The following was submitted by Merrimack College Athletics. See the attached PDF for the Warriors' 2011-12 home schedule.
Following the most successful season in Merrimack’s Division I history, Merrimack has released the 2011-12 home hockey schedule and season ticket packages for the 16 game schedule at Lawler Arena.
Find out what's happening in North Andoverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Season tickets start as low as $295 for adults and $195 for youths and seniors. A limited number of Blue Line Club memberships, which include preferred center-ice seating, VIP parking, a buffet dinner for all home games, and access to away game tickets, are also available for purchase. For the first time, Merrimack is also sponsoring a faculty and staff special season ticket price of $80 for preferred reserved seating.
Fans can log on to Merrimack’s ticket page for complete details or call the box office at 978-837-5324 to place your order today.
Find out what's happening in North Andoverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In addition to Merrimack’s 13 home Hockey East contests that begin on October 21 against Northeastern, the Warriors will also welcome non-conference foes Army, Connecticut and Union to Lawler Arena.
“My goal every year in putting together our non-conference schedule is to prepare our team for league play, to bring well-known schools to Lawler for our great fans, and to play teams whose coaches I respect,” said head coach Mark Dennehy. “I think our schedule has reflected that over the last few years.”
Led by captains Karl Stollery (Camrose, AB), Ryan Flanigan (Rochester, NY), and Jordan Heywood (Regina, SK), Merrimack will host Army in the home opener on October 15 before taking on Northeastern and Connecticut on October 21-22 as part of Homecoming Weekend.
The Warriors have just one home November game, against Northeastern on November 4, before hosting Providence (December 3), Vermont (December 7), and Union (December 17) before the Christmas holiday.
Merrimack and Union, both of whom advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, have not met since November of 2004 and have not played at Lawler since the 2002 campaign.
In a rematch of last year’s Hockey East Quarterfinals, Maine will visit North Andover for a pair of games on January 13-14 to kick off the 2012 portion of the season. New Hampshire, who fell to the Warriors in the Semifinals, visits Lawler Arena six days later, on January 20. Merrimack concludes January play against Providence on Sunday, January 29.
February’s home slate is arguably the toughest, as the Warriors host Boston University (February 3), New Hampshire (February 11), Boston College (February 18) and UMass Lowell (February 24).
Merrimack concludes its home regular season schedule against Massachusetts on Saturday, March 3.
Last season, Merrimack had 10 sellout crowds, including five straight to end the season, en route to a 14-2-1 home record.
“Lawler has become a great place to play because of our students and the rest of the fans,” said Dennehy, who will enter his seventh season as head coach. “Our guys play with a lot of confidence because of the support. There was nothing more humbling than looking up in the Garden at all the Merrimack hockey fans, and there is nothing as intimidating as our student section.”
Led by the All-New England Coach of the Year Dennehy, Merrimack won a Division I school record 25 games, advanced to its first-ever Hockey East Championship, and was selected to its first NCAA Tournament since 1988. The Warriors also defeated every Hockey East team for the second straight campaign and second time ever and captured seven of nine season series.
Merrimack also returns senior goaltender Joe Cannata (Wakefield, MA), who enters his final campaign as the program’s all-time Division I leader for wins.
All road games and game times will be announced later this summer along with the home promotional schedule.
Individual game tickets will also go on sale later this summer.
