UPEI plays defending champions SMU on Saturday in Summerside
The UPEI Men's Hockey team will play its only Island pre-season game on Saturday when they take on the defending national champions Saint Mary's Huskies at Credit Union Place. Game time is 7 pm.
It is the first game in Summerside for UPEI in a number of years. The Atlantic University Sport (AUS) hockey conference is the best in the country and there will be a number of familiar faces in both line-ups.
'This is a great opportunity for the folks in Summerside and surrounding areas to get a first-hand look at the 2010/11 UPEI Panthers,' says UPEI Panthers head coach, Forbie MacPherson. 'UPEI's roster has a lot of Islanders, especially from Prince County, who formerly played with the Summerside Western Capitals.'
UPEI captain Thomas Waugh, forwards Mike McIsaac, Chad Locke and Kris MacDonald all played for the Summerside junior team. Assistant coach Kris MacPhee is also a former Capital.
'The game will also be a chance to watch the defending national champions, which include a couple of Summerside players, Colby Pridham and Bradley Smith, and of course, former NHL'er Mike Danton,' adds MacPherson. 'I would imagine that both Pridham and Smith will be accepting a larger role this season. These are two impact players in the league.'
UPEI played SMU (SMU won 6-4) and beat Guelph 6-5 last weekend in a pre-season tournament hosted by Gardiner MacDougall's UNB Varsity Reds in Fredericton. UPEI is at Moncton on October 1.
UPEI has a nucleus of returning players from last year including Canadian Interuniversity Sport Rookie of the Year, Jared Gomes; Matt Carter; Dylan Quaile; and fifth-year players, Tyson Gimblett and Cory Vitarelli.
New to the Panthers this year are Charlottetown native Matt Boyle, Mathew Maione, former Truro Bearcat Dana Fraser, and goaltender Marc Guggenberger.
'For the most part, SMU is full of experience and very well coached. Obviously, being the defending national champions, this team knows how to get to the next level. This game will be a great measuring stick for our team to gauge where we are at early in the season,' MacPherson says.
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children. UPEI students are admitted for free with their UPEI student ID and UPEI season ticket holders are admitted free showing season pass.
