Vancouver, BC - The UBC men's hockey team drops the puck on 2014 with a pair of exhibition games against NCAA Division 1 competition at the Great Northwest Showcase in Burnaby, BC this weekend.
On Friday January 3rd the Thunderbirds will take on the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux at 7:00 pm and on Saturday January 4th UBC will face off against the Princeton Tigers at 4:00 pm. Both games will be played at Bill Copeland Arena.
The Thunderbirds hope to get off on the right foot in 2014 after a shaky start to the 2013-14 season. UBC is currently sitting in seventh place in the Canada West, two points out of a playoff spot, with a record of 5-10-1. However, they are coming off a pair of wins over Lethbridge in the final regular season weekend of 2013. Cole Wilson leads the Thunderbirds in scoring with 19 points in 16 games, good for fourth overall in the conference.
Over the years the University of North Dakota has produced some of the NHL's top talent, including the likes of Jonathan Toews, Zach Parise, and T.J. Oshie. This year's team boasts 15 NHL draft picks and is in third place in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) standings with a record of 9-7-2. UND also has 14 Canadians on the team, including four players from British Columbia. Notable players include former Surrey Eagles forward and New York Rangers draft pick Adam Tambellini, as well as the FIghting Sioux's leading scorer and Florida Panthers second round pick Rocco Grimaldi.
An ivy league institution, Princeton is known more for producing US politicians than hockey players, however, they are responsible for current NHLers Georges Parros, Jeff Halpern, and Kevin Westgarth. This year's team is last in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) with a record of 3-14-0 overall. The Tigers have eight Canadians on their team, including three from British Columbia. Tucker Brockett leads Princeton in scoring this season with 11 points in 17 games.
This weekend's tournament is hosted by SFU hockey. For more information and the complete schedule, click here.
