Observations about UAF schedule posted to Info-Hockey-L probably mostly of interest to CCHA fans... 1. With UIC gone we were originally scheduled for 15 home and 12 road CCHA games. We have given up one home game to Michigan and will now play one game there. It seems unfortunate that we have lost a Saturday night home game against the defending national champions. I think that was a guaranteed sell out while Thursday normally isn't. We will need to fill the building that Thursday night. Is the CCHA planning to reciprocate by sending Michigan up here for a single game in 1997-98? Perhaps they should be planning for a stop in Anchorage and a two game series against UAA on the way. Or the Wolverines could put in an appearance at Anchorage's revived hockey tournament and then play one CCHA game in Fairbanks. 2. There will be no repeat of Western Michigan's experience on the final weekend of last season here before the CCHA playoffs in which they dropped two straight to Bowling Green and then their opener in the NCAA tournament. UAF wraps up the season at home on February 23. Does Ferris State take the final week off as well? 3. An obvious effort was made to change the Thursday-Saturday three game home series that nobody here liked. We now have 1 Thursday-Saturday, 1 Thursday-Friday, and 3 Friday-Sunday series with Sunday's games played at 6 pm. Did visiting CCHA teams dislike Thursday-Saturday series as much as folks up here? 4. We are playing two additional home series compared to last year, but they are against Lethbridge from Canada and Divison III St. Norbert. Don't know if that's all we could get on the schedule on short notice or what. I would have liked to see Mankato come up in their debut Division I season. Somebody passed on getting two extra games for coming up to Alaska. 5. This will be the first time in at least 5 years we won't be playing a game on Thanksgiving. Miss the tournament we used to have, but now we can stay home and enjoy the whole holiday and the players can as well. Anybody know if Lake State will be in town for Thanksgiving before their games on the weekend? 6. Unless it's really cold at Thanksgiving and it was close to -50 then two years ago, only Ohio State has much shot at seeing -40 or colder. Anyone coming next December from there up for a barbecue sometime December 13 to 15? The food cooks, but you run in and out to get it really fast! Looks like the Wolverines miss out after all on their chance at being frozen before hitting the ice. 7. The Nanooks play 5 games in 9 days four times, twice at home, once on the road, and once a mix. That's probably not so bad, but also 7 games in the opening 15 days, then 8 in 17 in November-December. Not to mention 4 3-game home series and 4 road trips to the rest of the CCHA. Also not a single weekend off from January 10 to February 23. Anybody else have to do all that? And visiting teams don't like to come up here once? Hope the Nanooks are well conditioned! 8. As for earlier observations about playing at Michigan State three games. We've snuck out with a win the last two trips down. Can we do it again now that we're in the CCHA for real when we're in East Lansing? It should be fun to find out and meet our friends there again either way. Only 4 more months to go! BTW who plays the actual season opening Division I hockey game? And I mean not counting exhibitions. I'd sure promote that game for being the opener if it were up to me. Eric Carlson [log in to unmask] HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.