Cool As Ice

Stefan Veltri says the indoor-football experience is like watching an NFL game on a postage stamp. "It's fast," he says. "It's the fastest game you'll ever see." And it's rough, too, adds the assistant general manager for the Colorado Ice. "These guys are out to blast each other."

The Ice, a new team within the United Indoor Football League, will play its first-ever game tonight at the Budweiser Events Center, 5290 Arena Circle in Loveland. It's an exhibition match against five-time Colorado Football Conference Champions the Denver Titans. "We're extremely thankful for them to come up and play us," Veltri says. "It's definitely our game, not theirs. They're an outdoor football team. They've agreed to play by our rules in our house."

Created on a napkin some twenty years ago, arena football has the same premise as the outdoor game, but with modified rules. "These are guys looking for one last shot, or maybe they missed their last shot and they're looking for another one," Veltri says of the Ice players, who he also says are already like brothers. "Some guys are born to compete, and men's slow-pitch softball doesn't feed that desire."

Tonight's game coincides with a Break the Ice Party to benefit United Way of Larimer County. Tickets are $8; groups of fifty or more pay $5 a seat. Details at www.thecoloradoice.com.
Thu., March 15, 7:05 p.m.