U.S. College Hockey Return To Play Plans

[JMCx4]

File this one under "More News to Come" ...

from: College Hockey News
October 13, 2020

Atlantic Hockey's Schedule Coming Together

24 League Games Planned, Plus Agreement With Fledgling LIU

CHN Staff Report

Atlantic Hockey is planning to include fledgling Long Island University in a scheduling agreement between league teams and the independent program, according to multiple sources. The arrangement will be similar to the one between the Big Ten and Arizona State. ...

Regardless of the specific plan, LIU will get two games against each team in Atlantic Hockey, giving the Sharks 22 games, minimum.

The league hasn't finalized its overall schedule yet, but the plan getting the most traction at the moment includes a 24-game league schedule, split into two pods, coordinated by geography. The league has 11 teams, so five teams will be in each pod, with Air Force playing games against teams in both pods. The league schedule would begin Nov. 20, with some games perhaps taking place Nov. 13. ...

Click to read more...

 

[JMCx4]

Borrowing these from the Season Postponements thread. Time for hope ...

From: USCHO.com > Arizona State added to Big Ten Conference schedule for 2020-21 season

Big Ten hockey to have 24-game league schedule

Perhaps the Big Ten should just admit Arizona State as a full-fledged associate member in hockey

And the early news on ECAC 2020-21 plans, from CHN ... ECAC Planning 2 Division Format For Shortened Season

 

[JMCx4]

A reminder that setbacks can affect scheduling plans without warning ...
-----------------------------------------
From: The Yale Daily News

Yale COVID-19 alert level moved back to yellow amid men’s hockey outbreak

JULIA BIALEK
5:15 PM, OCT 15, 2020

The University has changed its COVID-19 alert level from green to yellow after recording 18 positive cases on the men’s hockey team over the past three days.

The cluster first emerged on Tuesday, Oct. 13, with six positive cases among players. Two days later, the COVID-19 statistics dashboard reflected nine new COVID-19 cases from tests administered on Tuesday — two on-campus undergraduates and seven off-campus undergraduates — representing a record one-day high. At the time of publication, the dashboard does not reflect the updated case count. ...

The decision to raise the COVID-19 alert level comes after the University lowered it only two weeks ago, when the alert level was changed from yellow — which denotes low to moderate risk — to green, which denotes low risk. This change two weeks ago was made after the campus had transitioned past the risky quarantine period where students and faculty were returning to campus from around the world. ...

Read more at: Yale COVID-19 alert level moved back to yellow amid men’s hockey outbreak

 

[JMCx4]

And with stick taps to @Dakota Sioux ...

 

[mk80]

And with stick taps to @Dakota Sioux ...

Very impressive, I didn't think we would see college hockey in a full bubble.

 

[JMCx4]

Very impressive, I didn't think we would see college hockey in a full bubble.

I'd say somebody @ UNO did some fancy talkin' to become the host of this life-sized Bubble Hockey gathering.

 

[mk80]

I'd say somebody @ UNO did some fancy talkin' to become the host of this life-sized Bubble Hockey gathering.

Of the various college conferences, I'm not surprised it's one of the NCHC and B1G that are doing a bubble.

 

[BOS358]

Update from College Hockey News

 

[JMCx4]

Another example (BU) of how dynamic this topic is. The rest of the column is nothing more than a recap.

 

[JMCx4]

From: The Kennebec (ME) Journal and Morning Sentinel > Sports

(October 22, 2020)
Posted 2:27 PM, Updated at 6:02 PM

College hockey programs in Maine hoping for a season during pandemic

The University of Maine hopes to begin play in late November, while the state's Division III programs will start later.

Like many people, Red Gendron has a lot on his mind these days.

"I look at how hard so many people have worked under intense pressure,” said Gendron, University of Maine men’s hockey coach. “It’s inspirational to me.” ...

The Black Bears compete in Division I Hockey East, which has yet to announce a schedule for the season, although Gendron said he anticipates that coming in the next few weeks with a late November start.

Colby and Bowdoin colleges, who compete in Division III, received some clarity when the New England Small College Athletic Conference announced it had canceled conference competition and championships for the 2020-21 winter sports season.

Others, like the University of Southern Maine and the University of New England, are in a wait-and-see mode. ...


Read more at: College hockey programs in Maine hoping for a season during pandemic

 

[JMCx4]

From: The Northeast Women's Hockey League

NEWHL makes difficult decision, cancels 2020-21 season

Posted: Oct 23, 2020

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – With the priority being the health and safety of students and staff at member institutions, the Northeast Women's Hockey League has made the difficult decision to cancel its 2020-21 conference schedule and league championship. ...

"The priority must be to protect the health and safety of our student-athletes as well as the members of our campuses and communities," Tom DiCamillo, commissioner of the NEWHL, explained. "We are disappointed in having to make this decision and feel for our student-athletes; however, our intention is to stay safe and united as a league, and prepare for the 2021-22 season."

