OHIO Hockey will be hosting several new opponents and restoring old rivalries in Athens this season. Old Bobcat Hockey rival West Virginia University rolls into Bird Arena on Oct. 5 for the first time since the 2015-16 season. OHIO is 9-1-0 in the last 10 games against the Mountaineers, with the lone loss a 1-0 heartbreaker at WVU in 2014.
OHIO will also renew rivalries with Eastern Michigan University and Kent State University, both former members of the Central States Collegiate Hockey League (CSCHL). OHIO last faced off against EMU in 2015, winning both games 4-0 and 9-1. Kent State last played at Bird Arena in 2016 when OHIO swept the Golden Flashes 4-0 and 4-2.
Other non-conference home opponents for OHIO include John Carroll University, Davenport University, PITT, Syracuse, and Slippery Rock University. OHIO will also head on the road for two non-conference games against rival Liberty University on Nov. 9 and 10.
OHIO will host its always-tough CSCHL conference opponents when Lindenwood University visits Bird Arena, as well as Robert Morris-Illinois, University of Illinois and Iowa State. The CSCHL is by far the most difficult league in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), with four of the five CSCHL teams ranked in the top 10 nationally and Iowa State ranked at No. 11. The last three ACHA national championship games have featured at least one CSCHL team.
The CSCHL Playoffs will be hosted this season by Lindenwood University in Wentzville, Missouri, March 15-17. The ACHA National Championships will be hosted in Dallas, Texas, by the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL).
All OHIO Hockey home games will start at 7:30 p.m. at Bird Arena, with doors opening at 6:45 p.m. Ticket information for the 2018-19 season and the game promotional schedule will be released at a later date.
2018-19 OHIO Hockey Schedule
Friday, Sept. 21, Green vs. White Game, Skate with the ’Cats (FREE EVENT)
Friday, Sept. 28, JOHN CARROLL
Saturday, Sept. 29, JOHN CARROLL
Friday, Oct. 5, WEST VIRGINIA
Saturday, Oct. 6, at WEST VIRGINIA
Friday, Oct. 12, EASTERN MICHIGAN
Saturday, Oct. 13, EASTERN MICHIGAN
Friday, Oct. 19, at IOWA STATE *
Saturday, Oct. 20, at IOWA STATE *
Friday, Nov. 2, DAVENPORT UNIVERSITY
Saturday, Nov. 3, DAVENPORT UNIVERSITY
Friday, Nov. 9, at LIBERTY
Saturday, Nov. 10, at LIBERTY
Friday, Nov. 16, LINDENWOOD*
Saturday, Nov. 17, LINDENWOOD*
Friday, Nov. 30, ROBERT MORRIS-ILLINOIS*
Saturday, Dec. 1, ROBERT MORRIS-ILLINOIS*
Friday, Dec. 7, ILLINOIS*
Saturday, Dec. 8, ILLINOIS*
Friday, Jan. 11, at Lindenwood*
Saturday, Jan. 12, at Lindenwood*
Friday, Jan. 18, PITT
Saturday, Jan. 19, PITT
Friday, Jan. 25, at ROBERT MORRIS-ILLINOIS*
Saturday, Jan. 26, at ROBERT MORRIS-ILLINOIS*
Friday, Feb. 1, SYRACUSE
Saturday, Feb. 2, SYRACUSE
Friday, Feb. 8, at ILLINOIS*
Saturday, Feb. 9, at ILLINOIS*
Friday, Feb. 15, IOWA STATE*
Saturday, Feb. 16, IOWA STATE*
Friday, March 1, SLIPPERY ROCK
Saturday, March 2, KENT STATE
Friday, March 8, GHOSTS CHARITY GAME
March 15-26, CSCHL CHAMPIONSHIPS at LINDENWOOD
March 21-26, ACHA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS in DALLAS, TEXAS
*Denotes CSCHL Opponents
This article was provided by OHIO Hockey.