Pronghorn teams resume schedules

The University of Lethbridge Pronghorns men’s hockey team will look to build on a strong finish to the first semester when they host the U Sports No. 3-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies in Canada West action Friday and Saturday at Nicholas Sheran Arena. Game time both nights is 7 p.m. “Our team is really excited to get things going in the New Year,” said Pronghorn head coach Spiros Anastas. “We had a strong finish last semester and for the first time in a while, we have a full roster.

“We think playing U of S the first weekend is a great thing; they’re a very hardworking and talented team that will challenge us to find our ‘A’ game early and set the tone for the rest of the semester. If we can keep things simple like we did when we only had 14 skaters, we will continue to roll.”

Earlier this season, the Huskies took both games in Saskatoon versus the Pronghorns with wins of 4-3 in overtime and 5-2.

The Pronghorns (7-8-1) received an early Christmas present when the Calgary Dinos forfeited six games for playing an ineligible player, including a season-opening win over the Pronghorns. With an addition of two points and Calgary losing eight points, the Pronghorns sit tied for fourth with the UBC Thunderbirds.

Heading into the semester break, the Pronghorns were also one of the hotter teams in Canada West, winning five of six games.

“There’s a quiet confidence in our room right now,” said Anastas. “We have a lot of guys playing with a chip on their shoulder. We’ve been narrowly bumped from the playoffs in the last weekend of each of the last two seasons. The time for moral victories and pats on the back is over for our guys. They understand where the program was a few short years ago and how far we’ve come, but they want to make their mark as contenders now and won’t settle for anything less. I’m excited to see them execute our process and reach our goals.”

The Huskies (13-2-1) sit second in Canada West and enter 2018 on a five-game winning streak.

Brooks Maxwell, cousin of Pronghorns’ Mitch and Russ Maxwell, will make his Pronghorn debut this weekend. Brooks returned from his LDS mission in early December and will be welcomed addition to the Pronghorns ranks. He played four seasons with the Red Deer Rebels and as a 20-year old, Maxwell scored 27 goals and added 32 assists in 71 games.

Meanwhile, the Pronghorn women’s hockey team will begin the second semester on the road in Saskatoon against the fourth-place Saskatchewan Huskies.

“Our team is excited to get back to the regular season schedule and playing games again,” said Pronghorn head coach Michelle Janus. “U of S is a fast team and have the ability to play physical. We’ll need to execute our passes in all zones to maintain possession which will allow us to see quality scoring chances.” Earlier this season, the Pronghorns and Huskies (9-6-0-1) split their weekend series in Lethbridge with the Pronghorns winning 21 in overtime, while the Huskies upended the Pronghorns 3-1. With 12 games remaining in the Canada West season, the Pronghorns (3-9-2-2) trail the Calgary Dinos by five points for the final playoff spot.

Also on the road this weekend will be the Pronghorns men’s and women’s basketball teams, who will travel to Winnipeg to play the Manitoba Bisons.

The Pronghorn men (10-2) were one win shy of setting a new program mark of consecutive wins to start the season, winning their first eight games.

Statistically, the Pronghorns have the second-best offence in Canada West scoring 93.3 points per game. The team leads the conference in free throws made per game at 19.3 and steals, swiping the ball 13.4 times a game.

The Bisons (8-4) had an up-anddown opening semester, with a pair of three-game winning streaks but also lost three games in a row in November.

The Pronghorn women are coming off the best start in the program’s history and are 10-2, only four wins away from tying the program’s single-season mark for wins.

The Pronghorns hold the thirdbest offence in the conference, scoring 75 points per game. Defensively, the Pronghorns are ranked eighth, allowing 66.3 points. The Pronghorns also hold the thirdbest shooting percentage from behind the arc, at 35.1 per cent.

Manitoba has a 6-6 record.