Michigan Tech releases hockey schedule

Courtesy of MTU Athletics

HOUGHTON, Mich.- 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 the 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 UP 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.