VANCOUVER – After a historic season which saw them win the Canada West women's hockey title after the greatest turnaround in CIS history, the UBC Thunderbirds have announced they will embark on a four-game tour of Minnesota in September to prepare for the upcoming 2013-14 campaign.
UBC will play four games in four days, with the first taking place on Sept. 27 at Minneapolis' Ridder Arena against the University of Minnesota. The Golden Gophers, who have won 49 games in a row, are the two-time defending NCAA champions. They went 41-0-0 last year to complete the first perfect season in NCAA women's hockey history.
The next night, the Thunderbirds will travel to St. Cloud, Minn. for a matchup against the St. Cloud State University Huskies at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.
With a short turnaround, UBC will then face the Japanese Olympic team in a noon game on Sept. 29 in Minneapolis.
The T-Birds will wrap up the tour with a Sept. 30 match against the Minnesota State Mavericks in Mankato.
All three of UBC's NCAA opponents on the upcoming trip compete in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
"We are very excited to be heading down to Minnesota to play three NCAA Division One teams and challenge our team with some great hockey before the season begins," commented UBC head coach Graham Thomas. "We are also very lucky while on the trip to be playing some international competition. Team Japan has been improving every year and is preparing for the upcoming Olympics in Russia.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many of the players if not all of them. We look forward to the challenge and representing UBC and thank everyone for their support in making this trip possible."
UBC previously visited Minnesota in November 1997 when the team participated in the All-American Collegiate Classic, hosted at Mariucci Arena on the campus of the University of Minnesota.
The Thunderbirds went 2-1 at that tournament before competing in the inaugural season of Canada West women's hockey.
The 2013 Minnesota trip will wrap up a busy September, which will also see UBC host two weekends of pre-season action at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre on campus.
The Thunderbirds will entertain the Pacific Steelers and two squads from the Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy in the first annual B.C. Challenge Cup Sept. 6-8.
A couple of weeks later, UBC will play the Kazakhstan national team on Sept. 19 and the B.C. Under-18 provincial squad on Sept. 20.
To support the UBC Women's Hockey program for the 2013-14 season please visit our online giving website here.
FULL PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE (all times Pacific)
Sept. 6-8: First annual B.C. Challenge Cup at UBC (other teams: Pacific Steelers, Pursuit of Excellence Black team and Pursuit of Excellence Red team)
Sept. 19: 6:30 p.m – Kazakhstan national team at UBC
Sept. 20: 6 p.m. - Team B.C. Under-18 at UBC
Sept. 27: 5 p.m. - UBC at the University of Minnesota (Ridder Arena, Minneapolis)
Sept. 28: 5 p.m. - UBC at St. Cloud State University (Herb Brooks National Hockey Center, St. Cloud, Minn.)
Sept. 29: 10 a.m. - UBC vs. Japan national team (Ridder Arena, Minneapolis)
Sept. 30: 4 p.m. - UBC at Minnesota State (All Seasons Arena, Mankato, Minn.)
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