TORONTO — Having secured their first victory of the season against the Brock Badgers in St. Catharines on Saturday, the Rams men's hockey team will pack their bags and travel to Thunder Bay this week for a trio of key games against the Lakehead Thunderwolves. In a rare stretch in which they'll play three games in as many nights, the Rams hit the ice on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, all at 7 p.m. at Fort Williams Gardens.

For Johnny Duco's squad, it'll be an early test of their resilience and depth, seeing as their first pair of games were hard-fought and chippy all around. 

"We're really looking forward to it," Duco remarked of the upcoming trip. "We'll regroup, have a short week of practice, figure things out, and gear up for the trip."

Look for forwards Elijah Roberts and Kyle Bollers to make an impact on the offensive side of things; both played exceptionally well on the road against Brock and seem poised to build off their early success. Elsewhere, forward Chris Playfair was roughed up in St. Catharines and will look to rebound physically in a less scrappy matchup against Lakehead. Defensively, Gregory DiTomaso appears to be settling in, as do linemates Zachary Shankar and Mark Shoemaker. 

Added Duco of playing in Thunder Bay: "It's always a nice atmosphere up there."

Historically, the Rams are an even 12-12 against the Thunderwolves, winning their last two meetings. On the road, the blue and gold sport a 5-7 record and last played at Fort Williams Gardens on February 12, 2020. Perhaps most importantly, this will be the Rams' only trip to Thunder Bay this year, as they'll welcome the Thunderwolves to the Mattamy Athletic Centre for two tilts in January. 

So far, the Rams have been outshot by their opponents 66-62 and are 3-for-9 on the power play. In three games on the season, the Thunderwolves, by contrast, have 112 shots on the season and have scored four times on the power play. 

All three games of the series will be available on OUA.tv starting at 7 p.m.