The UA Icecats will try to rebound after losing three of their last four with struggling Western Michigan in town this weekend.
No. 11 Arizona (5-3-1) hosts the Stallions (3-9-1) tonight and tomorrow night at 7:30 at the Tucson Convention Center arena.
Western Michigan started the year as the No. 14 team in the country (the Icecats were No. 6 in the preseason poll), but has since tumbled out of the poll altogether once it started playing in the Central States Collegiate Hockey League.
Icecats head coach Leo Golembiewski likened the CSCHL to the Atlantic Coast Conference in basketball and said the Stallions will be a tough opponent since they come from the toughest league in the American Collegiate Hockey Association.
"There are no weak sisters," Golembiewski said. "Any time you play a Central States team, there is a pretty good chance to get a good game."
In the rankings the Icecats put out, which are mainly based on strength of schedule and away versus home games, Arizona is No. 26 and the Stallions are No. 34.
Western Michigan has suffered a number of close losses.
"We'll have our hands full the whole weekend," Golembiewski said.
After struggling offensively in their Maryland road trip and against No. 6 Weber State, the Icecats have shuffled their lineup and will feature three new offensive lines in this weekend's games.
"We've got to get some people back on track that haven't been very productive," Golembiewski said.
The team is fresh off a trip to America West Arena to see the Phoenix Coyotes play the St. Louis Blues. Golembiewski said the trip up north was made in order to help the team bond off the ice.
"We know there's a lot of room for improvement," he said.