DEALERS TEAM FOR SCHOLARSHIP HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY PLAYERS ELIGIBLE.

Byline: Daily News

VALENCIA - Valencia Nissan has agreed to return as an official sponsor of The Ice Station High School Hockey League and will share the sponsorship this year with its sister dealership, Volkswagen of Valencia.

The two dealers and the Ice Station will present the College Head Start scholarship awards, which will be made available to all graduating senior high school hockey players. Top prize is $3,000 (up from last year's $1,000) with $500 awarded to each of the two runners-up.

To apply for the scholarship, seniors are required to write maximum 1,000-word essays based on the topic: ``Why do you want to go to college and what value do you place on education?'' The deadline for essays is May 12.

To be eligible for the scholarship, candidates must have a minimum 3.0 grade point average. Additionally, a five-member committee, made up of media and league executives, will consider skill, sportsmanship and leadership on the ice in judging.

The award will be presented at the Ice Station Valencia before the league's end-of-season June 7 All Star Game.

Last year's inaugural Head Start winner, former Antelope Valley Northerners' captain Nick Prange, now skates for the USC Trojans hockey club.

``We are very pleased to once again be partnering with Ice Station Valencia and its High School Hockey League,'' said Keith Seals, vice president of Valencia Nissan and Volkswagen of Valencia. ``The league has provided terrific entertainment for hockey fans over the past three years and our dealerships want to continue being a part of that excitement. We also look forward to awarding College Head Start scholarships to three worthy recipients.''

``It is absolutely awesome to have local, family-owned businesses like Valencia Nissan and Volkswagen of Valencia step up and support our High School Hockey League,'' said Roger Perez, Ice Station president.

The Ice Station High School Hockey League begins its fourth season with eight teams including a new team from Bakersfield, the Roughnecks, that replaces the Granada Hills Highlanders. The seven returning teams are the defending champion Indians (Hart High School players), Centurions (Saugus), Cowboys (Canyon Country), Vikings (Valencia), Northerners (Antelope Valley), Knights (Sherman Oaks) and Team Burbank. The league kicked off its pre-season schedule Monday, and the regular season starts next Monday.