After completing the first half of their OUA regular season schedule with a road sweep at Guelph last weekend, the Lakehead Thunderwolves will turn their attention to Canada West foes, the Saskatchewan Huskies. A young, dynamic team, the Huskies will be a stern final opponent for the Wolves as they head into a three week holiday break. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. both nights.
Saturday will be a special night as the CIBC Teddy Bear Toss returns to the Fort William Gardens. In what has become a beloved tradition, Thunderwolves fans are asked to bring a new or like-new Teddy Bear to the game, and when Lakehead scores their first goal of the night, to throw the bears onto the ice. All tossed Teddy Bears will be donated to local childrens charities.
Both games will be webcast live at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/men-s-hockey.
Head-to-head
Thunderwolves fans will get a look at the Huskies this weekend, and may very well see them again in March at the National Championships. Lakehead and Saskatchewan have faced-off seven previous times, with Lakehead going 3-3-1 in those games. In their last meeting, the Wolves edged the Huskies 4-3 in the final of the Varsity Cup, last December at the Gardens.
Goal-scoring slightly favours Saskatchewan with a 29-28 all-time advantage over Lakehead.
Lakehead Thunderwolves
With OUA leading scorer Brock McPherson sidelined with a broken collarbone, several Thunderwolves will be leaned on for scoring support against Saskatchewan. Fifth-year senior Scott Dobben enters the weekend seventh in conference scoring with nine goals, 13 assists and 22 points and has been one of Lakeheads most consistent players throughout the year. Overall, Dobben has 10 goals, 13 assists and 23 points.
Dan Speer leads the Wolves with 19 assists, adding four goals for 23 points while freshman Victor Anilane has continued to exceed a point-a-game pace in notching 10 goals, nine assists for 19 points in CIS play.
Forward Shandor Alphonso has picked up his offensive play of late and with five goals, seven assists and 12 points on the year will be a cog in the LU attack against the Gryphons. Mark Soares (seven goals, ten assists), Adam Sergerie (six goals, nine assists), and Kris Hogg (nine goals, eight assists) will be counted on to contribute effective shifts.
With Pierre-Marc Guilbault out, the Thunderwolves will need balance on the blueline to replace their highest-scoring defenseman. Ryan Baird (five goals, eight assists), and Andy Zulyniak (one goal, nine assists) have proven themselves as sound puck-movers, while Mitch Maunu (two goals, seven assists) and Jordan Smith (one goal, six assists) will need to continue their physical play.
In net, junior Kyle Moir has posted a 11-3-1 record with 2 SO, a 2.51 GAA, and a 0.909 SV%. The Calgary native will have his work cut out for him against a talented Saskatchewan team.
Saskatchewan Huskies
Holding a third place position in the tough Canada West conference, Dave Adolphs Saskatchewan Huskies enter their trip to north-western Ontario with a 9-6-1 record and, with 63 goals, are the second highest-scoring CIS team west of Thunder Bay. A young squad, the Huskies are a dangerous team and will be a long-term contender, nationwide.
At forward, CIS all-Canadian and Canada West MVP sophomore Steven Da Silva of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan leads his hometown team in scoring with eight goals, 11 assists and 19 points. Backing Da Silva is a deep core of talented offensive players that will pose several challenges for the Wolves.
Freshman Kyle Bortis, also of Saskatoon, has potted four goals with 11 assists for 15 points to lead another strong recruiting class for U of S. Sophomores Steven Gillen of Kindersley, Saskatchewan, and another Saskatoon product, Chris Durand, also have 15 points with identical six goal, nine assist stat lines. Junior Kyle Ross of Regina has been the Huskies top playmaker with 13 assists along with one goal.
On the blueline, sophomore Chad Greenan of St. Albert, Saskatchewan, is a big, physical presence who has posted two goals, 12 assists and 14 points to lead his teams defensemen in scoring.
Fifth-year senior Jeff Harvey, of St. Albert, has been the usual starter for the Huskies and is 5-4-1 with a solid 2.33 GAA and a 0.925 SV%. Freshman backup David Reekie of Saskatoon has also looked good and is 4-2-0 with a 2.42 GAA and 0.920 SV%.