ORONO — The 2012-2013 UMaine men’s ice hockey schedule released today, featuring eighteen games at Alfond Arena, the 2012 Ice Breaker Tournament and the 2012 Florida College Classic.
The season will officially start Saturday, October 6, and Maine will host the Quinnipiac. The Black Bears will then play an exhibition game with New Brunswick the following day on the 7.
The Black Bears will head to Kansas City for the 2012-2013 Ice Breaker Tournament, facing Notre Dame the first night, then taking on either Army or Nebraska-Omaha the second night.
St. Lawrence will travel up to Maine for a pair of games on October 19 and 20. Then the Black Bears play their first Hockey East game of the season in Providence on October 26 and 27. Maine will come back home again to host the 2012 defending National Champion Boston College on November 2, followed by Black Bear arch-rival New Hampshire on November 4. Maine will head to UMass Lowell on November 9 and 10, and then will host UMass on November 16. Vermont will come to Maine for a weekend series November 30 and December 1. The first semester will end with the Black Bears heading to Boston University on December 8.
On December 28 the Black Bears will return to the 2012 Florida College Classic where they will face Minnesota-Duluth in a rematch of the 2012 NCAA Tournament fame on December 28. Maine will then face either Cornell or 2012 Frozen Four participant Ferris State the following evening.
January will begin with a series against Mercyhurst. January 4 will a game will be played at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, while Saturday’s game will be played at Alfond Arena. Maine will travel to Northeastern and Merrimack January 11 and 12. After three-straight games with Merrimack, Maine’s 2012 Hockey East quarterfinal opponent, the Black Bears will welcome to warriors on January 18 and 19. January ends with a trip to Boston College on January 26 and 25.
In February, Maine will host Providence on the 1, and then UMass Lowell on February 3. The Black Bears will travel to Vermont for one game with the Catamounts on February 9 before returning to Boston University for a pair of games. UMass will come to Alfond Arena to end February on the 22 and 23.
For senior week, March 1 and 2, Maine will host Northeastern. Prior to the game on Saturday night, Maine’s senior class will be honored for their accomplishments throughout the previous four years.
The regular season ends with a trip to rival New Hampshire on March 8 and 9. The Hockey East quarterfinals are scheduled for March 15-17, and the semifinals will be held on March 22, followed by the championship on March 23 at the T.D. Bank Garden in Boston.
Maine, coming off of an appearance in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, boasts 17 returning letter winners from last years squad. Captain Mole Cornell of Franklin, Mass., Joey Diamond of Long Beach, New York, and Mark Nemec of Rouses Point, New York, are notable returning athletes expected to make a big impact during the upcoming season. Diamond led all Black Bears in goals last year with 25.
Also returning is junior goaltender Dan Sullican of York, Pennsylvania, who was 22-11-3 last year with 2.59 goals against average and a .909 save percentage.
Season tickets are now on sale and can be purchased by calling the Black Bear Ticket Office at 207-581-BEAR. Seat assignments for new season tickets will take place after the renewal process, which is ongoing through July, is complete.
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