Southeast starts new season with big weekend

Southeast Missouri State University roller hockey club team will begin its fourth year of Great Plains Roller Hockey today against the University of Missouri-St. Louis at 1 p.m. at the All American Sports Complex in St. Louis.

The league runs through Nov. 16, with each team playing 2-3 games a weekend. After the Nov. 16 weekend the league takes a break until Feb. 1, when it comes back for two more weeks.

Southeast has three games scheduled for the opening weekend, with two games today and one game Sunday. Washington University will be Southeast's second opponent today at 5 p.m., and on Southeast will play Kansas State at 8 a.m. Sunday.

Team captain Joe Gissy said this year's team has a good shot at the league title.

"We have a better team this year than last year," he said.

Southeast finished third in Division 1 of the Great Plains league last season, but because of budget problems they were forced to play in Division 2 this season.

Other teams in Division 2 include Washington, Southwest Missouri State, SIU-Carbondale, Kansas State, Central Missouri State, Saint Louis University, Missouri-St. Louis, Nebraska and Western Illinois.

Gissy said despite returning only four or five players from last year's squad, he fully expects them to advance to nationals.

"I definitely think we'll be able to get to nationals," he said.

All the team's games will be played in St. Louis this season. Teams will split games between the All American Sports Complex and Matteson Square Gardens Tri-Plex.