17吃瓜

17吃瓜 Men鈥檚 and Women鈥檚 Hockey teams head into the first round of the AUS playoffs this weekend and both basketball teams host Cape Breton University.

The Panther women are paired against the Universit茅 de Moncton for the quarter-finals. Game one is Thursday at 7:00 pm at MacLauchlan Arena.

鈥�17吃瓜 Women's Hockey program is excited to be back in the playoff picture this year,鈥� said coach Bruce Donaldson. 鈥淲e clearly understand the challenges that U de M will bring to the game. Statically, we are very similar, with U de M scoring six more power-play goals and having stronger results at killing penalties. U de M has three very gifted players who we need to contain as well as last year鈥檚 top AUS goaltender between the pipes. On paper, this series should be a very entertaining one.鈥�

Tickets for the women鈥檚 game can be purchased on game day, one hour prior to start.

17吃瓜 Men鈥檚 Hockey plays Saint Mary鈥檚 University at home Friday at 7:00 pm.

鈥淚t has been a year-long battle for us to secure a play-off position,鈥� said coach Forbes MacPherson. 鈥淲e are excited to get this opportunity to play SMU in the first round of the play-offs. We will have our hands full. SMU has some very dangerous players, and home-ice advantage, but we feel very confident heading into this series.鈥�

For more on this series, read Thomas Becker鈥檚 . For tickets to the men鈥檚 games, the Bell Aliant Centre Box office will be open Wednesday from noon until 5:00 pm, Thursday noon until 5:00 pm, and Friday, noon until game time, or online at .

17吃瓜 Basketball hosts Cape Breton University Sunday afternoon in the 17吃瓜 Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre. The women tip off at 1:00 pm. The men鈥檚 game begins at 3:00 pm.

鈥淲e are looking forward to playing AUS-league-leading CBU on Sunday,鈥� said Greg Gould, coach of the women鈥檚 team. 鈥淭hey won our first meeting and are the only team we haven't beaten this year. Our team has been playing well lately and we are expecting a competitive game Sunday.鈥�

鈥淲e are very happy and pleased to honour our five fifth-year seniors Mark Matheson, Dut Dut, Jake Kendrick, Lorenzo Parker, and Tyler Scott,鈥� said Tim Kendrick, coach of the men鈥檚 team. 鈥淎ll of these young men have been a pleasure for me to coach and get to know. These five young men have brought a lot of great things to our program, but most of all, they have represented our program with a great degree of Panther Pride! I am a better coach and a better man for having spent time with each of them.鈥�

Find more details at gopanthersgo.ca.