The Lakehead Thunderwolves will host the Guelph Gryphons this Friday and Saturday at the Fort William Gardens, with the opening face-off set for 7:30 both nights.
Last Time Out
Lakehead is coming off a couple of close losses on the road. The Wolves fell 4-3 to Toronto last Friday night before being edged 5-4 at Ryerson on Saturday afternoon.
Guelph split a pair of road games in the nearby Kitchener-Waterloo area, defeating Laurier 7-2 on Thursday night followed by a 4-3 loss to Waterloo on Saturday.
Series History
Lakehead holds a commanding edge over Guelph in the all-time series between the two programs with a record of 29-7-2 versus the Gryphons.
The Wolves and Gryphons last met in October of 2013 for a pair of games in Guelph and Lakehead came away with a weekend split. Guelph won the first game 5-2, but the Wolves rebounded with a 4-3 victory in the rematch.
Playoff Implications
The race in the OUA West Division is extremely tight, as only three squads in the ten-team division have clinched a playoff spot with just two weekends to go in the regular season. The top eight teams in the division will qualify for post-season play.
With a conference record of 8-13-2, Lakehead currently sits in ninth place with 18 points, a single point behind eighth-place Guelph. But with the standings so tightly bunched, the Wolves could mathematically still finish as high as fourth with a strong finish and a little help.
About the Gryphons
Guelphs top scoring threats are forwards Nicklas Huard and Teal Burns, while defencemen MacKenzie Nichol, Daniel Broussard and Nicholas Trecapelli form a solid defensive core for the Gryphons.
The bulk of the Gryphons goaltending duties have been handled by freshman netminder Andrew DAgostini, who has posted a respectable goals-against average of 3.18.
Despite a conference record of 8-12-3, Guelph has more goals for (82) than goals against (76) coming into this weekend.
Jersey Auction Friday
The Thunderwolves will be wearing special one time only jerseys on Friday night, and fans can bid on them at a silent auction table in the lobby of the Fort William Gardens. Net proceeds will go to support the Northern Cancer Fund.
Senior Night Saturday
Lakehead will honor its graduating seniors in a pre-game ceremony on Saturday night. Mike Hammond, Jake Carrick, Keith Grondin, Mitch Fillman and Mike Quesnele will suit up for their final regular-season home games at the Fort William Gardens that evening.