LEE COUNTY, Fla. – Southwest Florida is preparing for a youth hockey invasion this week. Some of the best young players in the country and from overseas are coming to Hertz Arena for a chance to play at the next level.
Summer time is all about the camps and tournaments for athletes, and on the ice, it doesn’t get much better than the Matterhorn Fit All-Ivy Showcase.
“We have assembled an unbelievable group of coaches and players and this is the premier event of the year in hockey,” Former Pro Hockey Player and Co-Founder of Matterhorn Fit Ryan Vesce said.
This week over 200 players from around the world that were born between 2001-2005 will be scouted by 11 colleges and even the Florida Panthers.
The colleges include five Ivy League schools (Cornell, Yale, Princeton, Brown, and Dartmouth) and other top college programs like Boston College, Minnesota, and Michigan.
“This is as high-level as it gets in terms of a talent pool, coaching staffs and to really bring it all together it is gratifying to be able to help these kids and try and get them to the next level,” Vesce said.
On top of what the players do on the ice former pro hockey player and Cornell grad Ryan Vesce put this event together to help them off the ice.
“They can expand their network, they can get exposure and they can hopefully make something of that which could eventually hopefully change their lives,” Vesce said.
Providing players, coaches, and parents with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“It is a win-win-win for the players, for the coaches, and for the parents that get an education about the process and understand what it is like to go to the schools,” Vesce said.
With the event already locked in for 2022 and beyond Vesce is excited to have others follow his path.
“Hopefully we can inspire players and the next generation of players inspire them to go to the higher academic universities,” Vesce said.
The busy and exciting week of hockey gets going at Hertz Arena beginning with a welcome reception on Wednesday. Games will get going on Thursday and will finish up on Saturday.
If you would like to attend you can purchase a $10 bracelet that gives you access to the entire week of games at Hertz Arena.
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