Men's Hockey | 5/19/2016 8:53:00 AM

Mankato, Minn. --- One of the winningest program's in the nation the last four years, the Minnesota State men's hockey team is slated to play 18 home games in 2016-17 as the University formally announced its schedule today.

The Mavericks, who posted a 21-13-7 mark and earned a share of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season championship with an 18-6-7 league mark last year, feature 12 home contests prior to the end of December and six home games in the second half of the 2016-17 schedule.

Following an exhibition game vs. the University of Regina Oct. 1, the Mavericks begin regular-season action with a Western Collegiate Hockey Association home series vs. Michigan Tech Oct. 7-8.

St. Cloud State visits Verizon Wireless Center for a pair of nonconference contests Oct. 14-15 before the Mavericks play at the University of Alaska Oct. 21-22. Minnesota State hosts Ferris State Oct. 28-29 before playing at Lake Superior State Nov. 4-5.  Bemidji State is in Mankato for two league games Nov. 18-19 and the Mavericks play non-conference foe Minnesota in a home-and-home series Nov. 18 (Mankato) and 19 (Minneapolis) before hosting Alaska in a WCHA series Dec. 2-3. A trip to Big Rapids, Mich., for two games vs. Ferris State Dec. 9-10 comes prior to a non-conference road series at Princeton Dec. 16-17.

The Mavericks start the New Year with a WCHA road series Jan. 6-7 at Alabama-Huntsville and a home series vs. Bowling Green Jan. 13-14.  A pair of league games at Michigan Tech Jan. 20-21 predate a home league match-up with Lake Superior State Jan. 27-28. 

The final six games of the regular season include WCHA contests vs. Alaska Anchorage (Feb. 3-4 in Anchorage), Northern Michigan (Feb. 17-18 in Mankato) and Bemidji State (Feb. 14-25  in Bemidji).

The WCHA unveiled its new postseason play-off format this week with the first round of best-of-three quarterfinals scheduled for on-campus sites March 3-5.  Semi-final round best-of-three action is set for March 10-12 and the single-game championship ear-marked for March 18.

Including three NCAA tournament appearances, two MacNaughton Cups as WCHA regular-season champions and a pair of Broadmoor Trophies as league post-season champs, Minnesota State has gone 100-49-7 in the last four seasons. The 100 victories rank only behind the University of North Dakota (111) and Quinnipiac (110), the two teams that appeared in the 2015-16 NCAA championship game, in terms of where the Mavericks stand nationally amongst winningest men's hockey programs in the country in the last four years.

Single-game tickets for Minnesota State men's hockey home games will be available at the beginning of October. Season tickets are now on sale. For more information on the season ticket packages, please call MSU Athletics at (507) 389-6111 during regular business hours (8:00-4:00, M-F).

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