Colgate Announces 2011-12 Schedule
HAMILTON, N.Y. – Head Coach Scott Wiley and the Colgate women's hockey team have announced the 2011-12 schedule, which includes three two-game sets and a pair of new opponents.
"We have put together another strong schedule this year,” stated Wiley. “Our non-league games will be challenging and will showcase teams from Hockey East and the CHA. We have picked up a few new teams and look forward to playing them as well.”
After an exhibition matchup against the Toronto Jr. Aeros at the end of September, the Raiders will open the 2011-12 season on the road with New Hampshire on Oct. 7 before facing Northeastern the following afternoon. Colgate won the last meeting against the Wildcats 1-0 in overtime and will be playing Northeastern for the first time in program history.
The Raiders then makes their first appearance at home when they host Lindenwood in a two-game set on Oct. 14 and 15. This will be the team's first meeting against the Lions. After a brief stint at home, Colgate then travels to Syracuse on Oct. 19 before returning to the friendly confines of Starr Rink to open conference play with three ECAC matchups against Cornell, Brown and Yale respectively at the end of October.
The team then hits the road for a two-game set against Niagara and then resumes league play with a pair of home contests against Harvard and Dartmouth on Nov. 11 and 12, and two road matchups against Quinnipiac and Princeton the following weekend. The Raiders had a 1-1 record against both Princeton and Quinnipiac last season but fell to Harvard and Dartmouth in both its games.
Colgate will then finish the 2011 portion of the season with three non-conference games, first against Robert Morris and then with a two-game set against Vermont on Nov. 26 and 27. The Raiders lead the all-time series against both teams 1-0 and 11-3-1 respectively.
After a one-month break, the team returns to action on Jan. 2 when it takes on Syracuse at home in its final non-conference game of the season. Colgate then plays seven of its next nine ECAC games on the road, starting with Rensselaer, Union and Cornell, and ending with Dartmouth, Harvard, Clarkson and St. Lawrence at the end of January. The two home games will be against Princeton and Quinnipiac on Jan. 13 and 14 after the Big Red matchup on Jan. 10.
The Raiders then conclude their regular season with six games on the first three weekends of February. The team will take on Union and Rensselaer at home on Feb. 3 and 4 before traveling to Yale and Brown the following weekend. Its final two games will be at Starr Rink with St. Lawrence on Feb. 17 and Clarkson on Feb. 18 for senior day. The ECAC Playoffs will begin on Feb. 24 with the quarterfinals and the finals will be played on March 1-3.
“The ECAC Hockey league will again be one of the strongest, most balanced leagues in women's hockey,” said Wiley. “Each game will be ultra competitive and I expect great parity once again. We will look to get off to a strong start this year and carry the momentum into league play."
