Today Hockey East released its 2011-12 men's ice hockey schedule. After the long offseason wait that included having to piece together bits and pieces of the schedule, hockeyeastonline.com has the entire Boston College schedule up on their site.
Here are the highlights on this year's sched:
Ice Breaker. This year's non-conference schedule is one of the most challenging in recent memory. The Eagles will participate in three of college hockey's premier tournaments over the course of the year. The season starts on October 7 out in Grand Forks, N.D. against Michigan State in the 2011 Ice Breaker. The Eagles will then play either Air Force or North Dakota in the Ice Breaker's second game the following day, October 8.
Great Lakes Invitational. The Eagles will hit the road for Detroit over the holiday break to participate in the 2011 Great Lakes Invitational. BC draws perennial power Michigan in the opener and will face either Michigan State (again) or Michigan Tech in the second game.
Beanpot. Thankfully it's not one of those awkward years where Boston College and Boston University face off in the first round of the annual Beanpot Tournament. The Eagles will face the Northeastern Huskies in the first round and either Boston University or Harvard in the Championship / Consolation round.
Other Non-Conference Games. The Eagles home opener is on Friday, October 14 against the Denver Pioneers. BC will hit the road for two other challenging non-conference games against Notre Dame (November 18, the day before the BC-Notre Dame football game) and Yale (November 26).
Hockey East. BC's Hockey East title defense will start straight away with a big road game in Durham against the UNH Wildcats. The fall 2011 Hockey East schedule is pretty difficult, including a road game at UNH, all three games against Boston University and a home game against Maine. If the Eagles can navigate a very difficult October and November stretch, the second half of the year should be much more manageable with weekend series against Merrimack, Providence and Vermont to end the regular season.
Thoughts / reactions to the schedule? Full schedule after the jump.
2011-2012 Boston College men's ice hockey schedule
Day | Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
---|---|---|---|
Fri | 10/7/2011 | vs. Michigan State | 5:07 p.m. |
Sat | 10/8/2011 | vs. Air Force / North Dakota | TBA |
Fri | 10/14/2011 | vs. DENVER | 7:00 p.m. |
Sat | 10/15/2011 | at New Hampshire | 7:00 p.m. |
Fri | 10/21/2011 | vs. MASSACHUSETTS | 7:00 p.m. |
Sat | 10/22/2011 | at Northeastern | 7:00 p.m. |
Fri | 10/28/2011 | at UMass Lowell | 7:00 p.m. |
Sat | 10/29/2011 | vs. UMASS LOWELL | 7:00 p.m. |
Fri | 11/4/2011 | vs. MAINE | 7:00 p.m. |
Sat | 11/5/2011 | at Massachusetts | 7:00 p.m. |
Fri | 11/11/2011 | vs. NORTHEASTERN | 7:00 p.m. |
Sun | 11/13/2011 | vs. BOSTON UNIVERSITY | 7:00 p.m. |
Fri | 11/18/2011 | at Notre Dame | 7:35 p.m. |
Sat | 11/26/2011 | at Yale | 7:00 p.m. |
Fri | 12/2/2011 | vs. BOSTON UNIVERSITY | 7:00 p.m. |
Sat | 12/3/2011 | at Boston University | 7:00 p.m. |
Tue | 12/6/2011 | vs. PROVIDENCE | 7:00 p.m. |
Fri | 12/9/2011 | at UMass Lowell | 7:00 p.m. |
Thu | 12/29/2011 | vs. Michigan | TBA |
Fri | 12/30/2011 | vs. Michigan State / Michigan Tech | TBA |
Sun | 1/8/2012 | vs. MERRIMACK | 1:00 p.m. |
Fri | 1/13/2012 | at Massachusetts | 7:00 p.m. |
Sat | 1/14/2012 | vs. NORTHEASTERN | 7:00 p.m. |
Fri | 1/20/2012 | at Maine | 7:00 p.m. |
Sat | 1/21/2012 | at Maine | 7:00 p.m. |
Fri | 1/27/2012 | vs. NEW HAMPSHIRE | 7:00 p.m. |
Sat | 1/28/2012 | at New Hampshire | 7:00 p.m. |
Mon | 2/6/2012 | vs. Northeastern | TBA |
Fri | 2/10/2012 | at Vermont | 7:00 p.m. |
Mon | 2/13/2012 | vs. Harvard /Boston University | 4:30 p.m./7:30 p.m. |
Fri | 2/17/2012 | vs. MERRIMACK | 7:00 p.m. |
Sat | 2/18/2012 | at Merrimack | 7:00 p.m. |
Fri | 2/24/2012 | at Providence | 7:00 p.m. |
Sat | 2/25/2012 | vs. PROVIDENCE | 7:00 p.m. |
Fri | 3/2/2012 | vs. VERMONT | 7:00 p.m. |
Sat | 3/3/2012 | vs. VERMONT | 7:00 p.m. |