Big Red Releases 2008-09 Schedule

ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell men's hockey team faces a rigorous schedule in the upcoming 2008-09 season, a slate that features 14 home games and the program's first-ever trip to North Dakota. The schedule was announced today by the Jay R. Bloom '77 Head Coach of Men's Hockey, Mike Schafer.

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Highlighting the upcoming season slate are nine games against teams that advanced to the NCAA tournament a year ago, with four of those games coming against ECAC Hockey foes Clarkson and Princeton. The Big Red also travels to North Dakota, which advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four last season, for a pair of games over the Thanksgiving weekend. Other NCAA tournament teams from last year's schedule include a pair of home games against Niagara and a neutral site matchup against St. Cloud State at the Florida College Classic in Estero, Fla.

The Big Red opens the season with a pair of home exhibition contests, welcoming the U.S. Under-18 National Team to Lynah Rink on Sat., Oct. 18, for the first time since the 2005-06 season. Cornell wraps up exhibition play the following week, taking on Western Ontario on Fri., Oct. 24.

Cornell opens the regular season on the road for the second straight season and plays its latest season opener since Mike Schafer's second year directing the program in 1996-97. The Big Red opens up at ECAC Hockey tournament champion and NCAA tournament qualifier Princeton on Nov. 7, then travels to Quinnipiac the following night. The Big Red then travels to Hamilton for a Thursday night contest against Colgate, taking on the Raiders on Nov. 13 before playing the return game - and home regular-season opener - at Lynah Rink two nights later.

The weekend before Thanksgiving sees the annual rivalries with Harvard and Dartmouth continue, as the Crimson visit Lynah Rink on Nov. 21 with the Big Green in town the following night. Afterwards, the Big Red heads to North Dakota for a pair of games on Nov. 28 and 29. Cornell then returns home to close out the fall semester portion of the schedule with home contests against Clarkson (Dec. 5) and St. Lawrence (Dec. 6).

Cornell again returns to Southwest Florida for the Florida College Classic for the ninth straight season. This year's field includes traditional co-hosts Cornell and Maine along with Colgate and St. Cloud State, an NCAA tournament team from last season. The Raiders and Black Bears open the tournament with the 4:05 p.m. contest on Dec. 28, with the Big Red and the Saints doing battle in the late game that evening. The two winners will meet on Sunday in the title game with the two losing teams playing for third place.

Following the return from Florida, the Big Red heads to Massachusetts for a single game on Jan. 4 to open the new year before returning to Lynah Rink for a pair of non-league games against Niagara on Jan. 9 and 10 to close out the non-conference slate. January's schedule also includes home games against Yale and Brown to go along with trips to New York's Capital District and the North Country.

The Big Red opens the February stretch run playing host to Quinnipiac and Princeton on Feb. 6 and 7, respectively, while trips to Dartmouth, Harvard, Yale and Brown and home dates against Rensselaer and Union round out the month.