National Sports Center Blog

Fun on St. Patrick's Day at the NSC

By Scott Clasen, Director of Marketing

Spring is definitely in the air after an amazing weather weekend in the Twin Cities. Another sure sign of spring hits us Saturday with St. Patrick's Day. And this year, we have a fun family offering for those that don't choose to do a pub crawl. That's just one of several events we have on tap this week at the National Sports Center.

Family Skate Night - Schwan Super Rink, March 17; 7 - 9 pm

We'll have a live DJ in the house, games, prizes and lots of cool activities for those looking for something to do with the family on St. Patrick's Day. $6/person or $20/family (four or more) gets you in the door. We also have brand new rental skates to offer! Oh and you'll receive a $1 discount if you show up wearing green.

WHAM State Tournament - Schwan Super Rink, March 15-18

The Women's Hockey Association of Minnesota (WHAM) state tournament is an annual event at the Schwan Super Rink to determine the best women's teams in the state. Five divisions will be contested during the weekend. Visit the WHAM website for more information.

Golf Lesson and League Registration is now open at Victory Links

We know that soon enough we'll be hitting the links and enjoying a sport poplular amongst thousands of Minnesotans. At our Victory Links Golf Course on campus we offer lessons for all ages as well as leagues for those that want a great way to socialize and golf at the same time. Registration for both lessons and leagues for the 2012 season are now open!

Zamboni pulling at the Super Rink!

By Barclay Kruse, NSC Chief Communications Officer

We stopped by the Ironman Adult Hockey Tournament Saturday afternoon to check out our newest event at the Schwan Super Rink -- the Zamboni Pull. This is a special event organized to keep the Ironman players busy during gaps between their games. I'm not sure why they need more activity, considering they'll play five games in three days, earning the "ironman" label. But for the players who showed up, they were game for the challenge and having fun too. Here's a look-in on our first Zamboni Pull:

Below: Tournament director Spencer Arvold helps the team called Off-in-the-Corner get suited up in their pulling harnesses.

Gregg Stutz from Centerville, Ben Adams of Mahtomedi and Andy Rammotz of Rochester give it their all for Off-in-the-Corner. Teams took 18-22 seconds to pull the Zamboni from blue line to blue line.

Below: Team Hat Trick, made up of Adam Knott of Otsego, Luke Molus of Becker and Adam Hayes of Big Lake.

Ellen Berce, left, and Erica Berthold represented the event sponsor, Muscle Milk. 

 

USA CUP alums playing on Japan's National Team that just beat USA

By Barclay Kruse, NSC Chief Communications Officer

Three former Schwan's USA CUP players were in the starting line-up for the Japan National Women's Soccer Team that beat the USA on Monday 1-0 at the Algarve Cup in Portugal. Aya Sameshima, Saki Kumagai and Asuna Tanaka all played in USA CUP for the Togiwagi Gakuen High School team from Sendai, Japan. Tokiwagi sends teams to USA CUP every three years. Togiwagi last played in the tournament in 2010, when they won both the weekend and weeklong championships of the U19 girls division.

Above: Asuna Tanaka.

Monday's win marked the first time Japan had ever beaten the U.S. in a regulation-time game. Of course, Japan defeated the U.S. in the championship game of the 2011 World Cup, but that was in an overtime penalty-kick shootout. (It was Kumagai who scored the winning PK goal in that World Cup final.)

Left: Saki Kumagai in action against Germany during the 2011 World Cup.

The Algarve Cup is an annual international tournament that this year serves as the major international tune-up for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

In the Algarve Cup championship game, completed earlier today, Germany defeated Japan 4-3, as Celia Okoyino da Mbabi scored Germany's winning goal in stoppage time. Asuna Tanaka scored in the 55th minute for Japan.

 

Left: Aya Sameshima. 

 

 

 

Check out the NSC's new sports photos!

By Barclay Kruse, NSC Chief Communications Officer

The next time you're on the NSC campus, we invite you to stop by the main NSC office area to check out our new wall decorations. Last night we installed 30 new pieces of world-class photography showing the NSC campus, programs and/or athletes.

And we want all our customers to know that you're welcome to view the photos yourself. Just stop in during normal office hours, and Mary Jane Kunza, our receptionist, will be glad to assist you. It's really fun! You'll see some aerial photos of the campus, great views of some of our buildings and of course awesome action shots of USA CUP Opening Ceremony, soccer, hockey, golf, cycling, ultimate, lacrosse, rugby.

We're proud to feature the work of some of the many talented photographers who have captured NSC events over the years, including Alex Carroll, Garry Frankel, Jenny Horn, Barclay Kruse, Taylor Kruse, Lisa Lardy, Jeremy Olson, Larry Race, Greg Savino and Mike Thill.

Below: NSC Graphic Designer Amanda Planting installs a photo of Natalie Darwitz, taken when the U.S. Women's Olympic Team trained at the Schwan Super Rink prior to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

NSC staff members Clinton Labeau, Andrew Lindgren and Dave Brown check out an aerial photo taken during Schwan's USA CUP.

Three members of 2010 Women's Olympic Team nominated for Patty Kazmaier Award

By Barclay Kruse, NSC Chief Communications Officer

Congratulations to three former members of the 2010 Women's Olympic Hockey Team who were nominted today to be among the 10 finalists for the 2012 Patty Kazmaier Award. The award, annually bestowed upon the top player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey, will be presented at a brunch ceremony on March 17 at the Greysolon Ballroom in Duluth, Minn., in conjunction with the NCAA Women's Frozen Four (March 16 and 18). 

The three former Olympians are senior forward Hilary Knight (Sun Valley, Idaho/University of Wisconsin), junior forward Jocelyne Lamoureux (Grand Forks, N.D./University of North Dakota), junior forward/defenseman Monique Lamoureux-Kolls (Grand Forks, N.D./University of North Dakota).

