Christian Rajic and the Chargers open WCHA play against Lake Superior for Homecoming on Oct. 26-27. (Photo by Todd Thompson)
UAH and the WCHA released their 2018-19 schedules on Wednesday. The Chargers will play their 34th varsity season and 40th overall with 36 regular-season games, with 16 at home.
The schedule is much more balanced in terms of home and away than last season’s, which had two long road trips and two long home stands. In addition to the 28-game WCHA schedule, UAH will play eight non-conference games against six opponents.
UAH starts the season at their closest NCAA opponent, Miami, in Oxford, Ohio, on Oct. 6-7. The Chargers last faced the Redhawks toward the end of the 2011-12 season, and in the 2010 NCAA Midwest Regional semifinals before that.
UAH visits two more teams from the NCHC in Colorado the following week. First, the Chargers go to Colorado Springs to take on Colorado College on Oct. 12, then visit Denver to play the Pioneers on Oct. 13. UAH head coach Mike Corbett and assistant coach Gavin Morgan are Denver reached the NCAA tournament last season as NCHC tournament champion.
“Once again we have a very tough non-conference schedule,” Corbett said. “We need to be ready to put ourselves in position to help our league with some non-conference wins.”
The Chargers have their home opening series on Oct. 19-20, hosting Arizona State in a non-conference battle of the Sun Belt. Last season, UAH split a series with the Sun Devils in Tempe. ASU, the newest Division I program, is an independent.
Homecoming is the following weekend as UAH faces Lake Superior State to start WCHA play. Michigan Tech, which won the WCHA playoff championship in March, comes to Huntsville on Nov. 2-3 to complete a six-game home stand.
The Chargers make their only trip to Alaska with a visit to Fairbanks on Nov. 16-17. After Thanksgiving, UAH hosts Bowling Green on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, followed by trips to Bemidji State and Michigan Tech heading into the holiday break.
UAH will play in the Catamount Cup at Vermont just before New Year’s. The Chargers will face the host Catamounts on Dec. 28 and NCAA tournament participant Northeastern on Dec. 29. UAH’s only other appearance in the holiday tournament was in the 2009-10 season, when the Chargers finished in third place.
It’s conference play the entire second half of the season. The Chargers begin 2019 hosting Ferris State on Jan. 4-5, then go to Lake Superior State the next week. UAH hosts both Alaska schools to finish off January.
The Chargers will face a tough final stretch. They go to WCHA regular-season champion and NCAA tournament participant Minnesota State on Feb. 1-2, then host WCHA playoff finalist Northern Michigan on Feb. 8-9. After a week off, UAH will need to withstand the Dawg Pound of Ferris State and the Bleacher Creatures of Bowling Green to finish the regular season.
“We have some good rest dates and will have to win some games on the road down the stretch,” Corbett said.
2018-19 UAH Hockey Schedule
Home games in bold.
* WCHA game.
| Oct. 6-7 | at Miami |
| Oct. 12 | at Colorado College |
| Oct. 13 | at Denver |
| Oct. 19-20 | vs. Arizona State |
| Oct. 26-27 | vs. Lake Superior* (Homecoming) |
| Nov. 2-3 | vs. Michigan Tech* |
| Nov. 16-17 | at Alaska* |
| Dec. 1-2 | vs. Bowling Green* |
| Dec. 7-8 | at Bemidji State* |
| Dec. 14-15 | at Michigan Tech* |
| Dec. 28 | at Vermont (Catamount Cup) |
| Dec. 29 | vs. Northeastern (Catamount Cup) |
| Jan. 4-5 | vs. Ferris State* |
| Jan. 11-12 | at Lake Superior* |
| Jan. 18-19 | vs. Alaska Anchorage* |
| Jan. 25-26 | vs. Alaska* |
| Feb. 1-2 | at Minnesota State* |
| Feb. 8-9 | vs. Northern Michigan* |
| Feb. 22-23 | at Ferris State* |
| March 1-2 | at Bowling Green* |
| March 8-10 | WCHA Quarterfinals (best-of-3) |
| March 15-17 | WCHA Semifinals (best-of-3) |
| March 23 | WCHA Championship |
| March 29-31 | NCAA Regionals |
| April 11 & 13 | NCAA Frozen Four (Buffalo) |