2012-13 UAH Hockey: A Look Ahread

The 34th season of UAH Hockey is fast approaching! Here’s a quick look at each of the opponents the Chargers will face this season:

HOME vs. ALABAMA, Oct. 6-7 (exhibition): One could learn the difference between NCAA Division I hockey and club-level college hockey. The Frozen Tide is coached by former UAH assistant Mike Quenneville.

HOME vs. MINNESOTA STATE, Oct. 12-13: The regular season opens with a chance for the Chargers — and their fans — to show the WCHA what UAH hockey is made of. The Mavericks make their first visit to Huntsville since 2008. The Chargers were swept in Mankato last season.

At ST. CLOUD STATE, Oct. 19-20: The Chargers play the Huskies for the first time since the 2001-02 season. St. Cloud finished sixth in the WCHA last season.

At BENTLEY, at AIC, Oct. 26-27: UAH visits a pair of Atlantic Hockey teams. The Chargers have never lost to Bentley, and they’ll meet for the first time in 11 years. The Chargers are 5-1-1 all-time against AIC, last meeting the Yellow Jackets with a win in the 2007 RPI Holiday Tournament.

At ST. LAWRENCE, Nov. 2-3: The Chargers have never played the Saints, who finished eighth in the ECAC last season.

At NORTHEASTERN, Nov. 10-12: Another first-time meeting. The Huskies missed the Hockey East playoffs last year with a ninth-place finish.

At LAKE SUPERIOR STATE, Nov. 16-17: UAH makes the return trip to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., after opening last season with a pair of one-goal losses to the Lakers at the VBC.

At NEBRASKA-OMAHA, Nov. 23-24: The Chargers split with the Mavericks last season at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, stunning UNO 3-1 in the opener.

HOME vs. U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-18, Nov. 30-Dec. 1 (exhibition): The best of America‘s hockey future visit Huntsville once again.

HOME vs. FINLANDIA, Dec. 7-8: The Division III Lions are coached by former Charger winger and assistant coach John McCabe.

At WISCONSIN, Dec. 13-14: The Chargers are 0-6 all-time in Madison, including a pair of losses at the Kohl Center in 2010. The Badgers are looking to rebound from a 10th-place finish in the WCHA.

Vs. BOSTON COLLEGE, Vs. AIR FORCE, Dec. 28-29 (Mariucci Classic, Minneapolis): For the second straight season, the Chargers face off with the defending national champions. Boston College won the UAH-hosted Frozen Four in Tampa. UAH tied and lost to Air Force last season in Huntsville.

HOME vs. ADRIAN, Jan. 4-5, 2013: The Division III Bulldogs won 20 games last season and were the national runner-up in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

At PENN STATE, Feb. 8-9: The Nittany Lions will play their first season in Division I as a fellow independent until joining the Big Ten next season. UAH last visited Happy Valley as a club team in 1984, and defeated Penn State for the National Club Championship in 1983.

At MINNESOTA-DULUTH: March 1-2: The Chargers visit Duluth for the second straight season. Back in January, UAH battled hard with the then-defending national champions with 2-1 and 4-3 losses.