Oklahoma skates into Tucson this weekend for what should be the Arizona men's club hockey team's most physical series of the early season.
The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. today and tomorrow at the Tucson Convention Center Arena.
Fresh off a pair of 18-goal weekends, No. 13 Arizona (7-2) will have to be ready for the type of competition they faced in the American Collegiate Hockey Association Showcase in Youngstown, Ohio, Oct. 21-23, when they met three teams then ranked in the national top 10.
The No. 19 Sooners (6-4-2) have been known for their physical style throughout the years. Arizona head coach Leo Golembiewski said on his radio show Wednesday that this series and that with Weber State Dec. 2-3 will show much of what this team is made of.
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So far this season, the Icecats have showed they can put the puck in the net. Arizona's speed and talent on offense should be an advantage this weekend.
"We're hoping we're a faster team across the board," Golembiewski said. "But we've got some guys that know how to throw their weight around."
Having played against the Sooners last season, falling in a two-game sweep, returning players like Craig Irwin, Cole Dunlop, and brothers D.J. and Mike Pelletier will be expected to set the tone early against Oklahoma.
Golembiewski said he'll continue to juggle the team's lines around, despite the production he saw from the first line of Irwin, Dunlop and Tom Connell, and the second line of Matt Conover, Cody Morin and Robbie Nowinski. He said he's still looking for a third line that can score.
Sophomore forward Scott Marshall has played with the second and third lines so far this season, trading places on and off with Morin. Golembiewski said to look for more of that this weekend.
Goaltenders Luke Edwall and Nick Boddy will both get starts this weekend, as Golembiewski continued to sing their praises, describing them as "gamers that want the puck."
Student tickets at the TCC are only $3.