Hakstol unveiled a schedule that features 35 regular season games, including 20 at home, 14 on the road, and a rare neutral-site tilt. With two home exhibition games also on the schedule, Sioux fans will have the opportunity to see UND play 22 home dates this season.
UND will open the regular season Oct. 7-8 when it plays host to the Ice Breaker Tournament, which will also feature Boston College, Michigan State and Air Force. The Sioux will face Air Force on Friday and either BC or MSU on Saturday. The tournament field boasts 14 NCAA championships, led by UND's seven.
In addition to the Ice Breaker tournament, UND's non-conference schedule will include home series against perennial national powers Maine (Oct. 14-15) and Harvard (Dec. 30-31).
The Sioux will also travel north to Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Jan. 7 for a single non-conference game against Clarkson at the MTS Centre, the home of the NHL's Winnipeg Jets. The game renews the series with the Golden Knights for the first time since UND's 1999-2000 national championship season.
Ticket information for the Winnipeg game will be released at a later date.
Also highlighting the home schedule are seven WCHA series. League rivals scheduled to visit Ralph Engelstad Arena in 2011-12 are St. Cloud State (Oct. 28-29), Colorado College (Nov. 25-26), Nebraska Omaha (Dec. 9-10), Minnesota (Jan. 13-14), Wisconsin (Jan. 27-28), Michigan Tech (Feb. 17-18) and Minnesota State (March 2-3).
The Nov. 25-26 WCHA series against CC will be featured as UND's annual Subway Holiday Classic weekend.
The Fighting Sioux will open the 2011-12 season with an exhibition game against the University of Regina on Oct. 1 at Engelstad Arena. UND will also host the Russian Red Stars in exhibition action on Dec. 17 to close out the first half of the schedule.
UND's road schedule includes WCHA series at Wisconsin (Oct. 21-22), Minnesota (Nov. 4-5), Bemidji State (Nov. 19-20), Alaska Anchorage (Dec. 2-3), St. Cloud State (Jan. 20-21), defending NCAA champion Minnesota Duluth (Feb. 10-11), and Denver (Feb. 24-25).
UND went 32-9-3 overall last season, capturing both the MacNaughton Cup and Broadmoor Trophy as WCHA regular season and playoff champions, as well as a five NCAA Frozen Four appearance in seven years.
Click HERE to view the entire 2011-12 men's hockey schedule.
~ Go Sioux ~
