Class of 1965 Arena’s Inaugural Season Features 16 Home Matchups
Colgate Men’s Hockey Coach Don Vaughan announced Wednesday the Raiders’ 34-game slate for the 2016-17 season.
The Raiders begin their 24th season under Vaughan and their first inside the Class of 1965 Arena on Oct. 1, taking on Army West Point. Colgate hosts Boston University, Connecticut and Maine in the remainder of October, with one road trip to face Merrimack in a two-game series Oct. 21-22.
“The non-conference portion of this schedule poses a great test for our young team, starting with Army and the grand opening of the new Class of 1965 Arena,” Vaughan said. “We round out the month with four of six at home against some excellent Hockey East teams.”
November begins a tough ECAC schedule for Colgate, which opens conference play at Harvard on Nov. 4. The Raiders continue on the road for a three-game stretch before returning to Hamilton on Nov. 18 to face Princeton. Colgate matches up against Quinnipiac, runner-up in the national championship just a season ago Nov. 19.
Colgate takes a break from league play toward the end of November, facing 2015 national champion Providence on Nov. 26. The Raiders then take on rival Cornell at home Nov. 29 to round out the month.
“Every year is exciting, but this one has added meaning as we open the Class of 1965 Arena and the Steven J. Riggs Rink,” Vaughn said. “We will be ready and we hope our fans are too.”
December Trips to Arizona State, Dartmouth
The team is slated for a trip to Tempe, Ariz., to face Arizona State in just its second varsity season to begin the month of December. After a brief winter break, the Raiders travel to Hanover, N.H., on Dec. 30-31 to take part in the Dartmouth Tournament, featuring UMass Lowell, Army and Dartmouth.
The Raiders play 15 straight conference games to complete the 2016-17 season, featuring a four-game home stretch against St. Lawrence, Clarkson, Dartmouth and Harvard to close out January.
“Scheduling is always a challenge, especially when we lock in non-conference games three and four years out,” Vaughan said. “Each and every game is a battle, but none more so than the games we play in the conference. ECAC Hockey is the most competitive league in the country.”
Senior Day is Feb. 25 against RPI.
The ECAC playoff format once again encompasses all 12 teams, with the top four seeds receiving byes in the first round. The first and second rounds consist of a best-of-three series, while the semifinals and championship are single elimination games. The 2017 championship takes place once again at the 1980 Rink – Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid.
2016-17 Colgate Men’s Hockey Schedule
- Oct. 1 ARMY WEST POINT, 7 p.m.
- Oct. 8 BOSTON UNIVERSITY, 6 p.m.
- Oct. 14 CONNECTICUT, 7 p.m.
- Oct. 21 at Merrimack, 7:30 p.m.
- Oct. 22 at Merrimack, 7:30 p.m.
- Oct. 28 MAINE, 7 p.m.
- Oct. 29 MAINE, 7 p.m.
- Nov. 4 at Harvard, 7 p.m.
- Nov. 5 at Dartmouth, 7 p.m.
- Nov. 11 at Yale, 7 p.m.
- Nov. 12 at Brown, 4 p.m.
- Nov. 18 PRINCETON, 7 p.m.
- Nov. 19 QUINNIPIAC, 7 p.m.
- Nov. 26 at Providence, 7 p.m.
- Nov. 29 CORNELL, 7 p.m.
- Dec. 2 at Arizona State, 7:30 p.m. Mountain
- Dec. 3 at Arizona State, 7:30 p.m. Mountain
- Dec. 30 vs. UMass Lowell at Dartmouth Tournament, 4 p.m.
- Dec. 31 vs. TBA at Dartmouth Tournament, TBA
- Jan. 13 at Quinnipiac, 7 p.m.
- Jan. 14 at Princeton, 7 p.m.
- Jan. 20 ST. LAWRENCE, 7 p.m.
- Jan. 21 CLARKSON, 7 p.m.
- Jan. 27 DARTMOUTH, 7 p.m.
- Jan. 28 DARTMOUTH, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 3 at RPI, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 4 at Union, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 7 at Cornell, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 10 BROWN, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 11 YALE, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 17 at Clarkson, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 18 at St. Lawrence, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 24 UNION, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 25 RPI, 7 p.m.