Shootout in the North Country

Primelink ShootOut Brings Division III Hockey to the North Country

Story and photo by Missy Repola

The roar of the crowd echoes throughout the arena as razor sharp skates scrape across the ice. Suddenly a thunderous crack is heard and the crowd goes quiet. Frozen in silence the fans anxiously await the outcome, then with a simple swish of the net, the winning goal is scored and the crowd goes wild. This is the sound of the PrimeLink Great Northern ShootOut.

The PrimeLink ShootOut was established in 1998 and is always held on Thanksgiving weekend. It was first held in Norwich, Vermont in the Kreitzberg arena. Since then it has been held in various Division III arenas in both New York and Vermont, and has grown to be one of the most competitive tournaments in Division III hockey. Several sports writers have referred to the tournament as being “the best tournament in Division III hockey” according to the PrimeLink website.

“It was an honor to have been asked to participate in the event and a great experience for our student athletes.”

Since its 10th anniversary PrimeLink has begun to invite teams from western Division III schools to participate in the event. Making for some very competitive college hockey. The first western team to get the invite were the St. Johns Johnnies, after them were the St. Thomas Tommies, and this year was Wisconsin Stout from Menomonie, who according to USCHO.com (a website dedicated to college hockey) has ranked third in the preseason poll. “It was an honor to have been asked to participate in the event and a great experience for our student athletes” said head hockey coach at the University of Wisconsin Stout, Terry Watkins.

Wisconsin Stout faced off against the three PrimeLink regulars: the Plattsburgh State Cardinals, Middlebury Panthers and the Norwich Cadets who hosted the tournament this year, making this their fourth time. In the years to come the tournament will be rotated between the Plattsburgh, Middlebury and Norwich arenas. Plattsburgh State has already been named as the host for next year’s event.

For those fans that cannot make it out to the PrimeLink ShootOut they can sit back, relax and watch the game streaming live over the internet. Because of PrimeLink’s telecommunication abilities this has been the fourth consecutive year that the tournament has been able to be broadcasted live over the internet.

Trent Trahan, the CEO, and Greg MacConnell, the president of PrimeLink both being graduates of SUNY Plattsburgh knew who they wanted to produce their webcast. The Center for Communication and Journalism at SUNY Plattsburgh and PrimeLink have teamed up to broadcast all three of the games live. Because of this partnership college hockey fans from all over the globe will be able to access the PrimeLink Great Northern ShootOut.

“It is a great measuring block for our season against very tough opponents, it is a great recruiting tool because it is a tournament with National Exposure.”

Streaming the games live over the internet has many positive results, due to the fact that these games can be seen by anyone with an internet connection. SUNY Plattsburgh hockey coach Bob Emery had this to say about the tournament “It is a great measuring block for our season against very tough opponents; it is a great recruiting tool because it is a tournament with National Exposure.” This tournament is a great opportunity for all of those involved

.The students who participate in the event are part of PSTV the SUNY Plattsburgh student run television station. “This was a great opportunity for PSTV” said Corey Smith, who went to PrimeLink this year. In a press release sent out by PrimeLink regarding the tournament Peter Ensel Chairman of the Department of Communication Studies at SUNY Plattsburgh said “Once again we are excited to team with PrimeLink in providing a webcast of the country’s premier Division III Hockey Tournament. The opportunity for our students to produce live coverage of this event for an international audience is exciting. We’re grateful to PrimeLink for providing our students with this tremendous academic experience. Additionally, I think this venture speaks loudly about the commitment of our students. Foregoing Thanksgiving recess and volunteering on the project is a testament to their dedication to their education and the profession”. The SUNY Plattsburgh Center for Communication and Journalism is the only one of its kind in the SUNY system making it’s partnership with telecommunications mogul PrimeLink no surprise.

“I can’t wait for next year’s tournament.”

Matt Brierley, a senior at SUNY Plattsburgh, was this year’s producer for the PrimeLink

webcast. “Last year I was the Co-Producer and this year I’m finally sitting in the producer’s chair. The previous year’s tournaments were great and the people from PrimeLink are always gracious. It’s definitely one of the highlights of my year.” While the tournament is a great opportunity for the students it is also a fantastic time to see some very competitive hockey, as the tournament helps showcase teams that wouldn’t normally face off against each other.

Because of the popularity of hockey in the North Country the PrimeLink Great Northern ShootOut draws a large audience. “It’s always so exciting to watch the games and cheer with the fans” says Ryan Durieux, the assistant producer for the PrimeLink web cast “I can’t wait for next years tournament.”

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