PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Robert Morris University men's hockey team has released its schedule for the upcoming 2020-21 season, head coach Derek Schooley announced today.
The Colonials are set to play a 28-game slate, including a 22-game Atlantic Hockey conference season that kicks off on November 20 when RMU hosts the University of Alabama-Huntsville Chargers in a rekindling of a classic CHA rivalry for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday.
"To say our players and staff are excited to play on November 20th is an understatement," head coach Derek Schooley said. "We are thankful to our administration and Atlantic Hockey for putting together a comprehensive plan for our safe return to play. I can't say enough about our players who have made tremendous sacrifices to follow new guidelines to make this happen. Let's drop the puck"
Following the home opener on Thanksgiving weekend, the Colonials have a quick turnaround, hosting the Bowling Green Falcons the following Tuesday, November 24 before jumping into the thick of conference play.
To mitigate some of the risk factors regarding COVID-19 exposure during travel, Atlantic Hockey has separated the league into eastern and western pods, with Air Force standing alone as the geographic outlier.
In conference competition, Robert Morris will play in the newly-formed western pod, along with Canisius, Mercyhurst, Niagara, and RIT, playing five games a piece against each opponent as well as a two-game series against geographic outlier Air Force.
A home-and-home against Canisius on November 27 and 28 will kick things off for RMU in Atlantic Hockey play before the Colonials head west to Colorado Springs for their lone series against the Falcons the following weekend. Another home and home series against Niagara will close things out for RMU before the winter break.
A second showdown against Bowling Green on December 29 will cap off RMU's non-conference road schedule before the RIT Tigers roll into town for the first homestead of the new year on January 2 and 3. Another quick turnaround will see them travel to Niagara four days later for a Thursday/Saturday home-and home before closing out the Purple Eagles for good on February 14.
Mid January brings the most heavily traveled portion of the schedule for the Colonials, who will play four of the next five games following Niagara on the road, including stops in Buffalo, Mercyhurst, and Rochester.
The Colonials are 7-1-1 in their last nine matchups against the Mercyhurst, and will look to keep that form rolling when they host the Lakers on January 30, the onset of a four-game home stand that also sees them host newly-formed LIU for the first time as a scheduling partner.
The homestead wraps up a week later when RMU closes out the season series with Canisius on February 12 as the Colonials try and maintain their remarkable home form against the Griffins, who have not won a game at Colonials Arena since 2005.
The home finale and senior day will take place on Friday, February 26 against Mercyhurst before the regular season wraps up a day later in Erie.
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