The Utah Lightning, a new Salt Lake-area hockey team in a new junior league for players 19-and-under, the Western States Hockey Leauge, will host its inaugural homestand this weekend when the Arizona Bandits come calling.
The Lightning will host Arizona Saturday at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the Bountiful Recreation Center rink and at 11:30 a.m. Sunday at the Cottonwood Recreation Center rink.The WSHL, sanctioned by USA Hockey, sponsor of the U.S. Olympic team, was founded in July. Utah is one of six teams in the league. The rest of the teams and their home arenas: the Bandits (TBA), the Ventura (Calif.) Mariners (Easy Street Arena), San Jose (Calif.) Cobras (Ice Centre), Anaheim (Calif.) Jr. Ducks (Lake Arrowhead Ice Castle) and the Las Vegas Jr. Aces (Santa Fe Arena), who beat the Lightning in three games last week.
In the first round of games, the home teams all swept their series 3-0. Anaheim and Ventura are the early favorites to win the league.
Utah is coached by Gary Jones, who says the purpose of the league is to provide players with a way to continue playing after high school and to perhaps be seen by college scouts with the idea of gaining scholarships. Three team members are still in high school and also playing with their prep teams.
Of the 19 players on the roster, 15 are Utahns. Left wing Jon Kikel, who last played with the Utah Jr. C team, is team captain with defenseman Shawn Argyle of Ogden (Utah Blades) and right wing Theo Doubleday of Saratoga, N.Y., (Roanoake Jr. B) as assistant captains.
Tickets for Lightning games are $50 for the 15-game season, $10 for the three-game weekend series and $5 for individual games, $4 for students or seniors. For information on tickets or the team, call 467-2564.
LIGHTNING SCHEDULE
Oct. 22 - Arizona Bandits, 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., at Bountiful. Oct. 23 - Arizona Bandits, 11:30 a.m., Cottonwood. Nov. 4 - at Ventura Mariners. Nov. 5 - at Ventura Mariners. Nov. 6 - at Ventura Mariners. Nov. 19 - San Jose Cobras, 11 a.m., Cottonwood; 7 p.m., Bountiful. Nov. 20 - San Jose Cobras, 11:30 a.m., Cottonwood. Dec. 3 - at Anaheim Jr. Ducks Dec. 4 - at Anaheim Jr. Ducks.
Dec. 17 - Las Vegas Jr. Aces, 11 a.m., Cottonwood; 7 p.m., Bountiful. Dec. 18 - Las Vegas Jr. Aces, 11:30 a.m., Cottonwood. Jan. 7 - at San Jose Cobras Jan. 8 - at San Jose Cobras. Jan. 21 - Ventura Mariners, 11 a.m., Cottonwood. 7 p.m., Bountiful. Jan. ss - Ventura Mariners, 11:30 a.m., Cottonwood. Feb. 4 - at Arizona Bandits Feb. 5 - at Arizona Bandits. Feb. 25 - Anaheim Jr. Ducks, 11 a.m., Cottonwood; 7 p.m., Bountiful. Feb. 26 - Anaheim Jr. Ducks, 11:30 a.m., Cottonwood.