The CIS No. 5 Lakehead Thunderwolves mens hockey team welcomes the Ryerson Rams for a two-game set this Friday and Saturday night at the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Lakehead enters the weekend with a 13-3-1-1 OUA record (19-6-1-1 overall); good for second place in the OUA Far West Division behind Laurier and third overall in the OUA behind UQTR and Laurier. The Wolves are coming off a tough road sweep over the Queens Gaels last weekend in Kingston.
Ryerson is 4-13 in OUA play (6-17 overall) and are four points behind third place RMC in the OUA Mid East Division. The Rams are coming off a 4-1 loss to Western last weekend while their other match against Waterloo was postponed.
Lakehead Head Coach Don McKee said he expects the Rams will be a big challenge for Lakehead this weekend. Ryerson makes its first trip to Thunder Bay under Head Coach Graham Wise; who was very successful as the coach at York. His mandate to bring the Ryerson program to a competitive level in the OUA is being achieved. The Rams started off the New Year with a big win over Ottawa, which was definitely a confidence builder, as they attempt to get into the playoffs. They have four balanced forward lines and six solid defensemen who compete very hard. Led by Goalie Paul Gibson, the Wolves will need to prepare well to ensure a positive weekend.
Ryerson Head Coach Graham Wise said his team knows it will be a tough series. We know we will have to be at the top of our game when we play Lakehead. They are an outstanding team, well coached, and on a mission to earn their way to the Nationals. We know we have to play solid games in Thunder Bay."
Both games face off at 7:30 pm EST and will be videowebcast live with ordering info available at http://events.news-cast.com/events/Lakehead Viewers will need hi speed internet and Windows Media Player to watch the broadcasts. CKDR Dryden Radio Sports Director Mike Ebbeling will be calling the play live with Argus campus newspaper Sports Editor Mike St. Jean handling the colour.
Head to Head:
The Wolves are 6-0 all time vs. the Rams with all games being played in the regular season. Lakehead outscored Ryerson 42-10 in those six games. Lakehead is sixth in CIS offense with 4 goals per game while Ryerson is tied for 19th with 2.4 goals per game. Lakehead is third in goals allowed in the CIS with 2.3 per game while the Rams are 15th numerically with 4.2 per game.
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