Defenceman Jordan Smith and forward Matt Caria of the Lakehead Thunderwolves hockey team were selected to the squad that will represent Canada at the upcoming World University Games in Erzurum, Turkey from January 27 to February 6, 2011.
Smith, a fifth-year senior and Lakehead captain, is a two-time OUA All-Star and was named as a CIS All-Canadian in 2007-08. Sophomore forward Matt Caria is leading the Thunderwolves in scoring with 41 points so far this season, and is currently fourth amongst OUA scoring leaders. Both players are from Sault St. Marie, Ontario.
The team is made up of the top players in the OUA. The teams Head Coach is Western Ontarios Clarke Singer, and the assistants are Brian Bourque of Waterloo and Kevin Figsby from Concordia.
The World University Games are governed by the International University Sports Federation (also known as FISU). The Games take place every two years, but the Canadian hockey team is represented by a different Canadian University conference each time on a rotating basis. The Canada West and the AUS have represented the last two Canadian teams, so this year is the OUAs turn.
The last time the OUA team represented Canada at the World University Games was in 2005, and five Thunderwolves (Joel Scherban, Jeff Richards, Murray Magill, Peter Cava, and Erik Lodge) were selected to the squad that competed in Innsbruck, Austria.
Scherban is now the Head Coach of the Thunderwolves, and is excited that Smith and Caria will be able to represent Canada as he did. The World University Games was an incredible experience for me, and I hope it will be the same for Jordan and Matt, Scherban said. The FISU Games are one of the biggest sporting events in the world, and representing your country is a once in a lifetime opportunity.