The Lakehead Thunderwolves men's hockey team is proud to announce its official schedule for the 2005-06 season. Season's tickets for another exciting year of Thunderwolves hockey are now on sale at the Fort William Gardens Box Office so get your tickets early and watch Lakehead in its drive for a CIS national championship!
The new campaign will begin at home on September 23 with a tough series vs. the Manitoba Bison; a team that qualified for last year's national championship. The following weekend Lakehead will host AUS powerhouse St. Mary's for a two-game set. Thanksgiving weekend will see the Thunderwolves head off to Colorado to challenge the Denver Pioneers, the Colorado College Tigers, and the Falcons of the United States Air Force Academy. Denver of the WCHA is two-time NCAA Division I Champions and are coached by NCAA Coach of the Year, and Thunder Bay native, George Gwozdecky. Colorado College (WCHA) was also an NCAA Frozen Four team last season while Air Force always plays with a lot of heart and grit. It should be an exciting trip for the Thunderwolves.
Lakehead will then host the Saskatchewan Huskies the next weekend back in Thunder Bay. Saskatchewan were finalists in this year's CIS National Championships and lost a thriller in OT to Alberta. OUA play begins at home the following weekend when the Wolves host division rivals Windsor in what has become a fierce rivalry. This year will see 14 OUA games played before the Christmas break instead of the usual 12. During that stretch Lakehead will host York and Toronto at home while taking on Windsor, RMC, Laurier, and Waterloo on the road.
This year's Varsity Cup Tournament will be a thriller as Lakehead will host St. Francis Xavier of the AUS, the Calgary Dinos of the AUS, and the Lake Superior State Lakers of NCAA Division I. This will be St. FX's second visit to the Varsity Cup and Calgary's third. The Lakers play in the CCHA conference in the NCAA and are three-time Division I national champions. They were also the first team that the Thunderwolves played in 2001-02. Varsity Cup action runs from December 28th to 31st.
The Thunderwolves will resume OUA play in 2006 with a very exciting home stand that will see them host three consecutive weekend series. They will begin on January 13th and 14th vs. arch-rival Western, followed by the big tough Waterloo Warriors on Jan 20th and 21st. The resurgent Guelph Gryphons are back in Thunder Bay on the 27th and 28th for a two-game set. Lakehead will then end OUA play on the road with two very tough series; first in St. Catherine's against the Brock Badgers and ending February 9th and 11th in London against the mighty Mustangs of Western.
Playoffs begin the week of Feb. 15th to 19th culminating in the National Championships in Edmonton running from March 23rd to 26th. So, don't forget to get your season's tickets and howl along with the Wolves in 2005-06.
LAKEHEAD THUNDERWOLVES HOCKEY SCHEDULE 2005-06
(Home games marked in bold are played at Fort William Gardens)
Fri, Sep 237:30VS MANITOBA
Sat, Sep 247:30VS MANITOBA
Fri, Sep 307:30VS ST. MARY'S
Sat, Oct 17:30VS ST. MARY'S
Sat, Oct 88:00at Denver
Sun, Oct 98:00at Colorado College
Mon, Oct 109:00at Air Force
Fri, Oct 147:30VS SASKATCHEWAN
Sat, Oct 157:30VS SASKATCHEWAN
Fri, Oct 217:30VS WINDSOR
Sat, Oct 227:30VS WINDSOR
Fri, Oct 287:05at Windsor
Sat, Oct 297:05at Windsor
Fri, Nov 47:30at Laurier
Sat, Nov 57:30at Laurier
Fri, Nov 117:30VS YORK
Sat, Nov 127:30VS YORK
Fri, Nov 187:30at RMC
Sat, Nov 197:30at RMC
Fri, Nov 257:30VS TORONTO
Sat, Nov 267:30VS TORONTO
Fri, Dec 27:30at Waterloo
Sat, Dec 37:30at Waterloo
Wed, Dec 284:00Calgary vs St. Francis Xavier
7:30VS LAKE SUPERIOR S