Vancouver, BC - In preparation for next weekend's regular season opener, the UBC Thunderbirds men's hockey is in Alaska this weekend for a pair of games against NCAA Division 1 competition.
On Friday night they will the University of Alaska-Anchorage at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex in Anchorage. Puck drop is at 8:00 pm PST. The Seawolves play in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) with the likes of Bowling Green, Lake Superior St., and Minnesota State. They finished 4-25-7 last year and lost in the first round of the playoffs to eventual NCAA Frozen Four semi-finalist St. Cloud State. The Seawolves feature 14 Canadians on their roster including last year's leading scorer Blake Tatchell from North Battleford, Saskatchewan.
The following evening the Thunderbirds will be in Fairbanks to take on the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks. This will be the Nanooks' first season in the WCHA after moving over from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). They finished the 2012-13 campaign with a record of 17-16-4 and lost in the first round of the playoffs in game three of a best of three series to Michigan St. The Nanooks boast 15 Canadians on their roster, including five B.C. boys. The opening faceoff is set for 6:30 pm PST at the Carlson Center.
UBC is coming off a weekend sweep of SFU, outscoring the Clan 11-3 in the two games. Newcomers
Luke Lockhart,
Nick Buonassisi,
Anthony Bardaro, and
Greg Fraser have fit in nicely up front and added some offensive spark to the line up.
The Thunderbirds officially open the Canada West regular season on the road October 11-12 when they play in Calgary against the Dinos.
