The Lakehead Thunderwolves hockey team will begin its 2015-16 campaign with a two-game home series with the Manitoba Bisons this weekend. Game times are 7:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday night at the Fort William Gardens.
Last Time Out
This will be Lakeheads first game since the OUA playoffs last February, where after eliminating the Western Mustangs in two-straight games in the opening round, the Wolves succumbed to the Windsor Lancers in the West Division semi-finals.
Manitoba played a pair of non-conference games in Saskatchewan last weekend, dropping both contests. After being shut out by the Regina Cougars 4-0 on Friday, the Bisons fell 3-1 to the Calgary Dinos the following day.
Series History
Lakehead holds the advantage over Manitoba with an 8-5 record in the all-time series between the border rivals, but the Bisons swept the Wolves 5-1 and 3-0 the last time they met in Thunder Bay in December of 2010.
Youth Movement
The Thunderwolves will have plenty of new faces in the line-up this weekend. Of the 26 players on the roster, 17 of them are underclassmen (8 freshmen and 9 sophomores) making this squad one of the youngest that Lakehead has iced since the early years of the program.
About the Bisons
Hailing from Winnipeg, the Manitoba Bisons play in the Canada West Conference and finished last season in fifth place in the eight-team league.
Led by Head Coach Mike Sirant, the Bisons will also have a fairly young team this year, although they will return two of their top scorers from last season in forwards Jordan DePape and Shaquille Merasty. Brock Sutherland is Manitobas top defenceman, while netminder Bryon Spriggs is the only goalie on the roster with CIS experience after making 7 starts for the Bisons last season.