Michigan State University Athletics
Spartan Hockey Announces 1999-2000 Schedule
8/4/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Aug. 4, 1999
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State's 1999-2000 hockey schedule features 37 games, including a 28-game CCHA schedule, and kicks off Oct. 9 in the annual U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game. The Spartans will meet Colorado College, the same team they defeated last March to advance to the 1999 NCAA Frozen Four, to open the season in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Michigan State begins its defense of the 1998-99 CCHA regular-season championship Oct. 15 in Omaha, Nebraska. MSU will be the first CCHA team to welcome Nebraska-Omaha into the league as the Mavericks open their schedule by hosting the Spartans Oct. 15-16.
The Spartans host 19 games at Munn Ice Arena (plus one exhibition game), including the 1999 College Hockey Showcase, which brings Wisconsin and Minnesota to East Lansing. Michigan State meets Guelph on Tuesday, Oct. 5, at Munn, while the regular season home opener is set for Friday, Oct. 22, against CCHA rival Ohio State.
With the addition of Nebraska-Omaha as its 12th member, the CCHA adopted four-team schedule "clusters" this season. Each team will play the other teams in its cluster - in MSU's case, Alaska Fairbanks, Nebraska-Omaha and Notre Dame - four times, while playing the rest of the teams in the league twice. In another change, each weekend series will feature the same two teams playing Friday and Saturday, instead of the recent schedule which often had teams facing two different opponents in a weekend.
In addition to the College Hockey Showcase and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game, Michigan State plays non-conference games in the Great Lakes Invitational (also featuring Lake Superior, Michigan and Michigan Tech) and against Alabama-Huntsville (one game) and perennial ECAC power Rensselaer (two games). Michigan State's game against Michigan at Joe Louis Arena (Feb. 26) is also a non-conference game, as the Spartans and Wolverines will meet just twice this year in CCHA play.
"I think we have another very good schedule with a nice flavor to it," head coach Ron Mason said. "The Great Lakes Invitational is always a special event, and it's especially nice to have the College Hockey Showcase in our building. This is also the first time we have had the chance to play in the Hall of Fame Game, which will be a good experience for our team. Our other non-conference games are kind of unique, playing an emerging program like Alabama-Huntsville and an ECAC team in Rensselaer.
"In the league, I think it is going to be fun to play the same team on consecutive nights," Mason added. "It will be especially convenient on the road, when we won't have to travel after a Friday night game."
With the new CCHA schedule format, three teams will not visit MSU this season (Lake Superior, Miami and Western Michigan), while the Spartans will not play at Bowling Green, Northern Michigan or Ohio State.
Last year Michigan State captured the CCHA regular season championship while posting a 29-6-7 record (20-3-7 CCHA). The Spartans advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four for the first time since 1992.
Day Date Opponent Site Time Friday Oct. 1 GREEN & WHITE GAME (Ex) MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Tuesday Oct. 5 GUELPH (Ex) MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Saturday Oct. 9 at Colorado College (H) Colo. Springs, Colo. 9:05 p.m. Friday Oct. 15 at Nebraska-Omaha* Omaha, Neb. 8:05 p.m. Saturday Oct. 16 at Nebraska-Omaha* Omaha, Neb. 8:05 p.m. Friday Oct. 22 OHIO STATE* MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Saturday Oct. 23 OHIO STATE* MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Friday Oct. 29 FERRIS STATE* MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Saturday Oct. 30 at Ferris State* Big Rapids, Mich. 7:05 p.m. Friday Nov. 5 at Alaska Fairbanks* Fairbanks, Alaska 11:05 p.m. Saturday Nov. 6 at Alaska Fairbanks* Fairbanks, Alaska 11:05 p.m. Friday Nov. 12 BOWLING GREEN* MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Saturday Nov. 13 BOWLING GREEN* MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Friday Nov. 19 at Miami* Oxford, Ohio 7:05 p.m. Saturday Nov. 20 at Miami* Oxford, Ohio 7:05 p.m. Friday Nov. 26 WISCONSIN# MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Saturday Nov. 27 MINNESOTA# MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Friday Dec. 3 NOTRE DAME* MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Saturday Dec. 4 at Notre Dame* Notre Dame, Ind. 7:05 p.m. Saturday Dec. 11 ALABAMA-HUNTSVILLE MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Wednesday Dec. 29 vs. Michigan Tech% Joe Louis Arena, Det. 7:30 p.m. Thursday Dec. 30 vs. Michigan or LSSU% Joe Louis Arena, Det. 4 or 7:30 p.m. Saturday Jan. 8 MICHIGAN* MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Friday Jan. 14 NEBRASKA-OMAHA* MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Saturday Jan. 15 NEBRASKA-OMAHA* MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Friday Jan. 21 RENSSELAER MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Saturday Jan. 22 RENSSELAER MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Friday Jan. 28 at Western Michigan* Kalamazoo, Mich. 7:05 p.m. Saturday Jan. 29 at Western Michigan* Kalamazoo, Mich. 7:05 p.m. Thursday Feb. 3 at Lake Superior* Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. 7:05 p.m. Saturday Feb. 5 vs. Lake Superior* Joe Louis Arena, Det. 7:35 p.m. Friday Feb. 11 NORTHERN MICHIGAN* MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Saturday Feb. 12 NORTHERN MICHIGAN* MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Friday Feb. 18 ALASKA FAIRBANKS* MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Saturday Feb. 19 ALASKA FAIRBANKS* MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Friday Feb. 25 at Michigan* Ann Arbor, Mich. 7:35 p.m. Saturday Feb. 26 vs. Michigan (non-CCHA) Joe Louis Arena, Det. 7:35 p.m. Friday March 3 at Notre Dame* Notre Dame, Ind. 7:05 p.m. Saturday March 4 NOTRE DAME* MUNN ICE ARENA 7:05 p.m. Fri.-Sun. Mar. 10-12 CCHA First Round Series Campus Sites TBA Tuesday March 14 CCHA Play-in Game Campus Site TBA Friday March 17 CCHA Semifinals Joe Louis Arena, Det. TBA Saturday March 19 CCHA Championship Joe Louis Arena, Det. TBA Friday March 24 NCAA West Regional Minneapolis, Minn. TBA Saturday March 25 NCAA East Regional Albany, N.Y. TBA Saturday March 25 NCAA West Regional Minneapolis, Minn. TBA Sunday March 26 NCAA East Regional Albany, N.Y. TBA Thursday April 6 NCAA Semifinals Providence, R.I. TBA Saturday April 8 NCAA Final Providence, R.I. TBA(Ex) Exhibition HOME GAMES in CAPS All Times EDT or EST * CCHA Game # College Hockey Showcase % Great Lakes Invitational, Joe Louis Arena Times are subject to change (H) U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game
