DEARBORN, Mich. – History will be made Friday when the University of Michigan-Dearborn women's ice hockey team plays the first game in program history against Concordia University.

The Wolverines take on the Cardinals at 8 pm at the Arctic Coliseum in Chelsea, Mich.

After nearly two years of building a roster and preparing, UM-Dearborn Head Coach Tim Ames is ready to finally hit the ice with his team.

"Our goal is to build an elite competitive culture for our student-athletes to be successful both on and off the ice," UM-Dearborn Head Coach Tim Ames said. "The coaching staff expects we will be competitive in all our contests from the beginning to the end. But our true measuring stick in year one will be the amount of player development from the start of the season to the end of the season."

Ames will lean on a core of talented players to lead a young group in year one. Among others, Ames expects a high-level of play from Brooke Spiegel, Claudia Maguire, and Odisoula Argyris, while goaltenders Tara Peladeau and Victoria Hahn will need to be sharp as the Wolverines develop.

"These are players who already know the dynamics of what is expected, with work ethic, study habits, and the ability to mentor our younger players into their roles as student-athletes."

In terms of what Ames would consider a successful first season for his program, he stated "With the foundation already in place this season, I'm hoping that the growth of the program reaches out to the UM-Dearborn student body, faculty, leadership, and community to build excitement, enthusiasm, and support about women's ice hockey at the university." 

After the season opener against Concordia, the Wolverines travel to Ohio State University on Oct. 20 and will play their home opener against the Buckeyes on Oct. 27. The schedule also will see games against Michigan State University and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

The final six games of the season will include three more against Concordia and three against Miami University.