The defending Ontario Universities Athletics (OUA) champion York men’s hockey team will open the 2004-2005 regular season against the visiting Brock Badgers on Thursday at 7:30pm, at the Ice Gardens.
York captured its fifth OUA title last year and earned a berth in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) National Championship for the second straight year finishing 10 overall. Head coach Graham Wise welcomes16 returning players and nine talented newcomers.
Left: Lions’ Steve Chabbert
The Lions are led by captain Steve Chabbert. One of four veterans returning to the defence corps, Chabbert was a second team OUA all-star last year and team leader in plus-minus rating (+20). Up front, three of York’s top-five scoring forwards return from a year ago: Jason Pinizzotto, who tied for the lead in team scoring during the regular season, Shane Nash, a two-time OUA all-star, and fourth-year veteran Phil Knapp, who had his best year offensively in 2003-2004.
In other Lions news, the OUA North division-leading York women’s soccer team returns to action following a week off. Both the women’s and men’s soccer teams will host division rivals Laurentian and Nipissing this weekend. The Lions football team will battle Windsor in a game with playoff implications.
For more information on the Lions teams, visit the Sport York Interuniversity Web site.