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CCHA Hockey 21-'22 Season Schedule Announced
 The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) announced today the full schedule, including non-conference games, for the 2021-22 NCAA Division I season. The full slate begins on Saturday, Oct. 2 and concludes with the NCAA National Championship game on Saturday, Apr. 9, 2022 in Boston, Mass. Of note, the Minnesota State University Mavericks will play the most games this season (36), the Lake Superior State University Lakers will play the second most games (35), while the other six members will play 34 games. CCHA teams will play the most non-conference games against the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (22) and second-most against the Big Ten Conference (11), followed by the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (10), Independent Teams (8), Hockey East Association (5), United States National Team Development Program (3), Atlantic Hockey Association (2). The Northern Michigan University Wildcats will have the most amount of home games on the docket (22) and will play their first six games, including eight of their first 10 games on home ice. Lake Superior State follows with 19 games and the Bemidji State University Beavers & Mavericks tie for third with 17 home games. The Bowling Green State University Falcons will play the most games on the road this season (20), while the University of St. Thomas Tommies will play 10 of their first 13 games away. Lake Superior State will play the most games in the quickest timeframe as the Lakers will be the first to 18 contests through Thanksgiving Day weekend. Notable non-conference matchups this season begin on opening weekend when Minnesota State visits the defending National Champions, University of Massachusetts Minutemen Oct. 2-3. The Ferris State University Bulldogs are projected to be the first to drop the puck on the 2021-22 season when they host the Miami (Ohio) University Redhawks, facing each other for the first time since 2011. Ferris State will host two former CCHA members, now NCHC members, during the first two weeks, Miami and the Western Michigan University Broncos. St. Thomas will start their first campaign in the NCAA Division I rank with a home-and-home series against the National runner-up St. Cloud State University Huskies. Nov. 5-6, Northern Michigan will host Boston University for the Wildcats' 30th anniversary celebration of the 1991 National Championship team. Members of that Wildcat championship team will be in attendance and a brief ceremony honoring their accomplishments will take place prior to puck drop. The United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) will visit three CCHA members this season: Northern Michigan (10/5), Michigan Tech (10/16) and Lake Superior State (1/21/22). The first all-CCHA weekend when all eight CCHA teams will play in-conference games will take place Nov. 18-20. Three CCHA teams will be involved in tournaments or showcases this season. Minnesota State will play in the Ice Breaker Tournament in Duluth, Minn. Oct. 15-16. Bowling Green will be part of the Holiday Face-Off at Fiserv Forum, the home of the NBA champions Milwaukee Bucks, in Milwaukee, Wisc. Dec. 28-29. The Michigan Technological University Huskies will play in the Great Lakes Invitational in a showcase format this year, held at Yost Ice Arena and Munn Ice Arena Dec. 29-30. The CCHA Mason Cup playoffs will be held Mar. 4-19, followed by the NCAA Tournament beginning Mar. 25 and ending with the National Championship Game on Apr. 9. |
