Gryphons men’s hockey team announce inaugural “Ridgetown Showdown”

On Sunday, October 1st, the Gryphons men’s hockey team will take part in the inaugural edition of the “Ridgetown Showdown.”

The preseason game, which will feature the Gryphons men’s hockey team facing the Windsor Lancers, will take place in the heart of Ridgetown, which serves as the home to the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus..

Admission to the event is free for all fans on a first-come, first-serve basis with the game taking place at the 800-seat East Kent Memorial Arena, walking distance from U of G’s Ridgetown Campus.

“We created this game with one simple goal in mind: to celebrate the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus and to engage our players with the over 600 students, faculty and staff that make up the Ridgetown Campus,” says Shawn Camp, head coach of the Gryphons men’s hockey team. “It will be a great experience for our players to be able to hit the ice representing the Ridgetown members of our U of G family. We’re hoping to put on a good show that day.”

Puck drop for the game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

“Most of the students on our campus don’t get the opportunity to take in a varsity game, so for the U of G men’s hockey team to come to us and put on a game here, it’s pretty special,” says Ken McEwan, Director of the Ridgetown Campus. “The quality of hockey you see at the OUA level is outstanding and we’re hopeful that everybody in our community can come on out to support the game.”

At Ridgetown, which became an official University of Guelph Campus in 1997, there are over 450 acres of research and campus grounds, serving as an ideal location to conduct research in the areas of applied agriculture, animal science and environmental research.

For Gryphons Director of Athletics, Scott McRoberts, the “Ridgetown Showdown” is yet another opportunity to engage the larger Gryphon family, “The University of Guelph has such an incredible reach and the support for this institution is so widespread, it’s important to be able to go off of the Guelph campus and engage as many members of our U of G community as possible. We’re thrilled to be able to bring an event like this to the students, staff and community in Ridgetown.”

The Gryphons men’s hockey team will be arriving in Ridgetown after a long drive from upstate New York. On Saturday, September 30th, the Gryphons will face the Clarkson Golden Knights (NCAA) in exhibition play, and will then make the drive from Potsdam, New York back to Ontario to arrive in Ridgetown on the afternoon of Sunday, October 1st. The Gryphons 2017-18 OUA regular season begins on Wednesday, October 11th with a home game versus the Brock Badgers.