After a strong weekend on the road in St. Louis, the No. 13 Arizona men's club hockey team returns home for a series against Cal State-Long Beach. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Tucson Convention Center Arena.
Although not a Division-I team in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, the 49ers come into Tucson this weekend with a reputation as one of the better teams in the West.
"We don't know what to expect from a team we've never seen before, but we're anticipating a good match from a club with D-I intentions," said Arizona head coach Leo Golembiewski.
After seven games, the Icecats (5-2) are starting to find out exactly what they've got to offer this season.
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One of the biggest boosts this year has been the "Kid Line" made up of sophomore Scott Marshall and freshmen Matt Conover, Robbie Nowinski, Zack Stommen and Kevin West, Golembiewski said.
Conover has already racked up 17 points this season, and Nowinski, Stommen and Marshall all scored last weekend against the Billikens.
The third line for the Icecats is still in question, as Golembiewski said he will keep switching players around to find a group that can put the puck in the net.
Sophomore goaltender Luke Edwall will remain as the Icecats' No. 1 goaltender at this point, but freshman Nick Boddy, who got off to a rough start in Friday's game, will receive his scheduled start this weekend.
The games can be heard on ESPN's KFFN 1490 AM affiliate.