MASON CITY, Iowa – Hockey coaches are used to changing their players on the fly during a game. Changing the schedule on the fly is something coaches are decidedly not used to doing.
In the age of COVID, though, it was almost inevitable that changes would need to be made, and the North Iowa Bulls are changing things up for this weekend. The Bulls’ games against Granite City for this weekend have been postponed, with makeup plans to be decided upon at a later date.
However, North Iowa will still host games this weekend, as the Carshield Under-18 AAA team makes its way to Mason City from the St. Louis area for a Friday night tilt. Carshield plays regularly in North American Prospects Hockey League events, and has 10 alumni currently on NCAA rosters. Nine other Carshield alumni are playing in the North American Tier 3 Hockey League this season.
Saturday’s game will pit the Bulls against an old nemesis nearby as the Rochester Grizzlies make their way to the Mason City Multipurpose Arena for a get-together with the Bulls. The two teams split their preseason contests in September, with each team winning its home game. North Iowa and Rochester were division rivals from 2015 to 2019 before going their separate ways and continued to play each other last season, but a restriction on non-divisional play due to COVID kept the teams off of each other’s regular-season schedules this year.
Both games are exhibition games, but are included for all season ticket holders. Single-game tickets are just $5 for all ages and will be available at the door on the night of the game. The puck drops both nights at 7:30 p.m.
Updated news and information on the North Iowa Bulls’ 10th Anniversary season are always available at www.northiowabulls.com, and by following the team’s social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.