Horns host T-Birds in key series

trevor.kenney — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 17:25:21 +0000

It may only be December, but the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's hockey team is in danger of slipping out of the Canada West playoff race if it can't find a way to put together a winning streak.

This weekend, the Horns (4-5-3) will put the wraps on the first half of the season, hosting the UBC Thunderbirds (5-4-3), Friday and Saturday night. The puck drops at 7 p.m. nightly at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

Coming off of their fourth consecutive weekend split, the Horns are still at the bottom of the Canada West standings but are only five points out of third place and will make up their games in hand this weekend. The Horns beat the 6th ranked ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Huskies last Friday before losing the next night.

Earlier this season in Vancouver, the Horns and T-Birds split a weekend series with the Horns winning 5-4 in overtime and the T-Birds rebounding the next night with a 5-0 win.

Winston Day Chief and Nick Hotson continue to be offensive catalysts for the Horns, with Day Chief leading the team with 12 points in 12 games. Hotson sits two points back with 10.

Freshman Max Grassi, also with 12 points, leads the Thunderbirds, while Jordan White has seen the bulk of the action in the Thunderbird net, playing all but 40 minutes through 12 games.

After this weekend's games, the Horns will take a month hiatus for exams and the holiday season, but return to action January 6-7 in a home-and-home series with the Calgary Dinos.

Horns hockey opens at home

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:08:38 +0000

The Pronghorns men's and women's hockey teams will finally hit home ice in conference action this weekend, opening their Canada West home schedules as part of home-and-home series with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos.

The men's team will open its series Friday night, while the women's side is in Calgary on Friday before returning to Lethbridge for its home opener on Saturday night. Both games drop the puck at 7 p.m. at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

The men's hockey team posted a 4-2-0 mark in pre-season non-conference play. After finishing last season as the hottest team in the conference before falling two points short of a playoff berth, the Horns look to get off to a better start this fall. The Horns went 9-2-1 during the second half of last season and were in the race for the final playoff spot up until the final weekend.

The team will return a veteran presence, with only four players not back from last season's squad. The graduations of Jason Roberts and Logan Lavorato leaves a void in the leadership department, while Canada West rookie of the year, Adam Chorneyko, left the team to pursue a pro hockey opportunity.

Five new additions to the Horns are all expected to make significant impacts. Former Lethbridge Hurricanes forward Nick Hotson transferred from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba Bisons, and is eligible to play after sitting out last season. Western Hockey League products Taylor Gal, Daniel Iwanski and Ryan Letts have also been added. Former Ontario Hockey League product Tyler Melancon has also been added to the roster.

The Dinos were just 1-8-0 in pre-season play and were swept by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta two weeks ago when they opened their conference schedule.

The women's hockey team (0-2-0 Canada West, 1-6-0 overall) returns to action after being swept in its opening weekend of the season on the road by the CIS 8^th-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies.

They'll face a Dinos (1-1-0 Canada West) team that boasts Team Canada veteran and female hockey legend Hayley Wickenheiser. Wickenheiser has captured six world championships and three Olympic gold medals over a 17-year career with the Canadian national team.

For more on both the men's and women's hockey teams, check out the Horns Athletics website.

UNews - Nick Hotson

Horns host T-Birds in key series

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Horns hockey opens at home

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