumni: keep your eyes peeled for updates on an Alumni event to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the club.
 
And everyone else: Keep telling everyone interested, especially family and alumni, about our website and mailing list. We're working on getting everyone involved and informed because a lot of big things are happening. Expect an update on the Recreational Center II Expansion Project and the indoor Sport Court roller hockey rink that goes with it - I'll be meeting with the construction companies, contractors and coordinators of the project in the next few weeks, and I'm taking pictures!
 
Finally, for our recent alumni, here's a link for ya: http://community.webshots.com/album/115820481wAZQqk
 
Go Gauchos!
 
Sincerely,
Jonathan Tu
President, UCSB Hockey

Volume 1, Issue 1
 
January 8, 2004
 
Dear alumni, family, friends and supporters,
 
I am very happy to bring you the first "official" edition of our newletter. As our capablities grow hopefully we'll be able to bring you a more comprehensive version with something more than plain text. For now though, simplicity is the way we're going.
 
This year marks the 10th anniversary of UC Santa Barbara's Roller Hockey Club. We've grown from our almost legendary floor hockey roots to one of the largest and well known roller hockey programs on the West Coast. Ten years ago we were relegated to playing intramurals in Robertson Gym and practicing wherever and whenever we could. Today we are approximately nine months away from the grand opening of the Recreational Center II, the site of our very own indoor SportCourt facility. We've come a long way.
 
You can read more about the history of our program, as well as check out pictures and news articles about us at our new website: http://ucsbhockey.tripod.com
 
For those of you who haven't visited yet, make sure you take the time to do so! We've got lots of stuff there for everyone, so drop by and see what the Gauchos are up to. Say hello on our message board or peruse our growing archive of pictures....
 
Here are just a few of the things coming up...
 
The B team will be visiting the Palomar YMCA in Escondido to play their third event of the season on Saturday, 1/10. They will be looking for their first win in what will hopefully be a run to the last available playoff spot. The defending B division champs have looked anything but - expect things to turn around for them though, and don't be surprised if they make a run for regionals. Should they qualify for regional play, there's also a chance you'll see them in April at the Anaheim Hockey Club for the first every B nationals.
 
The A team will take its first trip to Las Vegas in over three years for the NARCh Winternationals at the Crystal Palace. UCSB has drawn Missouri-Rolla, Michigan State and fellow WCRHL member Moorpark College in round robin play. Winternationals will last from January 16-19. Should UCSB do well at Winternationals, look for the Gauchos' stock to rise enough to crack the Top 25. This invitational tournament will also be big in that all collegiate games will take place at nearly the same time as the national high school championships - with a good performance, UCSB's recruiting ability will be vastly improved.
 
Once they're done with Vegas the A team will travel to La Verne on January 24 for their fourth league event of the year. It's gonna be a tough schedule as the Gauchos will face Cal Poly SLO, UC Irvine, Moorpark College and CSU San Bernardino.
 
Keep your eye out for events just beyond the horizon. With the 10th anniversary of the club we're hoping for something special. After some discussion we're going to try to set a date sometime in March for a Santa Barbara Hockey Weekend, which will include the following:
 
-Alumni Game
-Barbeque
-Parents Weekend
-Annual Scrimmage vs. CP SLO
 
Again, this is the first of hopefully a series of regular newsletters. If you can please take the time to look through the list of emails above and see if you can find anyone connected to our program who is missing, it would be much appreciated. Our eventual goal is to include every single alumni and family member in this mailing list.
 
Go Gauchos!
 
Sincerely,
Jonathan Tu
President, UCSB Hockey