Lakehead Thunderwolves basketball heads back to the court after year-long pandemic delay

Lakehead Thunderwolves women's basketball captain Tiffany Reynolds says she's excited to take to the Thunderdome court on Friday night.

"There's this energy that just makes you feel really good about yourself," Reynolds said. "The crowd's always going to be there for you, and it just makes your game better."

But the nerves are pretty high, she said, because it'll be her first time playing a regular season game in front of a home crowd in more than 18 months. The team played a pair of non-conference, pre-season games in Thunder Bay earlier in October.

While most of the university varsity winter sports were winding down as COVID-19 restrictions were being put in place, the pandemic forced Ontario University Athletics (OUA) to cancel the entirety of the 2020-2021 season.

That's what makes the hometown return so thrilling, Reynolds added.

"You can see them cheering for us, and it's like a really big family that's watching us play, so we get energized from that."

For Mariah MacFarlane, she'll actually be playing in front of her family and friends. The forward graduated from St. Ignatius High School in Thunder Bay, and her family will be making the trip along the Lake Superior shore from Marathon to watch her play.

"They're definitely excited to come and see some actual play. And I think a lot of families are going to be really excited to watch a lot of their kids and friends play," MacFarlane said. "It's just so nice to see familiar faces in the stands and talk to people after the games."

It's the energy that you can only get from a live crowd that has team head coach Jon Kreiner excited.

"Just the energy of playing in that environment, not just the fans but the Thunderdome itself … it's almost like walls are right up on top of you and the fans are right up on top of you," he said.

The women's basketball team is also a relatively young squad, Kreiner said, adding he's looking forward to seeing the first-year players compete on their home court for the first time in a regular season game.

But the team, which sports an 0-2 record after a pair of road losses last week against McMaster, faces a tough task against a nationally ranked foe — the No. 7 Brock Badgers.

Reynolds said with the home crowd behind them, she's confident.

"I think they're beatable. I think we have a really good chance if we all just work hard and play good, solid defense," Reynolds said.