Printable 2010-11 Alaska Hockey Schedule
FAIRBANKS, AK – Alaska Nanooks head coach Dallas Ferguson announced the 2010-11 men's ice hockey schedule Thursday.
The program's 32nd NCAA hockey season includes 34 Division I games, including six against non-conference opponents and 28 against Central Collegiate Hockey Association foes.
Alaska will participate in two preseason exhibition contests, playing the annual Blue & Gold game on Sept. 25 and the University of Windsor Lancers on Sept. 30. Both games will be played on campus at the Patty Ice Arena.
The Nanooks will start the regular-season on the road at the Kendall Hockey Classic on Oct. 8-9, where they will face Air Force and North Dakota and hope to claim their third straight title in the event hosted by Alaska Anchorage.
The following weekend (Oct. 15-16) Alaska will contend for their second straight Brice Alaska Goal Rush title, when Colorado College, Union and UAA visit the Carlson Center.
“All of the teams we will face in the tournaments were either in the NCAA tournament last year or were in contention to be,” said Ferguson. “It is a great way to kick off our season and get ready for conference play.”
Alaska's 16th CCHA season sees the Blue and Gold sharing a five-team cluster with Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Ferris State.
“This will be one of the most challenging schedules we've had since I've been associated with the program as a coach,” Ferguson added. “With three Big 10 schools in our cluster and Ferris State coming off the season they had last year we are really going to have to focus on being successful against our clustermates.”
They open conference play on the road at Michigan State (Oct. 22-23), before hosting back-to-back series against Bowling Green (Oct. 29-30) and Michigan (Nov. 5-6).
The Nanooks will alternate away and home weekends for the three series that follow, visiting Miami on Nov. 12-13 and hosting Northern Michigan on Nov. 19-20 before heading to Columbus to face Ohio State Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 26-27).
Alaska closes out the first half of its schedule with its only two games in December on the road at Ferris State, Dec. 10-11.
Jumping into 2011 and the second half of the conference schedule, Alaska will host a series against Western Michigan on Jan. 7-8 and then venture to Notre Dame the next weekend (Jan. 14-15).
“We normally are on a two week road trip at the beginning of January so I like that we are playing at home after the break because it means we are on the road for less time and will have a normal travel schedule the following week,” Ferguson said.
They will close out January at Michigan on Jan. 21-22 and then at home against Ohio State Jan. 28-29.
The final month of the regular-season will see the Blue and Gold play five of eight contests at the Carlson Center, starting with Ferris State (Feb. 4-5). After visiting Lake Superior State on Feb. 11-12, Alaska will host its final CCHA home series Feb. 18-19 as Michigan State makes the trek to the 49th state.
The battle for instate bragging rights will go down in the final weekend of February (25-26) as the Nanooks and the Seawolves meet for a home-and-home series to decide the Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup's 18th champion. The Blue and Gold will look to retain the Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup for the seventh time in the last ten seasons and tenth overall.
“We play five games at home in February when the hunt for points in the standings is tight, which makes for good preparation for the playoffs,” said Ferguson.
Hockey season ticket renewal forms were sent out in May and packages for new season ticket holders will go on sale August 2. For more information about season ticket packages and pricing, please call the UAF Ticket Office at 907-474-5977.
