Complete 2014-15 men's hockey schedule

ERIE, Pa. – It doesn't happen very often, but this upcoming season will feature more home games than road games for the Mercyhurst University men's hockey team.

Mercyhurst men's hockey coach, Rick Gotkin, announced the details of his 2014-15 schedule on Monday afternoon. Highlighted on this year's slate are 19 home games, including visits from perennial powers Merrimack and Ohio State.

After visiting Merrimack for the first time in program history last season, Mercyhurst will host the Warriors on October 24 and 25 at the Mercyhurst Ice Center for the first non-conference games of the season. The Buckeyes of Ohio State will invade Erie on January 2 and 3 to open the 2015 portion of the schedule.

"We are really excited about this year's schedule, especially our 19 home games," said Gotkin, who will be entering his 27th year as head coach of the Mercyhurst men's hockey team. "Plus, to be able to have Hockey East member, Merrimack, and Big Ten member, Ohio State, come to Erie to play us is exciting -  not only for our program, but our entire school."

With the University of Connecticut bolting for Hockey East, the conference schedule has a different look this season. The Lakers will play the remaining ten teams in the conference at some point in the season, but will play four teams four times and the other six teams twice for a total of 28 league games. On the docket for home-and-home series this year are Army, Bentley, Canisius, and Sacred Heart.

One of the teams Mercyhurst will only play twice is Air Force and the Lakers will travel to Colorado to square off with the Falcons to open the regular season on October 10 and 11. That will be the only meeting between the two schools until a potential playoff encounter in the AHA Tournament.

After hosting Merrimack on October 24 and 25, the Lakers will travel to Hamilton, New York to play Colgate for a pair of games on October 31 and November 1. Mercyhurst will then host its first conference games of the season on November 7 and 8 against Army.

Prior to a season-long eight-game homestand that begins on December 13 and 14 against Robert Morris, the Lakers will travel to Bentley for a pair on November 14 and 15, play a home-and-home series against Canisius on November 21 and 22, and then head to Army for the final series of the year against the Black Knights on December 5 and 6.

Mercyhurst's only series against Robert Morris on December 13 and 14 will wrap up the 2014 portion of the schedule.

The Buckeyes of Ohio State will make the trip to Erie to open 2015 on January 2 and 3. That series will mark the final non-conference games of the regular season for the Lakers. Mercyhurst will finish off its eight-game homestand with a pair of series against Sacred Heart on January 9 and 10 and against Holy Cross on January 16 and 17.

Mercyhurst will travel to Sacred Heart on January 23 and 24 before returning home to host Bentley at the Mercyhurst Ice Center on January 30 and 31.

The Lakers close out the regular season with four two-game series in February, beginning with a trip to American International College on February 6 and 7. Mercyhurst will entertain Niagara on February 13 and 14, play another home-and-home series with Canisius the following weekend, and then end the regular season with a trip to Rochester Institute of Technology on February 27 and 28.

"When you factor in our Atlantic Hockey opponents, we think our schedule will be very challenging and we will have our work cut out for us every night," added Gotkin about his schedule. "But, we believe this type of schedule will prepare us for, what we hope will be, a long playoff run."

The Atlantic Hockey Association tournament begins the weekend of March 6 with four, best-of-three, first round series. The quarterfinals, also a best-of-three format, will start March 13, while the semifinals and championship will be March 20 and 21 at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York.

Mercyhurst's 2014-15 season will begin with an exhibition game on October 5 against Ryerson. Faceoff is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. from the Mercyhurst Ice Center.