EVERY PLAYER'S ON A ROLL IN THIS HOCKEY LEAGUE.

Byline: Chris Reed Special to the Daily News

As Tim Ambler arrived at the Roller Dome on Sunday night to play roller hockey, it was easy for those around him to see that he was "new."

The only equipment he had was an old stick, an old T-shirt, an old pair of shorts and his wheelchair.

Ambler's aged equipment didn't cause him much of a problem after he took to the wooden floor. The 29-year-old from Ventura scored two goals.

Ambler was the rookie among those playing in an exhibition between the Mighty Dirt Bags of Orange County and the Northridge Knights to promote the Sports on Wheels wheelchair roller hockey league. The Dirt Bags' offense outpaced Northridge in a 6-2 win.

This brand of roller hockey is not much different than what anyone else plays, as Ambler quickly discovered.

Any skeptic at the Roller Dome on Sunday might be surprised at the all-out action of wheelchair hockey.

Checking was at full speed, with the clang of metal adding to the sound of hitting the boards. It isn't unusual for players to be knocked hard enough to have their wheelchairs fly sideways to the floor.

The lack of referees at the exhibition, for teams that usually play with two, did not mean the game is tame. It's plenty physical, according to Knights captain Bill Miller.

"We usually play rougher than that," said Miller, of Valencia.

The exhibition was the second of its kind at the Thousand Oaks roller hockey rink.

The Sports on Wheels program is sponsored by the Amateur Athletic Union. Other sports in the program include basketball and rugby. However, Northridge coach Mike Doom is quick to say that hockey has a certain advantage over the others.

"Every other wheelchair sport is not as fast-moving as this," said Doom. "Anything goes."

The league, which holds its season from Jan. 2 to April 20, consists of six active teams. Each team plays the other twice for a total of 10 games. The league is 74 players strong, including four women.

John Box, a Dirt Bags player who also serves as chairman of the wheelchair hockey league, said there are hopes of building the sport nationally and, eventually, on an international level.

"It's just a Southern California sport right now," Box said. "The next step is to make it regional."

The players are designated by classes based on their level of disability. Level one players are paraplegic. Level two players are not mobile without aids, while level three players have some lack of movement or no disability. In fact, there are members of both the Dirt Bags and Knights who are not disabled.

"Having able-bodied people play helps bridge the gap," Ambler said.

While most of wheelchair hockey is no different that typical roller hockey, there are a few differences.

For one, wheelchair players use a ball rather than a flat puck. In addition, there are no icing or offsides rules and players can check another as long as they are 10 feet from the ball.

The AAU of California introduced wheelchair hockey four years ago, though this is the first season that all the teams are playing in an organized league with standings.

Representatives of each team worked out the rules and functions of the new league in August.

On Sunday, the Dirt Bags showed their experience against the Knights. The Dirt Bags have existed in some form for five years, while the Knights are in their second season.

The Dirt Bags are the faster and more ferocious of the teams on offense. While the Knights keep their two defenders back, the Bags bring them forward and overwhelm their opponents.

Northridge had little time to adjust to the Dirt Bags offense, as the Orange County squad opened second period 4-0 and kept that lead almost until the third. The Bags also outshot the Knights 29-12. It was enough for Doom to put his arms up in a sign of surrender at the end of the first period.

"They play faster," Doom said. "They've been playing the game two years longer than us."

The Dirt Bags are in third place in the league with a 3-1 record, while the Knights have compiled a 2-1 record and are in fourth.

For all the Dirt Bags' offense, the Knights come back as a tough-hitting squad. Wing Derek Westfield of Valencia is considered one of the tougher checkers in the league.

Ambler scored both his goals in the second period and had an assist for the Bags.

The coach of the Mighty Dirt Bags, Joe Hassan, is also the team's main offensive threat. Wearing the number 99 of former Los Angeles Kings center Wayne Gretzky, the Placentia resident took the most shots on the team, making the net on one, and racked up two assists. Jay Nussbaum of Long Beach added two goals and an assist for the Dirt Bags.

Northridge got its first goal in the second period, with West Hills' Adam Garfield, who added an assist on a goal by Sylmar's Jason Urroz in the third period.

However, missed breakaways and missed passes showed for the Knights against the quick and accurate passing of the Dirt Bags.

In losing to the Dirt Bags, Miller said he isn't one to make excuses.

However, the Knights are forced to practice and even play some of their games in a basketball gym at a Chatsworth park.

"We're not used to walls," Miller said of playing on the regulation rink of the Roller Dome.

With a lack of heavy promotion, the wheelchair hockey league attracts most of its players through word of mouth. For many, it represents an opportunity they may have never known.

Box, 31, was an accomplished motocross racer before he could legally vote. An accident at age 17 made him paraplegic. The Orange resident, classified as level one, said many of the players have a physically active background.

"Guys out here are thrill-seekers to begin with," Box said. "I do it just to be out there. It's fun to be out there."

Such is the case for Ambler.

He played hockey when he was a kid growing up in Michigan. Ambler stayed active throughout his life and got into rock climbing. A climbing accident six years ago robbed him of movement in his lower left leg.

Classified as a level three player, Ambler also plays tennis. He sees wheelchair hockey as another opportunity to keep up his love of athletics.

"I like the physical aspect of it," Ambler said. "I do it to try to keep in shape."

For information on the Sports on Wheels wheelchair hockey league, call [phone].

CAPTION(S):

PHOTO

Photo (1) Jason Urroz, left, of the Northridge Knights pursues Joe Hassan of the Orange County Dirt Bags at the Roller Dome in Thousand Oaks. Terri Thuente/Daily News (2) A slam with the Knights' Derek Westfield, left, spills Enrique Garcia of the Dirt Bags onto the wooden floor.