Clarkson Faces Formidable Schedule in 2009-10

Photo by Jim Meagher

Co-head coaches Shannon and Matt Desrosiers certainly have not shied away from tough competition as they begin their second year guiding the Clarkson University Women’s Hockey program. Clarkson will face its most difficult schedule yet in the seven-year history of the program, battling some of the premier teams in the NCAA in 2009-2010.

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Along with the always tenacious 22-game conference slate in ECAC Hockey, the Golden Knights will compete against a formidable non-league schedule, featuring games against the three other conference regular season champions. The Green and Gold will play 11 of their 34 games against teams that competed in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

“Shannon has done a great job putting together another very tough schedule for next season," stated Matt Desrosiers. "We are extremely excited to be playing some of the top teams in their respective conferences as well as in the country. One of our goals is to participate in the NCAA tournament and go as far as we can, so we feel there is no better way to prepare and achieve that goal than by playing the teams that have been there. Teams like Mercyhurst and the University of Minnesota, who both participated in Boston at the Frozen Four last year, will be great tests for us. We are also looking to use these difficult out of conference games to help get us ready for yet another very challenging ECAC schedule.”

After a preseason contest on September 26, Clarkson will officially open the schedule on October 2-3 with a two-game series in Potsdam against Boston College, an NCAA Tournament participant last winter and one of the top five teams in Hockey East that the Knights will play this season.

Clarkson will play 17 games at Cheel Arena, including nine of its first 11. The Knights post a .662 winning percentage at home with a 62-29-11 record at Cheel through the first six years.

After the Boston College weekend, the Green and Gold will host Hockey East foes Providence and UConn on October 9-10. After a brief two-game road trip to take on the University of Vermont in Burlington, Clarkson returns home for five straight games beginning with Hockey East champion the University of New Hampshire on October 23, followed by Boston University the next afternoon.

ECAC Hockey play begins on Tuesday, October 27 with Clarkson hosting North Country rival St. Lawrence University.

The Knights round out the non-league portion of their schedule with road weekends at 2009 NCAA Tournament participants University of Minnesota (November 27-28) and Mercyhurst College, national championship runner-ups, (January 15-16).