Season opener will see Griffins return to scene of championship celebration

The Griffins celebrate after winning the 2018-19 ACAC Championship at NAIT Arena last March. They will open the 2019-20 campaign in the same spot, on Oct. 11 (Len Joudrey photo).
The Griffins celebrate after winning the 2018-19 ACAC Championship at NAIT Arena last March. They will open the 2019-20 campaign in the same spot, on Oct. 11 (Len Joudrey photo).

MacEwan Athletics

EDMONTON – The last time they played, the MacEwan Griffins women's hockey team hoisted the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference trophy high above their heads at NAIT Arena.

When the curtain lifts on the 2019-20 ACAC season this October, the Griffins will be returning to the very place where they captured their third-straight championship in dominant fashion.

The ACAC championship combatants will meet each other on Oct. 11 (7 p.m., NAIT Arena) and Oct. 12 (6 p.m., Downtown Community Arena) to kick off what will be MacEwan's final season in the ACAC before they move into the Canada West conference. The latter match will feature a pre-game banner unveiling ceremony to celebrate MacEwan's 2018-19 championship – a three-game sweep of the Ooks.

CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLETE MACEWAN GRIFFINS 2019-20 WOMEN'S HOCKEY SCHEDULE

"It's always exciting to open up against our hometown rivals, and arguably our toughest competitors over the past few seasons," said head coach Lindsay McAlpine. "The season opener is already full of emotion, and this game will come with some extra feels as we raise the 2018/19 championship banner in our last-ever season opener in the ACAC."  

The Griffins will also face the Ooks in home-and-home series on Nov. 15-16 and Jan. 24-25. MacEwan will also have six matches during the 2019-20 season against the other three teams in the ACAC – SAIT, Olds College and Red Deer College.

The top four teams will qualify for the playoffs. MacEwan will be seeking its fourth-straight title before moving into Canada West in 2020-21.

Season tickets will be available for sale on Sept. 14 online or in person at either the Christenson Centre for Sport and Wellness or Downtown Community Arena (on game days).