WCHA Releases 2012-13 Schedule
Jul 26, 2012 | Hockey
Full Release and Schedule
MADISON, Wis. – The Western Collegiate Hockey Association, marking it's 61st season of on-ice competition and owning a record 37 NCAA Men's Frozen Four titles since it's founding in 1951, today (July 26) released it's men's composite schedule for 2012-13, highlighted by the return of one of college hockey's most successful post-season tournaments – the Red Baron™ WCHA Final Five – to Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul next March 21-23.
The UNO Mavericks, in their third year in the league, will open the season at the 2012 Icebreaker in Kansas City on Oct. 12. Their first WCHA games are Oct. 26 and 27 when they host Bemidji State.
In addition, the Association welcomes Mike Hastings as the new head coach at Minnesota State, Michigan Tech will host the annual Great Lakes Invitational outdoors at Comerica Park (home of MLB's Detroit Tigers) Dec. 27-28 and there are two more outdoor games in the month of February as Nebraska Omaha entertains North Dakota at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha on Saturday the 9th and Minnesota and Wisconsin hook-up in the Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sunday the 17th. The league's 168-game conference schedule launches the weekend of Oct. 19-20 as defending MacNaughton Cup champion Minnesota travels to Michigan Tech, North Dakota has a shot at becoming the first team to ever win four consecutive WCHA Final Five crowns, the four NCAA regional tournaments will be contested in Grand Rapids, Toledo, Manchester and Providence the weekend of March 29-31, and the 2013 NCAA Men's Frozen Four will be played at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh April 11-13.
“We are thrilled about what promises to be a tremendously exciting season in 2012-13,” said Commissioner Bruce M. McLeod, who marks his 19th year at the helm of college hockey's most historic and successful league. “Our final campaign together in our current make-up should be one of the best ever. Across the board our teams look improved, there is some great talent back, and there are plenty of highlights throughout the season that will command attention, from the Ice Breaker in Kansas City and the Kendall Hockey Classic in Anchorage in October, to the Great Lakes Invitational at Comerica Park in Detroit in December, to the two outdoor WCHA games in Omaha and Chicago in February and on to the Red Baron WCHA Final Five in March and the NCAA Men's Frozen Four in Pittsburgh in April. We had four teams earn national tournament berths a season ago, with Minnesota advancing to the Frozen Four, four teams wind up in the nation's top 10 at the end of the season, we were 51-33-8 in non-conference play, Jack Connolly (Minnesota Duluth) won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, Denver's Joey LaLeggia was the national rookie of the year, we had seven players earn All-American honors and we had a record 110 men's and women's student-athletes named as WCHA Scholar-Athletes and a record 150 men's players earn All-WCHA Academic Team honors.
“We also want to extend another special welcome to Mike Hastings as the new head coach of the Minnesota State Mavericks,” said McLeod, “and acknowledge the many contributions that Troy Jutting made to both MSU and the league over his long tenure there.”
Under the leadership of Commissioner McLeod, who has over the past 19 seasons fashioned a thriving partnership between the WCHA, Xcel Energy Center and the NHL's Minnesota Wild, the annual Red Baron™ WCHA Final Five has developed into one of college hockey's most prosperous conference tournaments.
Last season's Final Five drew a total attendance 73,002 – best at the playoff championship since 2009 and eighth highest in the 20-year history of the Final Five – and an average per game crowd of 14,600.
The 2013 edition of the Red Baron™ WCHA Final Five will mark the event's 13th consecutive year at Xcel Energy Center, where the playoff championship has drawn 923,566 fans in 12 previous appearances and an average crowd in excess of 15,500 per game.
MADISON, Wis. – The Western Collegiate Hockey Association, marking it's 61st season of on-ice competition and owning a record 37 NCAA Men's Frozen Four titles since it's founding in 1951, today (July 26) released it's men's composite schedule for 2012-13, highlighted by the return of one of college hockey's most successful post-season tournaments – the Red Baron™ WCHA Final Five – to Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul next March 21-23.
The UNO Mavericks, in their third year in the league, will open the season at the 2012 Icebreaker in Kansas City on Oct. 12. Their first WCHA games are Oct. 26 and 27 when they host Bemidji State.
In addition, the Association welcomes Mike Hastings as the new head coach at Minnesota State, Michigan Tech will host the annual Great Lakes Invitational outdoors at Comerica Park (home of MLB's Detroit Tigers) Dec. 27-28 and there are two more outdoor games in the month of February as Nebraska Omaha entertains North Dakota at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha on Saturday the 9th and Minnesota and Wisconsin hook-up in the Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sunday the 17th. The league's 168-game conference schedule launches the weekend of Oct. 19-20 as defending MacNaughton Cup champion Minnesota travels to Michigan Tech, North Dakota has a shot at becoming the first team to ever win four consecutive WCHA Final Five crowns, the four NCAA regional tournaments will be contested in Grand Rapids, Toledo, Manchester and Providence the weekend of March 29-31, and the 2013 NCAA Men's Frozen Four will be played at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh April 11-13.
“We are thrilled about what promises to be a tremendously exciting season in 2012-13,” said Commissioner Bruce M. McLeod, who marks his 19th year at the helm of college hockey's most historic and successful league. “Our final campaign together in our current make-up should be one of the best ever. Across the board our teams look improved, there is some great talent back, and there are plenty of highlights throughout the season that will command attention, from the Ice Breaker in Kansas City and the Kendall Hockey Classic in Anchorage in October, to the Great Lakes Invitational at Comerica Park in Detroit in December, to the two outdoor WCHA games in Omaha and Chicago in February and on to the Red Baron WCHA Final Five in March and the NCAA Men's Frozen Four in Pittsburgh in April. We had four teams earn national tournament berths a season ago, with Minnesota advancing to the Frozen Four, four teams wind up in the nation's top 10 at the end of the season, we were 51-33-8 in non-conference play, Jack Connolly (Minnesota Duluth) won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, Denver's Joey LaLeggia was the national rookie of the year, we had seven players earn All-American honors and we had a record 110 men's and women's student-athletes named as WCHA Scholar-Athletes and a record 150 men's players earn All-WCHA Academic Team honors.
“We also want to extend another special welcome to Mike Hastings as the new head coach of the Minnesota State Mavericks,” said McLeod, “and acknowledge the many contributions that Troy Jutting made to both MSU and the league over his long tenure there.”
Under the leadership of Commissioner McLeod, who has over the past 19 seasons fashioned a thriving partnership between the WCHA, Xcel Energy Center and the NHL's Minnesota Wild, the annual Red Baron™ WCHA Final Five has developed into one of college hockey's most prosperous conference tournaments.
Last season's Final Five drew a total attendance 73,002 – best at the playoff championship since 2009 and eighth highest in the 20-year history of the Final Five – and an average per game crowd of 14,600.
The 2013 edition of the Red Baron™ WCHA Final Five will mark the event's 13th consecutive year at Xcel Energy Center, where the playoff championship has drawn 923,566 fans in 12 previous appearances and an average crowd in excess of 15,500 per game.
Wednesday, August 26
Wednesday, August 26
Friday, August 21
Tuesday, April 21
