From 406MTSports
By Bill Speltz
MISSOULA — The beefed-up University of Montana men’s club hockey program will make its home debut Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against Montana State at Glacier Ice Rink.
The Grizzlies have had a club program for many years but for almost a decade it has been a student-organized “intramural” team. This year the team will play a 30-game slate as an American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) member.
Montana’s 23-player roster includes three players from Missoula — Eddy Lochridge, Logan Stabnau and Kevin Moore. Kalispell’s Zach Lawson and Wyat Ploot are also on the team along with athletes from as far away as Alaska and Maine.
Team officials plan to stream the Griz football game against Eastern Washington while the hockey game is going on Saturday, so fans will have the option of watching both. Alcohol will be sold at all home games and a free shuttle for students from the Adams Center before and after the game will be offered starting at 6:45 p.m. The admission fee is $10 for adults and $5 for students.
The Griz hockey program is being steered by Tucker Sargent and his committee and head coach Mike Anderson, a former college player, is being paid a salary. It has taken about six months to put the program together and the players have been practicing for a month.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” Sargent said. “From an administrative side, everyone involved has been going full speed and we’ll see how it goes Saturday. The players are very excited.”
Sargent believes the beefed-up program brings a lot to the table for the University of Montana, which has not been required to make a financial commitment.
“It will boost enrollment, and it’s just more additional marketing for UM,” Sargent said. “Now you’re out in front of a whole other crowd of people that are going to potentially want to come to your school.”
(Originally published at https://406mtsports.com/college/big-sky-conference/university-of-montana/new-look-montana-grizzly-club-hockey-team-to-debut-against-montana-state-saturday/article_5d3407ac-615e-5c6f-8741-c6a13daa3036.html)
