June 28, 2018
The University of Notre Dame hockey team has announced its schedule for the upcoming 2018-19 season. After the team’s remarkable run in its inaugural season as an affiliate member of the Big Ten Conference – a run that included the conference regular-season title, tournament title, a 16-game win streak and an NCAA title game appearance – the Irish will look to maintain the program’s momentum over the course of 10 non-conference and 24 Big Ten conference games during in 2018-19.
Schedule Breakdown – By The Numbers
34 — Games
24 — Big Ten games
18 — Home games
16 — Road games
10 — Non-conference games
10 — Games against teams that participated in the 2018 NCAA Frozen Four
Ice Breaker Tournament
After a pre-season exhibition at home against the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP) (Oct. 7), the Irish will head to Erie, Pennsylvania, to compete in the 2018 Ice Breaker Tournament. The tournament kicks off Oct. 12, as the Irish take on the tournament host, Mercyhurst. Notre Dame will then face Miami (Ohio) or Providence on Oct. 13 to conclude the weekend.
On The Road In 2018
The first four regular-season games for the Irish will take place away from Compton Family Ice Arena. Following the Ice Breaker Tournament, the team will hit the road as they match up against Nebraska Omaha for a two-game series Oct. 19-20. Notre Dame will end up playing on the road a total of eight times before the mid-season break.
Non-Conference Home Games
The Irish will host four non-conference home series in 2018-19, all in the first half of the season. The home slate kicks off with a rematch of the 2018 NCAA National Championship game with Notre Dame looking to defeat Minnesota-Duluth in two games Oct. 26-27. Northern Michigan (Nov. 27), RPI (Nov. 30 – Dec. 1) and Boston College (Dec. 31) also will travel to Compton Family Ice Arena this season.
B1G Action
The puck drops on Big Ten conference play Nov. 2-3 as the Ohio State Buckeyes make the trek to Notre Dame. The Irish will then spend two weeks in Michigan, taking on the Michigan Wolverines (Nov. 9-10) and the Michigan State Spartans (Nov. 16-17). The first half of conference competition concludes when the Irish head to State College, Pennsylvania, to face Penn State.
January will be a busy month for the Irish as they travel to Illinois and Wisconsin before hosting the first of a split home-game series against Michigan on January 5.
Minnesota (Jan. 11-12) and Michigan State (Jan. 25-26) also will travel to Notre Dame for weekend series at the start of the new year. The Irish and Wisconsin will meet in the middle of the month on Jan. 18 and 19, with the locations of those contests still to be determined. One of those contests between the Irish and the Badgers, a designated home series for Wisconsin, will be the culmination of a two-year agreement to play one of the two games at the United Center.
The remainder of the season sees four more series for the team, two of which are at home. After a weekend in Columbus competing against Ohio State (Feb. 1-2), the Irish will have a week off before hosting Michigan on February 12 and Wisconsin, which visits Compton Family Ice Arena from Feb.15-16. A trip to Minnesota (Feb. 22-23) and a home series against Penn State (March 1-2) conclude Big Ten action and the regular season for Notre Dame.
B1G Tournament
The 2017-18 season introduced a new layout of Big Ten postseason play, with contests held at campus sites rather than neutral ice, as seen in previous years. Continuing the new format this season, the tournament will begin March 8-10 for three best-of-three quarter final series, as the second, third and fourth-seeded teams will host games. The top-seed will have a bye into the single-elimination semifinal round, scheduled for March 16. The Big Ten Championship game will be held March 23 on the campus of the highest remaining seed.
Season Tickets Now Available
Notre Dame hockey season tickets will be available this summer. If you would like to become a new season ticket holder, deposits are being accepted via the link here. By placing your deposit, you will be contacted with season ticket locations before additional sales will be made to the general public. For any questions regarding tickets please contact the Murnane Family Ticket Office by calling 833-ND-IRISH or emailing tickets@nd.edu.
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