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Chris Perry
1/2/2007, 02:17 PM
*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ***



SOONERS WEEKLY
For the Week of January 2, 2007

NO. 3 SOONERS START 2007 AT ARIZONA STATE
OU RESUMES PLAY THIS WEEK IN 2nd ANNUAL ASU HOCKEY DESERT CLASSIC

THIS WEEK’S GAMES - The University of Oklahoma® hockey club (20-1-0) gets back in action this week with three games at the 2nd Annual Arizona State Hockey Desert Classic in Scottsdale, Arizona. When the games were originally scheduled, Oklahoma was to play one game each against Minot State, DePaul and Arizona State during the four-day tournament. However, Minot State advised in December that they were backing out of the Classic and would not be participating in the event. After some last-minute scrambling, ASU found a replacement team in the local Phoenix Polar Bears of the Junior B Western States Hockey League and has revamped their game lineup for the Desert Classic. Oklahoma will now face the Polar Bears (28-2-0) at 4:00 PM MST on Thursday and then play a pair of games against No. 10 Arizona State (8-10-0) on Friday at 7:00 PM MST and on Sunday at 1:00 PM MST.

RANKINGS – The Sooners are currently ranked 3rd in the most recent ACHA Coaches Division 1 ranking. The next ACHA D1 ranking is scheduled to be released on Friday, January 19th.

SCOUTING THE SUN DEVILS – The Sooners and Sun Devils played a pair of games earlier this season in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma swept both games in that series, winning by scores of 4-1 and 3-2. With those wins, OU’s all-time record against ASU is now 2-4-0. The Sun Devils are coached by Mike De Angelis, who played for 15 years in Europe and in North American minor leagues before becoming the ASU coach. De Angelis is also a three-time member of the Italian Olympic hockey team. ASU is led in scoring by senior forward Ray Corey, who has 10 goals and eight assists for a total of 18 points in sixteen games this season. Corey is followed in scoring by senior forward Richard Ferroni (4-13-17), junior forward Joe Ahern (6-9-15) and freshman forward Trevor Van Conant (6-9-15). Goaltender Kyle Bronsteen is ASU’s top netminder and has been between the pipes in every game but two this season for the Sun Devils, accumulating a goals against average of 3.39 and allowing only 51 goals.

SCOUTING THE POLAR BEARS – The Polar Bears are coached by Harry Mahood and currently are the runaway leader of the WSHL’s Western Division. Several OU players are former Polar Bears, including Ryan Anderson, Adrian Borchgrevink, Owen Brewer, Michael Gray and Justin Hall. The Polar Bears are led in scoring by forward Jamie Davis who has 47 goals and 39 assists for a total of 86 points in 30 games. Following Davis atop the scoring parade for Phoenix are forward Josh Laricchia (30-50-80), Blake Barkwell (32-22-54) and Jeremy Langlois (20-26-46). Goaltender Drew Riccio (18-2-0, 2.66 GAA, .888 SV) is Phoenix’s main netminder.

OU HOCKEY’S INTERNATIONAL FORCE – Senior defenseman Danny Force has been added to the 22-player 2007 United States University Select Team roster which will compete at the Winter World University Games, to be held Jan. 17-27, 2007 in Torino, Italy. Force, a 6’0”, 215 lb. broadcasting major from Southlake, Texas has 10 goals and 5 assists in 17 games for the Sooners so far this season. The 2007 U.S. University Select Team will be coached by Chad Cassel, head coach of The University of Illinois hockey club and will play Canada, Slovakia, Russia and Korea in group play in Torino prior to the elimination round of the Winter World University Games. Force will miss the upcoming OU Hockey games against Weber State and Iowa State as a result of his selection.

PRACTICE SCHEDULE – The Sooners returned from the Christmas break last week. The Sooners will have one remaining practice this week at the Blazers Ice Centre, tonight at 10:00 PM, before departing for the Desert Classic immediately thereafter.

### BOOMER SOONER! ###
MEDIA CONTACT:
Chris Perry, General Manager
University of Oklahoma® Hockey
Phone: (405) 631-2709 / Cell: (405) 488-4048
Email: [email protected] / Fax: (405) 631-3303
www.icehockey.ou.edu / www.ouhockey.com