University of North Dakota head hockey coach Brad Berry announced on Monday the entirety of the 2021-22 slate. The schedule features 35 regular season contests and a pair of exhibition games, with the Fighting Hawks opening at home on Oct. 2 against Manitoba in a preseason showdown.
On top of the schedule announcement, all home game times have been finalized for the upcoming season. Friday regular season contests will slide up to a 7:07 p.m. puck drop from the previous 7:37 p.m. start while Saturday regular season games will begin at 6:07 p.m. A special New Year’s Day exhibition game between UND and the U.S. Under-18 Team is slated for a 2:37 p.m. time.
Following the latest start to a season in program history in 2020-21, North Dakota opens on Oct. 2 against friendly foe Manitoba for an exhibition contest from the Ralph Engelstad Arena. UND remains home the following weekend and welcomes in Niagara for the first time since 2015 on Oct. 8-9. The Fighting Hawks are 7-0-0 all-time against the Purple Eagles and own a 32-11 scoring advantage in the series.
The green and white hit the road for the first time on Oct. 15 for a short drive down Highway 2 to battle Bemidji State on Friday night before the Beavers make a return trip to Grand Forks on Saturday night in a home-and-home series.
A trip to the East Coast awaits on Oct. 22-23, as the Fighting Hawks head to Hamden, Conn. for a weekend series against Quinnipiac. This marks the first meeting between the programs in Connecticut, with the last meeting ending in a 5-1 North Dakota victory in the 2016 NCAA Frozen Four title game.
The Music City takes center stage for the college hockey world on Oct. 30 when North Dakota and Penn State square off at Bridgestone Arena in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game at 7:07 p.m. While this will be the first meeting between the programs, UND is 3-0 in destination games previously (2012 – Winnipeg, 2016 – New York City, 2018 – Las Vegas).
NCHC play dominates the month of November until the greatest rivalry in the sport headlines Thanksgiving weekend, as North Dakota and Minnesota battle from the Ralph on Nov. 26-27. The two programs last met in Minneapolis over Thanksgiving in 2019, with the Fighting Hawks racking up a sweep by 9-3 and 3-2 scores. This will only mark the second series between the teams in Grand Forks since 2012.
UND returns from Christmas break to ring in 2022 with an exhibition contest against the U.S. Under-18 Team on New Year’s Day at 2:37 p.m. from the Ralph. A weekend series with Cornell concludes non-conference play on Jan. 7-8 from Grand Forks, with the two sides battling for the first time since 2010 and first since 2008 at the REA.
The conference portion of the schedule was previously announced on Apr. 21 and can be found here.
All North Dakota hockey games, home and away, can be heard on the Home of Economy Radio Network in the listening area or nationwide through the Fighting Hawks mobile app. Fans can also watch all home non-conference plus home and away conference action on NCHC.tv. The full broadcast schedule will be unveiled at a later date.
2021-22 North Dakota Hockey Schedule:
Oct 2. Manitoba (Exh.) 6:07 p.m.
Oct. 8-9 Niagara 7:07 p.m./6:07 p.m.
Oct. 15 at Bemidji State 7:07 p.m.
Oct. 16 Bemidji State 6:07 p.m.
Oct. 22-23 at Quinnipiac TBA/TBA
Oct. 30 vs. Penn State (Nashville, Tenn.) 7:07 p.m.
Nov. 5-6 Denver* 7:07 p.m./6:07 p.m.
Nov. 12-13 at Miami* TBA/TBA
Nov. 19-20 Minnesota Duluth* 7:07 p.m./6:07 p.m.
Nov. 26-27 Minnesota 7:07 p.m./6:07 p.m.
Dec. 3-4 at St. Cloud State* TBA/TBA
Dec. 10-11 at Colorado College* 8 p.m./7 p.m.
Jan. 1 U.S. Under-18 Team (Exh.) 2:37 p.m.
Jan. 7-8 Cornell 7:07 p.m./6:07 p.m.
Jan. 14-15 Omaha* 7:07 p.m./6:07 p.m.
Jan. 21-22 at Western Michigan* 6:05 p.m./6:05 p.m.
Jan. 28-29 St. Cloud State* 7:07 p.m./6:07 p.m.
Feb. 4-5 Colorado College* 7:07 p.m./6:07 p.m.
Feb. 18-19 at Minnesota Duluth* TBA/TBA
Feb. 25-26 Western Michigan* 7:07 p.m./6:07 p.m.
Mar. 4-5 at Omaha* 7:07 p.m./6:07 p.m.
Mar. 11-13 NCHC Quarterfinals (at Higher Seeds) TBA
Mar. 18-19 NCHC Frozen Faceoff (St. Paul, Minn.) TBA
Mar. 25-27 NCAA Regionals (TBA) TBA
Apr. 7-9 NCAA Frozen Four (Boston, Mass.) TBA
All times Central | Home games in bold | *Denotes NCHC game | Subject to change
(UND Athletics)
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