The 2016-17 schedule for the men’s hockey team was released last week. The Tigers are set to face a number of tough opponents in a lineup that bears a strong resemblance to this past year’s stiff competition.
CC will kick off the year by hosting Mount Royal University on Oct. 2 in an exhibition game. The regular season opens with CC visiting the University of Massachusetts for the start of a string of matchups against Hockey East teams. The team will return to the Broadmoor World Arena following UMass to face UMass Lowell, Boston College, and the University of New Hampshire.
“I like that we start on the road,” said Head Coach Mike Haviland. “I think getting on the road will give us a chance to bond as a team right away.”
From the jump, the Tigers’ first few games look to be early tests for the team as they face a number of the East’s top schools.
“It becomes a really tough schedule week after week,” said Haviland. “The first six games are against Hockey East teams, two teams that were in the final eight, and one that was in the final four. It becomes a very tough schedule every weekend. The out of conference games are extremely tough.”
The Tigers will play a total of 11 games against teams that were in the NCAA tournament during the regular season, including defending champion North Dakota in late January.
“Any time you get a chance to play the defending national champs at home it’s something you get excited for.”
When asked if there were any matchups in particular he was looking forward to, Haviland mentioned North Dakota, Boston College, Boston University, and St. Cloud State, all of which are teams that made the tournament last year.
“Those are some top teams that you’re going to get a chance to see and they’re tough opponents,” Haviland said. “You have to be at the top of your game to beat those teams.”
A key piece of the schedule this year is the Florida College Hockey Classic, a tournament that takes place over winter break in Estero, Fla., from Dec. 28-29. Haviland sees the tournament as an opportunity to have the team focus on hockey, free from the distractions of school. Aside from games over Block Breaks, this will be the only time the Tigers play while not taking classes simultaneously.
“We play eight games where our team won’t have to go to school. That bodes well for us,” Haviland said, adding that “It’s tough to be a student athlete.”
Overall, the difficulty of the schedule is very close to that of last year. The Tigers will face a lot of tough competition, both in the NCHC and outside of the conference. The competition, however, should serve as a force to drive player development and hopefully build success for the team.
“I believe we can teach and need to teach and I think the schedule suits pretty well for us,” Haviland said, mentioning the changing role for younger players and their responsibility to step up in the absence of graduating seniors. “They have to elevate their game with the schedule. We need everyone on the team to elevate their game for us to be successful.”
Although hockey season is a while away, look forward to what should be another competitive year f Tigers.