LU hoops, hockey squads crack top 10

Six straight wins have vaulted the Lakehead Thunderwolves hockey team into the top 10 in the national rankings.

The Wolves (6-2-0), who take on Laurier on the road this weekend, were slotted eighth when the weekly list was unveiled on Tuesday. 

Reigning champion New Brunswick tops the poll, voted on by media across the nation. McGill, who has yet to lose in regulation, are No. 2, with Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Western filling in the top 5. North Bay’s Nipissing (6-1-2) cracked the top 10 for the first time in school history, coming in at 10th.

The hockey squad wasn’t the only team with good news to report. The men’s basketball team, which finished fifth at nationals in Halifax last spring, start the 2011-12 season in fourth.

The hoops team has gone unbeaten in preseason play to date.

The Carleton Ravens, who the Wolves beat in last year’s OUA championship, are ranked No. 1, with St. Francis Xavier and Saskatchewan coming in at No. 2 and 3.

LU opens the regular season on Nov. 11 on the road against Queens. Their home opener is scheduled for Nov. 18 against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues.