Icecats, Coyotes hit the rink

Tanith L. Balaban Arizona Daily Wildcat The Icecats begin their first day of training camp at the Tucson Convention Center yesterday with Coach Leo Golembiewski once again at the helm. The team will hold their Blue-White Scrimmage Sunday at 3:30 p.m. before the Phoenix Coyotes preseason game.

The Arizona Icecats club hockey team will hold a Blue-White Scrimmage on Sunday prior to the Phoenix Coyotes-Calgary Flames National Hockey League preseason game.

The hockey doubleheader will begin with the Icecats playing at 3:30 p.m. and the NHL game starting at 6.

"Not too many college teams get to scrimmage before an NHL game," Icecat head coach Leo Golembiewski said.

When the Coyotes moved to Phoenix last season from Winnipeg, Canada, they became strong supporters of the Icecats, according to Golembiewski.

"We wanted to see if we could get a preseason game here," Golembiewski said.

For the Coyotes, this will be their first visit to Tucson.

"This is just the first step in getting Tucson fans involved," Phoenix Marketing Director Tim McBride said.

In the Coyotes first NHL season in Arizona, they finished fifth in the Western Conference, and are hoping to increase their fan base throughout the state this year.

"This adds a tremendous amount of credential to our hockey team," Golembiewski said.

"I just hope we don't ruin the ice before they get on it," Icecat senior center Ben Ruston said.

Ruston is the lone senior on a very young Icecats squad. Many of the players that guided the Icecats to the American Collegiate Hockey Association Final Four last season graduated or left the team.

"We lost some firepower, but we're reloading," Golembiewski said. "Our weakest point is our inexperience at defense."

Among those players back that will suit up for the scrimmage are Ruston, sophomore defenseman Joe McCaffrey, junior defenseman Bob Majka and sophomore goaltenders Beau LeMire and Mike Tesi.

Ruston describes the scrimmage as an "extension of training camp. We just want some guys that can come out and play."

"We just want to evaluate people," Golembiewski said. "It's a chance to take a look at the players we have. Seven of our top nine forwards are new.

"This is our first time on the ice as a team."

Golembiewski is also looking to shore up the team's problems in goal. Last season, both LeMire and Tesi started as freshmen, and it showed at times.

"We're looking for stronger goaltending (from them)," he said. "We've got to be a little better if we're going to go further than we did last year."

Golembiewski told the rest of the team at practice that Ruston wanted a ring before he graduated. As the lone senior, Ruston said he "definitely" feels pressure to take on the role of team leader.

"Every team needs a leader," he said. "It's something I'm ready to do."

As for the Coyotes, they will be hitting town for their fifth game of the preseason.

Phoenix opened the year with a win against Calgary up in Alberta last Sunday. They will play tonight at home against Anaheim before heading to Chicago tomorrow and then hosting the Flames in Phoenix on Saturday.

The Coyotes are led by forward Keith Tkachuk, center Jeremy Roenick and new forward Rick Tocchet on offense. They are hoping to advance further than they did last season, when the Mighty Ducks bounced them out of the playoffs in the first round.

Calgary rebounded from their loss to the Coyotes by defeating Vancouver, 4-3. The Flames will not play again until they meet up with Phoenix on Saturday and Sunday.

New center Andrew Cassels came over from Hartford to team up with right wing Theo Fleury. Calgary looks to make it back to the playoffs after missing out last season.

The Icecats' season officially starts on Oct. 24 when they host St. Louis.