Panthers at Home, January 24 to 26
It’s a big weekend at home for the UPEI varsity teams! The Panthers host three days of solid action at home, including the annual Shoot for the Cure and Pink in the Rink games in support of breast cancer research. UPEI men’s basketball and hockey are both honouring great alumni teams. There’s so much going on, we’re calling it the Panther Packed Weekend!
Friday
UPEI women’s and men’s basketball kick off a two-day series at home against St. Francis Xavier University. The women’s game starts at 6 pm in the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre. The men’s team takes the court against St. FX at 8 pm.
“Moving into this weekend, our focus is to commit to playing a complete 40-minute game and not allowing our temporary lapses in scoring to affect the way we compete on the defensive end,” said coach Darrell Glenn. “We have to play through our mistakes and continue to fight together.”
Across the building in the MacLauchlan Arena, the UPEI men’s hockey team laces up their skates to host Acadia University. The puck drops at 7 pm.
Saturday
Saturday’s schedule is almost a mirror image of Friday’s, with both basketball teams again hosting St. FX. The women play at 6 pm. This is the team’s annual Shoot for the Cure game in support of breast cancer research. The Shoot for the Cure campaign has proven an overwhelming success since it was launched nationally in the fall of 2007, with more than $1.25 million in donations to date.
“The team is excited about the weekend games against St. FX,” said coach Matt Gamblin. “We would love to see lots of support and generous donations for this national initiative in support of the Canadian Cancer Society.”
Before the men’s game begins at 8 pm, the Panthers will honour the 1985–1986 UPEI men’s basketball team, which won the AUAA championship that year.
It’s also a special day for Panther men’s hockey as they celebrate their alumni. The day begins at 4 pm with a green and white game featuring more than 75 players from the Panthers’ past.
UPEI men’s hockey hosts Saint Mary’s University at 7 pm. Before the puck drops, the Panthers will honour the 1984–1985 AUAA championship-winning squad. A special banner will be raised to the rafters in honour of alumni Dave Shellington, making him only the third Panther ever to receive this honour.
“We are very excited about this weekend,” said coach Forbes MacPherson. “This is the weekend that, as a program, we all mark on our calendar each year. Alumni weekend for us is the most special weekend of the year. We are very proud of our history, and the goal that evening is to make our alumni group proud of our efforts that weekend.”
Sunday
The Panther Packed Weekend continues Sunday as the UPEI women’s hockey team takes on the University of New Brunswick. This is the team’s annual Pink in the Rink game in support of breast cancer research. The puck drops at 3 pm.
“UNB is playing very well and will be coming in with a full line-up,” said coach Bruce Donaldson. “In previous games, they have been missing a few players, but it appears they are healthy and ready to play. They have a very balanced line-up starting with strong goaltending, mobility on the back end, and forwards who work exceptionally hard. We will need to play well defensively against them and hope to take advantage of any odd man situations.”
Go Panthers Go!
