ST. LOUIS - Hundreds of first-time visitors say St. Louis exceeded expectations while hosting the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four earlier this spring, according to a new study.

As part of the study, presented Wednesday by the St. Louis Sports Commission, more than 700 fans who attended the college hockey tournament were surveyed. Of those visiting St. Louis for the first time, 74% said the city exceeded their expectations as a host.

While surveyed, first-time visitors were also asked to provide one word to describe their impression of St. Louis, both before and after their visit.

Before their visits, four of the 16 most-used words carried negative connotations such as "dirty" (2nd), "dangerous" (8th), "boring" (9th) and "unsafe" (14th).

After their visits, only one such phrase "dirty" (13th) ap

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