A season-opening series at Notre Dame and two games in Beantown against the Boston University Terriers and Boston College Eagles highlight the University of Denver hockey team’s 2017-18 nonconference schedule.
The Pioneers, who won their eighth national title earlier this month, open their 24-game National Collegiate Hockey Conference slate Nov. 3 at Western Michigan. DU has 18 home games and 16 on the road, with key NCHC series against North Dakota, Minnesota-Duluth and in-state rival Colorado College at Magness Arena.
Last season, the Pioneers only had two regular-season games apiece against North Dakota and Minnesota-Duluth. They lost to the Fighting Hawks at the NCHA Frozen Faceoff in Minneapolis but beat the Bulldogs in the Frozen Four championship game in Chicago. Next season, DU will only have one two-game NCHC series, this time against Western Michigan and Nebraska-Omaha.
DU’s Oct. 13 opener at Notre Dame will be a rematch of the April 6 Frozen Four semifinal, in which the Pioneers breezed to a 6-1 victory. The Pioneers and Fighting Irish — who will switch from Hockey East to the Big Ten Conference next season — will also play Oct. 14 in South Bend, Ind.
Denver’s home-opener is the following week against Lake Superior State of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. DU then travels to Boston to play the Terriers and Eagles Oct. 27-28. The Pioneers also have nonconference games, each at home, against Dartmouth (Dec. 15-16), Merrimack (Dec. 29) and Air Force (Dec. 30).
The Pioneers play six of their first eight games on the road before beginning a four-game homestand in consecutive series against St. Cloud State and North Dakota.
Denver hockey schedule, 2017-18
Oct. 1 University of Lethbridge (exhibition)
Oct. 13 at Notre Dame
Oct. 14 at Notre Dame
Oct. 20 Lake Superior State
Oct. 21 Lake Superior State
Oct. 27 at Boston University
Oct. 28 at Boston College
Nov. 3 at Western Michigan
Nov. 4 at Western Michigan
Nov. 10 St. Cloud
Nov. 11 St. Cloud
Nov. 17 North Dakota
Nov. 18 North Dakota
Dec. 1 at Minnesota Duluth
Dec. 2 at Minnesota Duluth
Dec. 8 Colorado College
Dec. 9 at Colorado College
Dec. 15 Dartmouth
Dec. 16 Dartmouth
Dec. 29 Merrimack
Dec. 30 Air Force
Jan. 5 at Miami
Jan. 6 at Miami
Jan. 19 Nebraska Omaha
Jan. 20 Nebraska Omaha
Jan. 26 at North Dakota
Jan. 27 at North Dakota
Feb. 2 Minnesota Duluth
Feb. 3 Minnesota Duluth
Feb. 16 at Colorado College
Feb. 17 Colorado College
Feb. 23 at St. Cloud
Feb. 24 at St. Cloud
March 2 Miami
March 3 Miami
March 9-11 NCHC first round playoffs
March 16-17 NCHC Frozen Faceoff, Minneapolis
March 23-25 NCAA Regionals (Bridgeport, Conn., Worcester, Mass., Allentown, Pa., Sioux Falls, S.D.)
April 5-7 NCAA Frozen Four, St. Paul, Minn.