LU-Belleville releases 2016-17 season schedule
Head coach Lindsay Middlebrook and his coaching staff have announced the Lindenwood University-Belleville men’s ice hockey team’s 2016-17 schedule.
The team has high expectations with the mix of returning high-end talent combined with key off-season additions. The Lynx are coming off of the 2015-16 campaign that saw the team win 31 games and reach the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division II national championship tournament in the program’s first season of eligibility. The Lynx are back-to-back ACHA Central Division Champions, having won 60 games in the programs first two seasons of competition.
“Going into our third year we return most of our players and have a large junior class. The maturity from underclassmen to upperclassmen brings higher expectations for both regular and post season,” said Coach Middlebrook. “We learned a lot in the trip to nationals back in March. The tournament showed our guys that every team there is a championship contender.”
The Lynx will play a 31-game regular season schedule and three exhibition contests featuring a mix of elite ACHA Division I and Division II opponents. The schedule includes both the reigning ACHA Division 1 champion, Lindenwood University in St. Charles, and the ACHA Division 2 title holder, Florida Gulf Coast. The Lynx also will look to avenge last season’s losses to Grand Valley State and Miami of Ohio.
“We put together the toughest schedule yet against some of the top teams in the ACHA. Every game is going to test our team and better prepare us for the postseason. An advantage we have as an independent program is the ability to go out and play the best competition rather than be confined to a conference schedule,” added Middlebrook.
The action will begin on Sept. 5 with an exhibition match at Saint Louis University. The team opens its home slate with an exhibition series on Sept. 9 and 10 against the Springfield Express Jr. A team.
The team will play 12 home games split between the St. Louis IceZone in Hazelwood, Mo., and FSI Shark Tank in south St. Louis County. In addition to the Express, the home slate features familiar ACHA foes, Arkansas, SLU, GVSU, SIUE and LU-St. Charles. The schedule also features first-time opponents Aurora University and the University of Michigan.
“The IceZone and Shark Tank are top-notch facilities in the region and both have been gracious hosts to our program. Playing at both venues maximizes the number of local hockey fans that can see our exciting brand of hockey,” said Coach Middlebrook.
The Lynx will hit the road for over 2,477 miles this season for games at Lindenwood-St. Charles, Davenport, the Miami ofOhio Showcase, Waldorf College, Robert Morris-Chicago, Arkansas and Missouri State.
“Our road games are ultra-competitive against good teams and in some high-energy environments with teams like Arkansas and Missouri State, and Robert Morris that fill the stands each night with students and fans,” said Middlebrook.
The ACHA will host all three men’s divisions and both women’s divisions at a combined national championship festival in Columbus, Ohio. The event will be hosted March 9-19, 2017, at the Dublin, Easton, and North OhioHealth Chiller Ice Rinks and the OhioHealth Ice Haus at Nationwide Arena.
This story was originally published July 27, 2016 at 10:21 PM with the headline "LU-Belleville releases 2016-17 season schedule."