The NEWHL is an NCAA Division III women's ice hockey league featuring seven SUNY-based institutions: Buffalo State, Canton, Cortland, Morrisville, Oswego, Plattsburgh and Potsdam. ...

Read more at: NEWHL makes difficult decision, cancels 2020-21 season

 

[JMCx4]

From: USCHO.com > News

WCHA announces 18-game conference schedule for shortened 2020-21 season

By USCHO Staff
October 29, 2020

The WCHA has finalized an 18-game league schedule for the abbreviated 2020-21 men’s hockey season.

Each WCHA team will play a single series against the other nine league schools with all but three of the games slated to be played in January and February 2021.

Additionally, league teams will play a total of 38 non-league games beginning Nov. 20. Due to limited opportunities for contests against non-league opponents this season, 30 of those games will pit WCHA teams against each other in games that will not count in the league standings. ...

In addition to state and local health and safety guidelines in force at each WCHA campus, the 2020-21 schedule will play out under the WCHA’s return to competition protocols. Those protocols will include COVID-19 testing for players, coaches, staff and game officials as well as social distancing requirements at all WCHA rinks. ...

The weekend of March 5-6 has been designated as a bye weekend for all 10 schools and will be used as a makeup weekend should any league series or single games be postponed. ...

Read more at: https://www.uscho.com/2020/10/29/wc...erence-schedule-for-shortened-2020-21-season/

 

[JMCx4]

With stick taps to @Teemu ... Big Ten Announces First Half of 2020-21 Hockey Schedule

 

[JMCx4]

News/opinion from earlier this week courtesy of CHN ...

November 2, 2020
Hockey East Faces More Scheduling Uncertainty

CHN Staff Report

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced new executive orders on Monday in response to COVID cases spiking across the state. One of the orders, in particular, will have an effect on college hockey in Massachusetts.

Baker announced that all entertainment venues must close by 9:30 p.m. The only exceptions are for religious or political events. ...

This new order would have the largest effect on Hockey East, which is expected to begin play by the end of the month, but will also have an effect on the ECAC and Atlantic Hockey. ...

 

[BOS358]

^^Rumor has it that Hockey East will drop the puck on November 20. I haven't found any confirmation for the start date, but I know that most, if not, all teams will be playing in empty arenas.

 

[JMCx4]

And the women get their first good news ...

WCHA WOMEN'S LEAGUE ANNOUNCES FIRST HALF 2020-21 SCHEDULE

Opening half of the season will begin Nov. 20 and run through Dec. 19

Date: Friday, November 6, 2020

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Nov. 6, 2020 – The Women's League of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association will drop the puck on the 2020-21 schedule the weekend of Nov. 20-22, the league office announced Friday.

WCHA schools will play eight league games from November 20 to December 19 before breaking for the holidays. League play will resume as early as Jan. 1. The post-holiday schedule will be released in the coming weeks. ...


Read more at: WCHA Women's League Announces First Half 2020-21 Schedule - Western Collegiate Hockey Association

 

[Dakota Sioux]

UND hockey 2020-21 schedule

NCHC Pod (in Omaha's Baxter Arena)
Wednesday, Dec. 2 -- vs. Miami
Friday, Dec. 4 -- vs. Denver
Sunday, Dec. 6 -- vs. Western Michigan
Tuesday, Dec. 8 -- vs. Denver
Thursday, Dec. 10 -- vs. Minnesota Duluth
Saturday, Dec. 12 -- vs. St. Cloud State
Sunday, Dec. 13 -- vs. Western Michigan
Wednesday, Dec. 16 -- vs. St. Cloud State
Saturday, Dec. 19 -- vs. Minnesota Duluth
Sunday, Dec. 20 -- vs. Miami
Normal travel
Dec. 31-Jan. 1 -- at Omaha
Jan. 8-9 -- vs. Omaha
Jan. 15-16 -- at Denver
Jan. 22-24 -- vs. Colorado College (three-game series)
Feb. 5-6 -- vs. Denver
Feb. 12-14 -- at Colorado College (three-game series)
Feb. 26 -- at Omaha
March 5 -- vs. Omaha
March 12-14 -- NCHC first round
March 19-20 -- NCHC Frozen Faceoff (St. Paul)

 

[Hollywood3]

That's a long time in a bubble!

 

[JMCx4]

From: Long Island University Men's Ice Hockey
11/10/2020 11:30:00 AM

Men’s Hockey Announces Inaugural Schedule

... The Sharks, who are playing as a Division I program for the first time, will partner with the Atlantic Hockey Association for scheduling in their first season. LIU opens the season this Saturday, November 14, facing off against Army. ...

The opener against Army is the first of three times the teams will face off in 2020-21, as the Sharks will also finish the season in late February with two games at West Point. Over the next three months, LIU will take on most of the teams in the AHA, almost entirely on the road, including AIC, Union, Bentley, Holy Cross, Niagara, Air Force, Canisius, Robert Morris and Sacred Heart.

