WCHA RELEASE | WCHA Composite Schedule | Alaska Nanook Schedule (coming soon)
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – In accordance with the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), head coach Dallas Ferguson has announced the 2016-17 schedule for the Alaska Nanooks hockey team on Thursday. The season features a non-conference match-up against a former Nanook head coach, the annual Brice Alaska Goal Rush, a road series against an old Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) foe and the 28-game WCHA regular season schedule.
The Nanooks, who went 10-21-4 overall this past season (8-16-4 WCHA) and finished eighth in the league standings, made it to the WCHA postseason for the second time in program history (since joining the league in the 2013-14 season). Despite falling in two games to the Michigan Tech Huskies in the WCHA quarterfinals, the Nanooks claimed their fourth-straight Brice Alaska Goal Rush title and swept in-state rival Alaska Anchorage at home to receive their fourth-straight Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup, while simultaneously pushing the Seawolves out postseason contention.
This upcoming season, Alaska will have 16 home games and 17 road games with one neutral game at the beginning of the season. The Nanooks will kick-off their season with the annual Blue/Gold Game on Sept. 24 at the Patty Center, before hosting the Simon Fraser Clan at 3:07 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2 at the Carlson Center.
Due to only a three-team set-up, the Nanooks will open the 2016-17 regular season against in-state rival Alaska Anchorage on Saturday, Oct. 8. The meeting will not be counted as a WCHA contest. Following Saturday's game, the Nooks will take on former Alaska head coach Don Lucia (1987-93) and the University of Minnesota Gophers in Anchorage on Sunday, Oct. 9 at 4:30 p.m. The Seawolves will face the Gophers on Friday, Oct. 7; all games the weekend of Oct. 7-9 will take place at the Sullivan Arena.
"Our non-conference schedule is going to be very exciting," Ferguson said on Thursday. "Your non-conference schedule plays a huge part in your program's ability to get to the National Tournament. We are going to face some great teams and by having success against them, it's going to help up nationally."
Following the weekend in Anchorage, the Nanooks return home for the ninth annual Brice Alaska Goal Rush, as they host Canisius College and the University of Nebraska-Omaha on Oct. 14 and 15, respectively. Per usual, Alaska Anchorage will be the fourth participating team playing at 4:07 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, prior to the Nanook games slated for 7:07 p.m. All games for the Brice Alaska Goal Rush will be held at the Carlson Center.
Immediately following the BAGR, the Nanooks open up WCHA conference play by hosting the Minnesota State Mavericks for a two-game series Oct. 21-22. Last season, Alaska and Mankato only met each other on one occasion, with the Mavericks sweeping the Nanooks at home.
Closing out October, the Nanooks will hit the road for a two-game series in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan against the Lake Superior State Lakers on Oct. 28-29.
November will feature two home weekends and one road trip, as the Nooks host the Bemidji State Beavers Nov. 4-5 before hitting the road to Huntsville, Alabama to take on the Chargers Nov. 11-12. The Nooks will enjoy a bye-week Nov. 18-19 before hosting the reigning MacNaughton Cup champions Michigan Tech over Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 25-26) at the Carlson Center.
December will be a busy month for Alaska, as they head off to Mankato for a two-game series (Dec. 2-3) against the Minnesota State Mavericks. The Nanooks will then return home to the Carlson Center for a two-week homestay, hosting the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves for a two-game stint Dec. 9-10 before taking on the Bowling Green Falcons at the Carlson on Dec. 16-17.
Following the Christmas break, Alaska will travel to Indiana to face a former CCHA opponent, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for a two-game non-conference series on Saturday, Dec. 31 and Sunday, Jan. 1.
Unfortunately, January will not feature any home series for the Nanooks, as they face the Ferris State Bulldogs, the defending WCHA champions, in Big Rapids, Michigan on Jan. 13-14 before continuing on to Bowling Green, Ohio for a two-game series against the Falcons on Jan. 20-21.
Alaska will open up the month of February at home, hosting the Alabama-Huntsville Chargers at the Carlson Center on Feb. 3-4 before heading to Marquette, Michigan to take on the Northern Michigan Wildcats Feb. 10-11.
The Nooks will return home for a two-game series against the Lake Superior State Lakers Feb. 17-18 at the Carlson Center before concluding the WCHA regular season at Alaska Anchorage Feb. 24-25. In total, the Nanooks will take on the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves on five separate occasions during the 2016-17 campaign.
"We know our WCHA schedule is tough, just like it is every year. The competition in our league is as good as any other conference in the country," Ferguson concluded. "The fine line between winning and losing is what makes each and every game in our WCHA schedule so tough."
Following the WCHA's announcement to move all league postseason competition to campus' starting 2016-17, the WCHA quarterfinals will feature a best-of-three series at the four top-seeded schools on Mar. 3-5. The following weekend (Mar. 10-12), the remaining four teams will compete at the two-highest seeded schools for another best-of-three series, counting as the WCHA semifinals. The WCHA Championship Game will be a do-or-die match-up hosted by the last remaining highest-seeded team on Saturday, Mar. 18. For more information on the new WCHA playoff and WCHA Championship structure, click here.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks Hockey team, follow @NanooksHockey on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Hockey page on Facebook.
**Please note, all game times and dates are subject to change.
