By Meagan Pollnow
Enquirer staff writer

Bob Reihs of the Cincinnati Skatetown Swords (left) and Kenny Ash of Cincinnati Steam Rockers battle for possession of a puck at the Sports Plus Complex in Evendale. By MIKE SIMONS for The Enquirer

EVENDALE - Roller hockey players, their families and friends have given the city a nice economic boost.

For the past two weeks, 367 teams comprising roughly 4,000 players have competed in the North American Roller Hockey Championships at the Sports Plus Complex in Evendale

As the championship wraps up Monday, local business and city officials are beginning to tabulate the event's economic impact. More than 12,000 people - teams and their families - have needed places to eat, sleep and be entertained when not at the rink.

Business is good at the Embassy Suites, at 4554 Lake Forest Drive in Blue Ash. The hotel has spent the past two weeks at more than 90 percent occupancy, according to the hotel's marketing director, Shelly Henderson.

"The good thing is they're also seeing a lot of Cincinnati, from Kings Island to as far out as Mammoth Cave," she said.

Susan Noonan, chairwoman of the Greater Cincinnati Sports Corp., said the event has been a summer boost for the area.

But don't count on Cincinnati playing host to the championships again, according to Daryn Goodwin, president of the championships.

"The main reason we came here was that we knew if we went to Cincinnati, we would help draw in some new customers," he said. "(The facility) served its purpose, but the facility was not up to the standards we are used to." Goodwin said he's used to having the tournament in "bigger and newer venues" in places such as Toronto and St. Louis, but said the tradeoff of being in Cincinnati worked out.

"We've had more teams play than ever before," he said. "It's because we've been able to draw in a new audience in this part of the country."

Jim Tranos came with his family from Toronto to watch his 13-year-old son, Gabriel, play. The family was staying at the Holiday Inn up the street.

"The facilities are great, and this is the first championship we've been too."

For more information, see www.narch.com

E-mail mpollnow@enquirer.com