The No. 12 UCO Hockey team lost both of their games against the No. 1 Lindenwood Lions last weekend. The Bronchos will look to bounce back from their season opening series in which they only scored one goal to Lindenwood’s 15. UCO takes on the Saint Louis University Billikens this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

The Saint Louis Billikens are sporting a new head coach who got his first win as a head coach last weekend as Saint Louis went 1-1 in their opening weekend. Todd Ewen was announced the Billiken’s new head coach in May.

Last week the Billikens lost their home opener to the Illinois State Redbirds 7-4. However Saint Louis would bounce back and win the second game of the series 5-1. In their first game, the Billikens got goals from four different players and played both their goalies.

The Billikens have been in the ACHA for 12 years, far longer than Central Oklahoma who is entering only their fourth year as a program. The Billikens have made three national tournaments in their 12 year existence. It took only three years for the Bronchos to reach their first national tournament.

The Bronchos-Billiken series started in UCO’s first season. The two teams first met in November of 2006. UCO swept St. Louis in two games, scoring 11 goals to Saint Louis’ two. UCO opened last season with another sweep of Saint Louis winning the first game 5-2, and the second, 9-2 in Edmond. The Bronchos lead the series 4-0.

This series versus the Billikens is the second in a three home series stretch which started with Lindenwood and will end with Robert Morris next weekend. The Bronchos will then compete in the 2009 ACHA Showcase. They will not return to Edmond until October 23, when they face Indiana in a two game home series at Arctice Edge Arena. All in all the Bronchos will play at home for 23 games this year.

Jake Roadhouse currently leads the Bronchos in goals scored with one. UCO played two goalies last week, Justin Sgroon Friday and Cory McGlone on Saturday.

In the first set of rankings to come out in ACHA Division I hockey, the Bronchos rank 12. Lindenwood, Illinois, Penn State, Delaware and Oklahoma rounds out the top five. UCO sits one spot below Robert Morris, who they defeated 6-1 in the national tournament,  but rank above three other national tournament teams.

This week’s series against Saint Louis will take place at Arctic Edge Arena in Edmond with one game on Friday, and one game on Saturday. Both games will start at 7:30 p.m.