Flames ranked No. 1

The Gulf Coast Flames Bantam AA team, which trains at the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex, is currently ranked No. 1 in the United States, according to myhockeyrankings.com.

The Flames have a record of 17-6-2. The team recently played in the Nike/Bauer AAA Tournament in Chicago, Ill. The Flames went 3-0-1 against teams in the division above them in the round-robin series, defeating the Oakland Grizzlies 4-1, the San Jose Junior Sharks 5-3 and the Long Island Gulls 4-1 and tying the Madison Capitals 2-2. The team won their bracket and advanced to the quarterfinals where they eventually lost 1-0 in overtime to the Burlington Eagles.

The Gulf Coast Flames were National Champions in 2008. The Bantam AA division is made up of 14-year-olds with the majority of this year’s team is having played on the national championship team.

For more information on the Gulf Coast Flames visit the organization's Web site at www.gulfcoastflames.com. 

Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex is a 115,000-square-foot facility with two NHL size ice rinks, indoor soccer facility, “paintless” paintball, fitness center, full-service restaurant, pro shop and more. The facility also hosts world-class figure skaters and national championship hockey programs.