HOUGHTON -- (Courtesy of MTU Athletics) The Michigan Tech hockey team will play a 35-game schedule in 2012-13 that will include 17 home dates and 28 WCHA contests.
Highlights of the schedule include: home-and-home series against both Upper Peninsula rivals, Lake Superior State and Northern Michigan; the 47th annual Great Lakes Invitational, which will be played outdoors at Detroit’s Comerica Park Dec. 27-28; the Huskies’ annual Winter Carnival series Feb. 8-9; and 12 games against teams that were in last year’s NCAA Tournament field.
Tech’s 92nd season of intercollegiate hockey will begin Oct. 6 with an exhibition against Brock University of St. Catherines, Ont. The regular season will start Thursday, Oct. 11, at Upper Peninsula rival Lake Superior State. The Lakers return for a game two days later in Houghton.
Tech’s WCHA schedule opens with defending MacNaughton Cup champion Minnesota coming to the MacInnes Student Ice Arena Oct. 19-20.
Other league home series will be Nebraska Omaha (Nov. 2-3), Minnesota Duluth (Nov. 30-Dec. 1), North Dakota (Dec. 14-15), Bemidji State (Jan. 18-19), Alaska Anchorage (Feb. 8-9) and Colorado College (Mar. 8-9).
Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan will play two mid-week contests—one in Marquette on Tuesday, Dec. 4, and the other in Houghton on Tuesday, Feb. 12.
The Huskies’ WCHA road series will be at Denver (Oct. 26-27), Bemidji State (Nov. 16-17), Wisconsin (Dec. 7-8), Minnesota Duluth (Jan. 11-12), Nebraska Omaha (Feb. 1-2), Minnesota State (Feb. 15-16) and St. Cloud State (Mar. 1-2).
“This will be a challenging schedule,” said head coach Mel Pearson. “The WCHA will again be very strong from top to bottom, and we’re looking forward to our non-conference games. It’s important to continue to play our U.P. rivals.
“Having been part of three outdoor games in the past, I know the GLI will be a unique experience for our players and a fun event for our fans and alumni.”
Michigan Tech will play Michigan Dec. 27 in the GLI semifinal, then face either Michigan State or Western Michigan the following day.
All three of those teams, plus Minnesota, Denver, Minnesota Duluth and North Dakota were in the NCAA Tournament a year ago.
Michigan Tech returns 21 players from last year’s team that went 16-19-4 and advanced to the WCHA Final Five.
Michigan Tech Mens Hockey Schedule 2012-2013:
Sat, Oct 06 Brock University (Ontario) - Exhibition Houghton, Mich. 7:07 p.m.
Thu, Oct 11 Lake Superior State at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. 7:05 p.m.Sat, Oct 13 Lake Superior State Houghton, Mich. 7:07 p.m.
Fri, Oct 19 Minnesota * Houghton, Mich. 7:07 p.m.
Sat, Oct 20 Minnesota * Houghton, Mich. 7:07 p.m.
Fri, Oct 26 Denver * at Denver, Colo. 9:37 p.m.
Sat, Oct 27 Denver * at Denver, Colo. 9:07 p.m.
Fri, Nov 02 Nebraska Omaha * Houghton, Mich. 7:07 p.m.
Sat, Nov 03 Nebraska Omaha * Houghton, Mich. 7:07 p.m.
Fri, Nov 16 Bemidji State * at Bemidji, Minn. 8:37 p.m.
Sat, Nov 17 Bemidji State * at Bemidji, Minn. 8:07 p.m.
Fri, Nov 30 Minnesota Duluth * Houghton, Mich. 7:07 p.m.
Sat, Dec 01 Minnesota Duluth * Houghton, Mich. 7:07 p.m.
Tue, Dec 04 Northern Michigan at Marquette, Mich. 7:35 p.m.
Fri, Dec 07 Wisconsin * at Madison, Wis. 8:07 p.m.
Sat, Dec 08 Wisconsin * at Madison, Wis. 8:07 p.m.
Fri, Dec 14 North Dakota * Houghton, Mich. 7:07 p.m.
Sat, Dec 15 North Dakota * Houghton, Mich. 7:07 p.m.
Great Lakes Invitational:
Thu, Dec 27 Michigan at Detroit, Mich. (Comerica Park) TBA
Fri, Dec 28 Michigan State/Western Michigan at Detroit, Mich. (Comerica Park) TBA
Fri, Jan 11 Minnesota Duluth * at Duluth, Minn. 8:07 p.m.
Sat, Jan 12 Minnesota Duluth * at Duluth, Minn. 8:07 p.m.
Fri, Jan 18 Bemidji State * Houghton, Mich. 7:07 p.m.
Sat, Jan 19 Bemidji State * Houghton, Mich. 7:07 p.m.
Fri, Feb 01 Nebraska Omaha * at Omaha, Neb. 8:37 p.m.
Sat, Feb 02 Nebraska Omaha * at Omaha, Neb. 8:07 p.m.
Winter Carnival:
Fri, Feb 08 Alaska Anchorage * Houghton, Mich. 7:07 p.m.
Sat, Feb 09 Alaska Anchorage * Houghton, Mich. 5:07 p.m.
Tue, Feb 12 Northern Michigan Houghton, Mich. 7:07 p.m.
Fri, Feb 15 Minnesota State * at Mankato, Minn. 8:37 p.m.
Sat, Feb 16 Minnesota State * at Mankato, Minn. 8:07 p.m.
Fri, Mar 01 St. Cloud State * at St. Cloud, Minn. 8:37 p.m.
Sat, Mar 02 St. Cloud State * at St. Cloud, Minn. 8:07 p.m.
Fri, Mar 08 Colorado College * Houghton, Mich. 7:07 p.m.
Sat, Mar 09 Colorado College * Houghton, Mich. 7:07 p.m.