TIGERS ROAR BACK TO CLAIM FIRST VICTORY ON ALBERTA SOIL

LAC LA BICHE – Hockey Day in Canada had an international flavour in Lac La Biche Saturday night. In front of a large crowd at the Bold Center, the Korean University Tigers scored their first win on their tour of ACAC teams, besting the hometown Portage College Voyageurs 7-3 in an entertaining exhibition match.  Min-Joon Huh led the way for the visitors, notching a hat trick and adding an assist, and was named the Tigers' Player of the Game. Hyeonsu Kwon added two goals while Junseo Lee and Hohyun Jeong also scored for the visitors. Voyageurs Head Coach Kevin McClelland was impressed by the Tigers' resiliency and determination.

"That's a hard-working hockey club," he said. "They keep coming at you, coming at you and they don't back down from any of the physical stuff. That's a good hockey club. Their work ethic is incredible."

The Voyageurs were actually in good shape midway through the game, holding a 3-1 lead by the 9:26 mark of the second period on goals by Logan Carruthers, Portage Player of the Game Blake Astorino, and Carter Yarish. The Tigers clawed back quickly, however, scoring three goals before the end of the second. The Voyageurs still had a chance to get back in the game as a skirmish at the end of the second resulted in a man advantage for the home squad to start the third – but it was not to be.

"We had the powerplay to start and generated absolutely nothing," said McClelland of the listless five-on-four. "They built momentum off that and that was hard."

From there the floodgates opened, with Korea University adding three more before the final buzzer sounded. As they return to regular season ACAC action next weekend with a double bill against Red Deer Polytechnic, McClelland knows his troops will have to keep battling through the adversity of this tough season.

"We've got to find a way," he said. "We've just gotta keep working...We're just a team that's looking for some answers and hopefully, we find them soon."