COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. – The Trinity Western men's hockey team is in Colorado this weekend to take on Colorado College Saturday (Oct. 5) before wrapping up the preseason Sunday (Oct. 6) against the Air Force Falcons.

WEEKEND PREVIEW
Saturday, Oct 5th vs. Colorado College – 5 p.m. (PT)
Sunday, Oct 6th vs. Air Force – 4 p.m. (PT)

THE WEEKEND STORY
•    The weekend series sees the Spartans taking on a pair of NCAA Div. I schools in its final preseason games of the season.
•    TWU is 1-2-1 so far in the preseason, most recently winning 3-2 against SAIT in Castlegar, B.C. (Sept. 28)

vs. COLORADO COLLEGE
•    Saturday's game against Colorado College will mark the first exhibition game of the season for the Tigers, coming off a 17-20-4 overall record in NCAA Div. I play.  
•    Defenceman Bryan Yoon will be a player to watch for the Tigers after posting 26 points in 41 games last season.
•    Yoon's point total was the most by a Colorado College freshman since current St. Louis Blues forward Jaden Schwartz had 47 (17g,30a) during the 2010-11 campaign
•    Schwartz is one of a number of Tigers alumni who have gone to play in the National Hockey League, including the likes of Jaccob Slavin (Carolina) and Curtis McElhinney (Tampa Bay).
•    This season marks the 81st year of varsity ice hockey at Colorado College and seventh season as a member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
•    After finishing the 2018-19 regular season in sixth place in the NCHC, Colorado College made its first appearance in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in the six years of the league's existence last season. By winning the best-of-three series, 2-1, over third-seeded Western Michigan, the Tigers became the first lower-seeded team to win an NCHC quarterfinal series since St. Cloud State won at Omaha in 2015.
•    Senior Alex Berardinelli and sophomore Grant Cruikshank will serve as co-captains of the Colorado College Tigers for the 2019-20 season, with Cruikshank being the first sophomore in program history to wear the "C".
•    The Tigers earned honourable mention status in the USCHO.com Preseason Top 20 Poll after receiving nine votes.

vs. AIR FORCE
•    Sunday's game against Air Force will mark the Falcons first exhibition game of the season, who are coming off a 16-15-5 overall record in the 2018-19 season competing in NCAA Div. 1.
•    Air Force placed third in the Atlantic Hockey league and hosted sixth-seeded Niagara in a best-of-three quarterfinal series, at Cadet Ice Arena. Niagara swept the series to advance to the AHA Final Four.  
•    Air Force forward Kieran Durgan will look to build upon last season's team leading 12 goals, as all the Falcons top four leading point producers from last year have graduated.
•    This marks the final season the Spartans will be a member of the BCIHL, as beginning in the 2020-21 season the hockey team will compete in Canada West and U SPORTS.
•    The Spartans open the regular season Oct. 12 at home against Victoria next Saturday (Oct. 12).
•    TWU is looking to win it's third-straight BCIHL championship after wins over Selkirk (2018) and VIU (2019).

TRINITY WESTERN SPARTANS (1-2-1)
Last Season (BCIHL): 18-5-0-1
Streak: 1 win
Preseason Form: L-L-OTL-W

COLORADO COLLEGE TIGERS (0-0-0)
Last Season (NCHC): 9-12-3   
Streak: N/A
Preseason Form: N/A

AIR FORCE FALCONS (0-0-0)
Last Season (Atlantic Hockey): 16-15-5
Streak: N/A
Preseason Form: N/A

-TW-