The Lakehead Thunderwolves mens hockey team embarks on a three-games-inthree-days tour around Lake Superior as they challenge the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (WCHA) on Thursday in Duluth, Minnesota, the Michigan Tech Huskies (WCHA) on Friday in Houghton, Michigan, and the Lake Superior State Lakers (CCHA) on Saturday in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
Game times are 8:07 pm EST in Duluth, 7:00 pm at Michigan Tech, and 7:00 pm at Lake Superior State.
Lakehead fans can listen to the UMD game on the internet at www.umdbulldogs.com and clicking on Bulldogs On The Air to catch KDAL Duluth radios broadcast. The game against Michigan Tech can also be heard on the web by going to the Huskies site at http://www.athletics.mtu.edu/sport.php?sport=mho and clicking on (Hockey Hosts Lakehead Live Radio 93.5 FM) to catch WKMJ FMs call of the game. The game against Lake State can also be heard live by going to Lake States site at http://lssulakers.cstv.com/ and clicking on Listen Live to Lakers Hockey in the right column.
Head to Head:
Lakehead is 1-1 in non-conference play this year and also dropped a pair of exhibition games to the AHLs Manitoba Moose this past weekend in Thunder Bay. The Thunderwolves are 0-1 against UMD, 0-3 against Michigan Tech, and 0-2 against Lake Superior State all time.
The game against the Lake State Lakers will be a special one as Lake State is celebrating 40 years of Lakers Hockey. The Thunderwolves and the Lakers will face off at the old Pullar Stadium Arena in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; home to Lakers hockey from 1966-67 to 1974-75. A lot of Lakers alumni will be on hand for the special 40th Anniversary game.
Lakehead and Lake Superior State have a long hockey history together as they were opponents in the 1960s and 1970s when they both played in the ICHA (International Collegiate Hockey Association). Lakeheads teams were called the NorWesters and Lake State was 23-6-2 against the NorWesters. Additonally, when Lakehead hockey was reborn in 2001-02 as the Thunderwolves; their first game was played against Lake Superior State and the Lakers skated to a 5-2 win.
Lakehead Thunderwolves:
Lakehead Head Coach Pete Belliveau said this series will make his team more prepared for the start of the OUA regular season. We are again looking forward to the challenge of playing the best possible competition at the start of the year. I think our fans must be getting used to seeing our always challenging pre-season non-conference schedules. We are not looking for wins; we are looking for the best possible competition in order to make us a better team for the OUA season and the OUA playoffs. I think these NCAA teams on the road will give us better team chemistry and will make us quicker, fitter and ready for our OUA regular season.
The Wolves will look to build some chemistry and teamwork during this Lake Superior tour. The Wolves looked good in their second game against the Manitoba Bisons and also put in a strong team effort in the second game loss against the AHLs Manitoba Moose.
Lakehead will look to leadership from Captain Jeff Richards as well as from Tobias Whelan, Dan Speer, and Andrew Brown up front along with Mike Self, Steve Rawski, and Drew Kivell on the blue line.
Shandor Alphonso and Brad Priestlay also had some strong shifts against the AHL Moose and these two could also be key on this trip.
Netminder Chris Whitley faced a lot of shots against the Moose and made plenty of spectacular stops. Freshman defenseman Jarryd Brend looked sharp against the Moose as did the freshmen forwards of the 3M line; Donnie Mitchell, Richard Molenaar, and Matt Maissoneuve.
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