LIU's home opener will take place Saturday, December 5, as the Sharks will host AIC at Northwell Health Ice Center. The game will not be open to fans or media. LIU will also host games against Bentley, Holy Cross, Niagara and Air Force at Northwell this season. ...

 

[JMCx4]

RIT Athletics Winter Sports Announcement 2020-21
11/9/2020 5:00:00 PM

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Due to ongoing health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rochester Institute of Technology has canceled all winter sports competition for the 2020-21 season.

Effected teams include men's and women's basketball, men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's swimming & diving, men's and women's indoor track & field and wrestling. ...

RIT's men's and women's ice hockey teams play at the Division I level, with the men playing in the Atlantic Hockey Association and the women playing in College Hockey America. While these conferences are still scheduled to play, RIT leadership felt the obstacles were too high to play during a global pandemic. ...

Following a vote of the Presidents Council, the Liberty league also released a statement announcing all winter conference competition and championships have been canceled. The Liberty League is the eighth Division III conference in the nation to cancel all winter sports operations, including the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC). ...

Read more at: Athletic Department Announces Winter Sports Update - Rochester Institute of Technology Athletics

ETA: Gotta wonder how new women's hockey team head coach Celeste Brown and her new assistant Justin Simpson feel about their career choices right now.

 

[JMCx4]

From: USCHO.com > Feature

Women’s DI: WCHA hopes partial schedule is the starting point for a 24-game season

By Nicole Haase
-
November 9, 2020

The women’s WCHA announced a partial schedule on Friday, paving the way to return to play starting November 20. For now, teams will play eight games each – four weekend series and a bye week – over the course of five weeks from November 20 – December 19.

There simply is no “one size fits all” solution for preparing to play collegiate athletics during this pandemic. Some sports and conferences have been able to take cues from each other and follow similar blueprints, but for a number of reasons, that hasn’t been possible for the women’s WCHA.

Three WCHA teams’ institutions – Minnesota, Ohio State and Wisconsin – call the Big Ten home. Four – Bemidji State, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State – are members of the Division II Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

Although there’s no such thing as Big Ten women’s hockey, the Gophers, Buckeyes and Badgers are bound by that conference’s protocols. Using football as the measuring tool, the Big Ten has the most stringent Return to Play rules when it comes to Covid-19. (Read more about their process here.) ...

Thus, in this first part of the schedule, the Big Ten schools play each other and the NSIC schools play each other. The exception is Minnesota Duluth.

“Duluth found themselves in a bit of a unique position. Because they are University of Minnesota system (school), they’re closer to the Big Ten protocols as a university than not,” said WCHA Commissioner Jennifer Flowers. The Bulldogs were able to meet the Big Ten’s thresholds and will be playing games against teams in each of the two groups. ...

“Once we knew what it’s going to take in order to play these games, we could start to make some decisions based on who’s capable of that right now … I think if we tried to figure out the entire schedule and tried to get everything perfect from the get go, we wouldn’t be playing yet… This is what we know we can do right now. This isn’t a forever solution to our schedule… That is what needed to happen to get started on November 20.” ...

Read more at: https://www.uscho.com/2020/11/09/wo...e-is-the-starting-point-for-a-24-game-season/

 

[BOS358]

Hockey East just announced its composite schedule. Link for the men's schedule. Link for the women's schedule.

 

[Teemu]

Ivy League cancels hockey season

 

[JMCx4]

From: USCHO.com

Alaska Anchorage, already cutting hockey program in 2021, opts out of 2020-21 season due to COVID concerns

By USCHO Staff
-
November 13, 2020

Alaska Anchorage notified the WCHA on Friday that the Seawolves will opt out of the 2020-21 season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision from UAA was part of a larger announcement by the school that it would suspend competition for all of its indoor winter sports – men’s hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor track and field and women’s gymnastics – for this season. ...

Read more at: https://www.uscho.com/2020/11/13/al...-out-of-2020-21-season-due-to-covid-concerns/

 

[JMCx4]

From: USCHO.com

Women’s DI: Proximity smooths the way for Hockey East to return to play

By Nicole Haase
-
November 13, 2020
Hockey East released men’s and women’s schedules on Wednesday, setting the conference up for a return to play on November 20.

The schedule is set up for each team to play 18 conference games in a double round robin style. But the schedule also contains four to six games per team that the league is considering flex games. They are designated as non-conference matchups.

“I think it’s unrealistic to think everyone will play their full slate of games,” said Commissioner Steve Metcalfe. “We’ve built in what we’re calling flex weekends, but I guess you might call them makeup weekends – it gives us an opportunity to do make up games without conflict with conference games.” ...

Read more at: https://www.uscho.com/2020/11/13/wo...hs-the-way-for-hockey-east-to-return-to-play/