Hockey

UAA hockey team will go nearly two months without a home game in 2018-19

The UAA hockey team will go nearly two months without a home game in the upcoming season.

The Seawolves will play Bowling Green in a two-game home series on Nov. 9-10 at Sullivan Arena and won't play again in front of an Anchorage crowd until a Jan. 4-5 series against Lake Superior State.

UAA's schedule was announced Wednesday when the Western Collegiate Hockey Association unveiled its 2018-19 schedule.

Both Alaska schools are scheduled to open the season Oct. 6-7 against nonconference opponents.

UAA will host Colorado College of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference at Sullivan Arena, and UAF will head south for a series against independent Arizona State.

Neither Alaska team has scheduled a preseason exhibition game, other than the usual intrasquad scrimmages.

But that could change, said UAA sports information director Ian Marks.

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"It's probably 50-50" that an exhibition game will be added to UAA's schedule, Marks said. "It's kind of up in the air."

The reason: Both schools were searching for head coaches during the offseason, when coaches often set up exhibition contests.

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The 2018-19 season will mark the debut for new coaches at both schools. Matt Curley will take over at UAA, which was 4-28-4 last season, and Erik Largen is the new boss at UAF, which was 11-22-3 last season.

Marks said UAA has money in the hockey budget for an exhibition game — an expense often shared by the two Alaska schools. Last season, the Seawolves and Nanooks both played one game apiece against Simon Fraser of British Columbia before starting their regular seasons.

UAA and UAF will tangle six times in the annual Governor's Cup series. The series begins with home-and-home nonconference games Oct. 19 in Anchorage and Oct. 20 in Fairbanks. The remaining Governor's Cup games are part of the WCHA season — Feb. 8-9 in Fairbanks and March 1-2 in Anchorage.

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UAA's extended break from play at Sullivan Arena includes a trip to North Dakota for a nonconference series the week of Thanksgiving.

The long stretch without a home game also includes an open weekend on Nov. 30-Dec. 1 and the the usual two-week holiday break around Christmas and New Year's.

UAA schedule

Oct. 6-7 — Colorado College (NC)
Oct. 19 — UAF (NC)
Oct. 20 — at UAF (NC)
Oct. 26-27 — at Ferris State*
Nov. 2-3 — Bemidji State*
Nov. 9-10 — Bowling Green*
Nov. 16-17 — at Northern Michigan*
Nov. 23-24 — at North Dakota (NC)
Dec. 7-8 — at Minnesota State*
Dec. 14-15 — at Bemidji State*
Jan. 4-5 — Lake Superior State*
Jan. 11-12 — Northern Michigan*
Jan. 18-19 — at Alabama Huntsville*
Jan. 25-26 — Michigan Tech*
Feb. 8-9 — at UAF*
Feb. 15-16 — Ferris State*
Feb. 22-23 — at Michigan Tech*
March 1-2 — UAF*

UAF schedule

Sept. 22 — Blue vs. Gold, Patty Ice Arena

Oct. 6-7 — at Arizona State (NC)
Oct. 12-13 — vs. St. Cloud State (NC)
Oct. 19 — at UAA (NC)
Oct. 20 — UAA
Oct. 26-27 — at Minnesota State*
Nov. 9-10 — at Lake Superior State*
Nov. 16-17 — Alabama Huntsville*
Nov. 23-24 — at Michigan Tech*
Nov. 30-Dec. 1 — Ferris State*
Dec. 7-8 — Lake Superior State*
Jan. 4-5 — Northern Michigan*
Jan. 11-12 — at Bemidji State*
Jan. 18-19 — Bowling Green*
Jan. 25-26 — at Alabama Huntsville*
Feb. 8-9 — UAA*
Feb. 15-16 — at Bowling Green*
Feb. 22-23 — Minnesota State*
March 1-2 — at UAA*

* Denotes WCHA game; boldface denotes home game; (NC) denotes nonconference game

Beth Bragg

Beth Bragg wrote about sports and other topics for the ADN for more than 35 years, much of it as sports editor. She retired in October 2021. She's contributing coverage of Alaskans involved in the 2022 Winter Olympics.

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