2010-11 Schedule
The Northeastern men’s hockey program released its 2010-11 schedule as announced by head coach
Greg Cronin on Monday, including a 27-game Hockey East slate, five non-conference tilts, a pair of Beanpot battles and one exhibition game.
Cronin will guide the Huskies’ out onto the Matthews Arena sheet, in its 100th year of existence, for 17 regular season games and 14 road fixtures. Northeastern will take part in three neutral games, including the two Beanpot matchups at the TD Garden and a meeting with Niagara at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn.
Last season, the Huskies battled through a 34-game schedule and turned in a 16-16-2 record. Even though the Huskies were bounced from the 2010 Hockey East Tournament, missing out by the narrowest of margins in the tightest playoff race in league history, Northeastern is in the midst of history. In the Huskies previous three seasons, NU has racked up 16, 25 and 16 wins, respectively in descending order: the highest three-season total (57) in program history. The next highest mark is 54 wins over the span of three seasons, which occurred twice from 1981-84 and 1987-90.
The Huskies return three of their four top scorers from last season, including seniors
Wade MacLeod (14-16-30) and
Tyler McNeely (12-16-28) and sophomore
Garrett Vermeersch (5-18-23). Sophomore netminder
Chris Rawlings returns to the lineup after a stellar freshman campaign that earned him runner-up for the Hockey East Rookie of the Year award.
The first game contested at the century-old Matthews Arena will take place on Saturday, Oct. 2 against Acadia (Wolfville, Nova Scotia) (7 p.m.) as an exhibition bout.
The Huskies waste no time in getting Hockey East action underway when they travel to Providence to open the regular season at Schneider Arena on Friday, Oct. 8 (7 p.m.) Northeastern did not lose to the Friars last season, posting two wins and a draw.
The following night, NU welcomes in the 2010 national champion Boston College Eagles on Saturday, Oct. 9 (7 p.m.) to kick off the regular season home slate. Northeastern dispatched the Eagles, 3-2, at home on Feb. 19. The Huskies were the last team to defeat BC before it reeled off a 13-game unbeaten streak to capture the title in Detroit.
Northeastern will then host Rensselaer (RPI) on Friday, Oct. 15 (7 p.m.) for the first non-conference bout of the year. The last time the two clubs met, NU topped RPI, 5-1, on Nov. 29, 2008 as part of the RPI Tournament.
Hockey East action resumes at home against New Hampshire on Friday, Oct. 22 (7 p.m.) followed by a trip to Tsongas Arena to tangle with UMass Lowell on Saturday, Oct. 23 (7 p.m.).
A pair of squads from the Atlantic Hockey conference in Holy Cross and Bentley takes to Matthews Arena on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 29-30 (7 p.m.). The Huskies have never lost to either program, owning a 4-1-0 advantage over the Crusaders and a 2-0-0 mark against the Falcons.
On Friday, Nov. 6, Northeastern and Niagara meet up at the XL Center as part of a special college hockey showcase. Not only does an exciting venue amp up this game, but it also marks the first time the Huskies and Purple Eagles have ever played. Game time is TBD.
A two-game set in Orono, Maine awaits NU following its trip back from Hartford on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 12-13 (7 p.m.). The next weekend, NU returns to Providence on Friday, Nov. 19 with the backend to be contested at Matthews Arena on Saturday, Nov. 20 (7 p.m.).
Just as Vermont made the voyage to Boston the day after Thanksgiving last season, Northeastern returns the favor this year with a trip to Burlington on Friday, Nov. 26 (7 p.m.).
The month of December only has three games in store for the Huskies, including a home-and-home series with Merrimack on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 3-4 (7 p.m.). Northeastern plays its final game of 2010 at Agganis Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 8 against Boston University (7 p.m.).
Northeastern lifts the lid on 2011 for one game at Massachusetts on Friday, Jan. 7 (7 p.m.). The Huskies swept the Minutemen in their final home-and-home series of the season, outscoring UMass, 8-3. The River Hawks make their first trip to Matthews Arena the following night on Saturday, Jan. 8 (7 p.m.), initiating a six-game homestand.
January rolls on with a two-game showdown against the Catamounts on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 14-15 (7 p.m.) trailed by a Wednesday night affair against Harvard on Jan 19 (7 p.m.). It marks the first time the Huskies and Crimson have collided outside the Beanpot Tournament since Dec. 19, 1999. All three of those games are at home.
NU concludes its series with Maine at home on Saturday, Jan. 22 (7 p.m.) with a home-and-home fixture with Massachusetts slotted for Friday and Saturday, Jan. 28-29. The Huskies close out their series with Merrimack on Friday, Feb. 4 (7 p.m.) at home.
The conclusion of the Merrimack series leads NU to the first Monday of February, marking a first-round matchup with Harvard in the 59th annual Beanpot Tournament at the TD Garden on Feb. 7. NU and HU will do battle in the 5 p.m. time slot. The winner of the first-round contest will meet the winner of the BU-BC tilt the following Monday. Sandwiched in between the two Beanpot games is a Friday-night bout at UMass Lowell on Feb. 11.
Friday and Saturday, Feb. 18-19, pits NU and BC in a home-and-home series starting at Conte Forum (7 p.m.). The Saturday night game will be contested at Matthews Arena at 7:30 p.m. Northeastern makes its first trip to Durham, N.H. on Friday, Feb. 25 before concluding the series at home on Saturday, Feb. 26 (7 p.m.). Just as the 2009-10 schedule played out, Northeastern and Boston University finish the regular season with a home-and-home, starting at Matthews Arena on Friday, March 4. The final regular season game of 2010-11 will take place on Saturday, March 5 at BU (7 p.m.).
The quarterfinal round of the Hockey East playoffs is scheduled for Friday-Sunday, March 11-13.
All game times are subject to change pending release of a television schedule.
For ticket information, please call the Northeastern University ticket office at 617-373-4700 and visit GoNU.com for all the latest updates on Huskies hockey.