Re: Maine Hockey 2013-2014 - Red White Bleeding Blue...
The 2014-15 Maine hockey schedule has NOT been released yet. This represents a best guess based on a few things.
THIS IS NOT OFFICIAL
First, I reverse engineered the Hockey East schedule from last year and added in the dates we already know.
I put two games at Lowell on the weekend Maine hosted Lowell and put UConn in Alfond on the January bye week from this past season.
For the three remaining series I guessed based on 1) The home/road split 2) other teams' availability 3) the B1G/HEA challenge 4) Conversations I have had with reporters and other Hockey East cognoscenti.
This is what I came up with:
10/04/14 Canadian Exhibition
10/10/14 @Alaska-Anchorage %&
10/11/14 v Alaska %&
10/17/14 @Union ^
10/18/14 @Union ^
10/24/14 Alaska-Anchorage %
10/25/14 Alaska-Anchorage %
10/31/14 Massachusetts *
11/01/14 Massachusetts *
11/07/14 @Vermont *
11/08/14 @Vermont *
11/15/14 @Boston University *
11/17/14 Boston University *
11/23/14 @Boston College *
11/28/14 Canisius
11/29/14 Canisius
12/05/14 @Lowell *
12/06/14 @Lowell *
12/12/14 v New Hampshire (Portland) %
12/13/14 v New Hampshire (Manchester) %
01/02/15 @Penn State
01/03/15 @Penn State
01/09/15 Colgate
01/10/15 Colgate
01/16/15 Boston College *
01/23/15 New Hampshire %*
01/24/15 @New Hampshire %*
01/30/15 Connecticut *
01/31/15 Connecticut *
02/06/15 Notre Dame *
02/07/15 Notre Dame *
02/13/15 @Merrimack *
02/14/15 @Merrimack *
02/20/15 Northeastern *
02/21/15 Northeastern *
02/27/15 @Providence *
02/28/15 @Providence *
% - Game is scheduled
^ - Known games, location and dates unknown
& - Exempt
* - Hockey East games
I think the games @Union are pretty easy to see in October after the team returns from Alaska. A flight to a B1G team would not make sense as it would be two weeks in a row on a plane. Not likely. Furthermore, Union is already playing in the UConn holiday tournament and at Boston University on January 3, which precludes them from playing Maine at that time. They also have ECAC games January 9-10 so they can't play then. The only other available dates are November 28-29. It is possible the AHA games (Canisius) could change dates with the Union games.
As noted above, Canisius is a likely opponent from the AHA. However, every team but Robert Morris and RIT have games available.
Based on the previously announced B1G/HEA challenge, Maine's opponent will be Penn State, Ohio State or Michigan State. Looking at what other teams are already playing Hockey East opposition, Penn State is the most likely opponent.
The final opponent is a crap shoot. However, a team from the ECAC at home is the most likely opponent Maine can schedule. A second series against an AHA team would be very disappointing and teams out west already have most schedules full. Of the ECAC teams, Brown, Colgate, Dartmouth and St Lawrence have available NC games. I am guessing Colgate at home this year and Maine returns a weekend after hosting the Icebreaker in 2015-16 to help Colgate open their new arena.
Also, the Boston College games could be played on one weekend, most likely 1/16 and 1/18. 11/22 and 11/24 would mean Maine would play the Boston teams on consecutive weeks (which has happened before but remains unlikely).
This schedule would give Maine 17 home games, plus the New Hampshire game in Portland. Maine's split would be 17/16/3. This year's home schedule would feature Alaska-Anchorage and Notre Dame making their first appearances in Alfond for a generation (1990 and 1991 respectively). The 2015-16 home slate would feature Penn State and defending champion Union, in addition to the Hockey East opponents and the Icebreaker in Portland.
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