The Free Press
MANKATO —
The Minnesota State men’s hockey team will be racking up the frequent-flyer miles in October and November.
The university released the Mavericks’ 2010-11 schedule on Thursday, and a four-states-in-five-weeks road swing will be an early challenge.
The Mavericks will play no home games from Oct. 29 through the end of November, a five-week stretch that has them going to Alaska, Nebraska, Colorado and Massachusetts.
Minnesota State will open the season with a home exhibition game against British Columbia on Oct. 4. Four days later, on Oct. 8, they will play the first of two nonconference games against St. Lawrence of the ECAC Hockey conference.
After opening the Western Collegiate Hockey Association schedule Oct. 15-16 at Michigan Tech, MSU will return home to play Colorado College (Oct. 22-23) before embarking on an eight-game road swing that concludes Nov. 26-27 with a nonconference series against Hockey East member Massachusetts-Lowell.
After that, Minnesota State will return home for conference series against Minnesota (Dec. 3-4) and North Dakota (Dec. 10-11).
Other home opponents include: American International (Jan. 7-8), Denver (Jan. 14-15), Bemidji State (Feb. 4-5), Minnesota Duluth (Feb. 18-19) and Alaska-Anchorage (March 4-5).
Other road series include: Anchorage (Oct. 29-30), Nebraska-Omaha (Nov. 5-6), Denver (Nov. 12-13), Wisconsin (Jan. 21-22), St. Cloud State (Jan. 28-29) and Colorado College (Feb. 11-12).
The Mavericks will also play in Notre Dame’s Shillelagh Tournament in Chicago on Jan. 1-2, along with Boston University and Brown.
This will be the first season that Nebraska-Omaha and Bemidji State will be WCHA members.
Season tickets are now on sale through the MSU athletics office (507-389-6111). Single-game tickets will go on sale in October.
2010-11 MSU men’s hockey schedule
Oct. 4 British Columbia (exhibition)
Oct. 8-9 St. Lawrence
Oct. 15-16 Michigan Tech
Oct. 22-23 Colorado College
Oct. 29-30 Alaska Anchorage
Nov. 5-6 Nebraska-Omaha
Nov. 12-13 Denver
Nov. 26-27 Massachusetts-Lowell
Dec. 3-4 Minnesota
Dec. 10-11 North Dakota
Jan. 1-2 Shillelagh Tournament*
Jan. 7-8 American International
Jan. 14-15 Denver
Jan. 21-22 Wisconsin
Jan. 28-29 St. Cloud State
Feb. 4-5 Bemidji State
Feb. 11-12 Colorado College
Feb. 18-19 Minnesota Duluth
March 4-5 Alaska-Anchorage
March 11-13 WCHA tournament, first round
March 17-19 WCHA Final Five
home games in bold
* at Chicago, with Notre Dame (host), Boston University, Brown
