Let the season begin: Northern Michigan University announces revised hockey schedule set to begin Nov. 25
NMU hockey schedule
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Revised & announced Wednesday
Game times to be announced except as noted
HOME GAMES/SERIES IN BOLD AND ALL CAPITALS
* WCHA game/series
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Wed., Nov. 25 LAKE SUPERIOR ST.
Fri., Nov. 27 MICHIGAN TECH
Sat., Nov. 28 at Michigan Tech, 6 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 2 *at Lake Superior St.
Fri.-Sat., Dec. 4-5 BEMIDJI ST.
Fri.-Sat., Dec. 11-12 at Minn St.-Mankato
Fri., Dec. 18 at Michigan Tech, 7 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 19 MICHIGAN TECH
Fri.-Sat., Jan. 1-2 *MINN ST.-MANKATO
Fri.-Sat., Jan. 8-9 *at Alaska-Fairbanks
Fri.-Sat., Jan. 15-16 *ALASKA-ANCHORAGE
Fri.-Sat., Jan. 22-23 *at Alabama-Huntsville
Fri.-Sat., Jan. 29-30 *FERRIS STATE
Fri., Feb. 5 *at Lake Superior State
Fri.-Sat., Feb. 12-13 *at Bemidji St.
Fri.-Sat., Feb. 19-20 *BOWLING GREEN ST.
Fri., Feb. 26 *at Michigan Tech, 7 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 27
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MARQUETTE — The waiting game is finally over.
After Northern Michigan University hockey players, coaches and fans wondered if there was even going to be a season this fall, the WCHA released its official revised schedule on Wednesday afternoon.
The schedule is subject to change if conditions warrant it, and an announcement on fan attendance at the Berry Events Center will be released at a later date.
All games will be available online at FloHockey.tv.
The Wildcats will play 27 games, all against conference teams, though only 18 of them count in the WCHA standings.
NMU opens on Wednesday, Nov. 25, the night before Thanksgiving, at home with a single nonconference game against Lake Superior State. This will be followed by a nonconference home-and-home series against Michigan Tech that Friday and Saturday, Nov. 27-28. Northern will be at home for the Friday game.
Conference plays start with a single game at LSSU on Dec. 2 before finishing the rest of December with three more Friday-Saturday nonconference series. Northern hosts Bemidji State on Dec. 4-5, has a road series at Minnesota State-Mankato on Dec. 11-12 and then another home-and-home series with Tech on Dec. 18-19. The Wildcats will be at home Saturday.
The Wildcats get back to conference play in January with five traditional Friday-Saturday series. It opens on New Year’s Day with a home series against Minnesota State on Jan. 1-2, followed by a long road trip to Alaska-Fairbanks on Jan. 8-9. NMU comes back to Marquette for Jan. 15-16 to take on Alaska-Anchorage before heading to Alabama-Huntsville on Jan. 22-23. Northern closes out the month at home against Ferris State on Jan. 29-30.
NMU plays another single game at Lake State on Feb. 5, then completes the month and the regular season with three more Friday-Saturday league series. It’s out to Bemidji State on Feb. 12-13, back home with a series against Bowling Green State on Feb. 19-20 and finally another home-and-home set with MTU on Feb. 26-27 with the Saturday game being played at the Berry.
The WCHA has set aside the following weekend, March 5-6, as an open week in case any makeup games need to be played before the league tournament starts.
The format for the WCHA Tournament is still being determined, but the plan is to start it the weekend of March 12-13 and wrap up March 19-20. The winner of the tournament will receive the Jeff Sauer WCHA Championship trophy and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
In a simultaneous release of Michigan Tech’s hockey schedule, the Huskies announced they open the season on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 21-22, at Lake Superior State, the weekend before their first home-and-home with NMU, and host Alaska-Fairbanks for Winter Carnival on Feb. 5-6.
Ryan Stieg can be reached at 906-288-2500, ext. 252. His email address is rstieg@miningjournal.net.