The Lakehead Thunderwolves hockey team will begin its 2013-14 campaign with a two-game home series against the Prince Edward Island Panthers. Game times are 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights at the Fort William Gardens.
Last Time Out
This will be Lakeheads first game since being upset two games to none by the Waterloo Warriors in the OUA quarter-finals last February. Its been a long off-season for the Wolves, and the squad will be anxious to get back on the ice this weekend.
Prince Edward Island comes in with a 3-1 record in non-conference play, having defeated St. Thomas, UQTR and Dalhousie, and losing to Ottawa.
Fresh Faces
Lakehead will ice on its youngest teams in years, as the Wolves have eight freshmen in the line-up. Five of the first-year players are forwards, two are defencemen, and one is a goaltender.
About the Panthers
Located in Charlottetown, the UPEI Panthers play in the tough Atlantic University Sport Conference (AUS), and finished last season ranked #9 in the CIS Top Ten Poll.
The Panthers are led by Head Coach Forbes MacPherson who played for the Thunder Bay Thunder Cats of the Colonial Hockey League in 1996-97 when he finished second in team scoring.
UPEI is a veteran team, and returns four of its top five scorers from last season returning to the line-up. Forwards Dana Fraser, Chris DeSousa, Tyler Brown and Mike McIsaac are all offensively skilled players.
Returning defencemen Reggie Traccitto and Matthew Malone head up the Panthers blue-line, and netminders Wayne Savage and Mavric Parks are both solid in goal.