Hilary Knight

Jocelyne Lamoureux

 

Monique Lamoureux-Kolls

 

 

 

 

 

All three trained at the Schwan Super Rink for the year before the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.

Click here to read the full story on the USA Hockey website.

The U.S. Women's National Team will next return to their training home at the National Sports Center for the annual Women's Festival in August. As three of the brightest young stars on the U.S. National Team, you'll want to come out and watch Hilary, Jocelyn and Monique show their stuff!

 

 

NSC was at the premier of "Eat Sleep Hockey" last night

By Barclay Kruse, NSC Chief Communications Officer

Last night was the world premier of the film, "Eat Sleep Hockey," at the Andover Cinema, near the National Sports Center, and the NSC was there to celebrate the big night, represented by Schwan Super Rink Director Pete Carlson and yours truly.

The 33-minute film was produced by Damian Kussian and the talented folks at North Metro 15 Television in Blaine. The film follows two hockey families, the Brodzinski family of Blaine and the Hughes family of Lino Lakes, over the course of several months of, well, eating and sleeping hockey.

The NSC has a stong interest in the film project because both families are strong stakeholders at the National Sports Center. Mike Brodzinski owns Hockey Central, a NSC sponsor and operator of the Super Rink's pro shop. Terry Hughes is the president of the Skate To Excellence AAA Hockey Program that rents over 500 hours of ice a year at the Super Rink, enters teams in NSC tournaments, and holds their annual golf tournament at the NSC's Victory Links.

The film will soon be available to watch on-demand on the North Metro 15 website, and will be broadcast over the air, for those who live in the seven cities served by North Metro 15. Those wanting to purchase a copy on DVD can contact the station.

Take a look at some photos from last night's big premier:

Below, of course there was a red carpet!

Schwan Super Rink Director Pete Carlson (center) with Terry Hughes (left) and Mike Brodzinski.

Kathy and Mike Brodzinski signed autographs, because they are now movie stars!

Producer Damian Kussian (left) with Terry and Mike.

NSC announces partnership with TST Media for redesign of NSC’s websites

By Scott Clasen, Director of Marketing

We are all really excited here at the National Sports Center to announce our new partnership with TST Media to redesign our websites and move them into their NGIN platform. We think this will really create a positive experience for our customers as we merge our world-class facility with what has quickly become a world-class sports technology company. Below is an excerpt to the press release we published yesterday and a link to the entire story on our website. We should also remind you, this is a great place to post your comments on what you'd like to see out of our websites and how we can improve them for our customers. Feedback, both good and bad, is always welcome!

Blaine, Minn. (March 1, 2012) – The National Sports Center (NSC) announced it has formed a partnership with TST Media, a Minneapolis-based sports content strategy, design, marketing and technology company, for a redesign of the NSC’s websites. The NSC will be moving their websites to TST Media’s NGIN (pronounced "Engine") website platform and working with TST’s team of designers to improve the function and effectiveness of the NSC’s websites.

Read entire press release here...

We want to answer your questions on NSCtv!

By Scott Clasen, Director of Marketing

We love producing NSCtv each week and giving viewers a look at the huge variety of activity at the National Sports Center and how we produce these events. We want to take it another step by asking you, our audience, to submit questions you've always wanted answered about anything we do here.

We'll pick the best questions and answer them during a future episode of NSCtv. To whet your appetite, below you'll find the latest edition of NSCtv, in case you've never seen an episode.

So, let's hear it! What's on your mind about the events and programs we conduct at the world's largest amateur sports and meeting facility?

Use the comments section below to submit your questions. In the words of Ted Knight's "Caddyshack" character Judge Smails, "we're waiting....!"

 

Taste of Blaine is the NSC's tastiest event

By Barclay Kruse, NSC Chief Communications Officer

Last night was the big Taste of Blaine at the Schwan Center. This annual event is one of the most festive -- and tasty -- events on our non-sport calendar. Over a thousand attendees tasted samples from over 35 area restaurants. Taste of Blaine is a fund-raiser for Free2B!, a local charity that provides cars and car-care assistance to help individuals and families in Anoka County Minnesota to achieve economic security and self-sufficiency by supporting them in their transportation needs.

At the NSC, we love hosting this event. First, Free2B! is a unique charity that has identified a key area that low-income families need to hold jobs and become self-sufficient -- reliable transportation. We also love Taste because it's one of those unusual events that draws a lot of people who otherwise haven't visited our campus before. (In other words, we love to show off, especially to new customers!)

Here are some shots from Taste of Blaine 2012:

Below: Tim Cary, of the Tavern in Blaine, shows off salad samples.

Pepe Lusarreta and Cary Kemmerer of Chili's in Blaine:

NSC video producer Jake Frantzen interview Free2B!'s executive director Gary Levine for an upcoming episode of NSCtv.

Brian Lang, of Buffalo Wild Wings in Blaine, proudly serves up some ... wings!

National Sports Center will kick off new menu of outdoor shows with the Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo, March 23-25 and Minnesota Bass Expo, April 20-22

By Scott Clasen, Director of Marketing

The NSC announced today in a press release information about the new outdoor shows we are operating this year. From the release:

The National Sports Center (NSC) in Blaine will launch its new menu of outdoor-oriented expos by hosting Tom Helgeson’s Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo, March 23-25 and then will follow up with the inaugural Minnesota Bass Expo, April 20-22. This year the Fly Fishing Expo will be held in the Schwan Center and the new Bass Expo will be held in the NSC’s indoor Sports Hall. Both events will move into the NSC’s new Sport Expo Center for 2013.

Read the rest of the press release and details about both shows here.