The Denver Pioneers begin their quest to return to the Frozen Four tomorrow night as they take on the Vermont Catamounts in the first of a two game series against the University of Vermont at Denver's Magness Arena.
DU finished up a disappointing 2009-10 campaign by falling to the Rochester Institute of Technology in the first round of the NCAA East Regional, their third first-round exit in as many seasons.
This season, the Pioneers look to start off the season with a bang against a rough opening schedule.
Friday's game at Vermont not only opens the season, it marks the start of a brutal 10-game stretch.
DU hosts defending national champion Boston College on Oct. 15-16 and follows with a series Oct. 22-23 at home against Western Collegiate Hockey Association rival Wisconsin. The Pioneers then play at North Dakota, which was the unanimous choice last week to win the WCHA.
The stretch wraps up with a home-and-home set with rival Colorado College on Nov. 5-6.
Vermont is no slouch, either. The Catamounts were 5-0-0 against nonconference opponents at home last season, and the Pioneers split an early-season series with Vermont at Magness Arena last season.
Here's a look at DU's 2010-11 schedule and the televised games are listed below:
-FSN Rocky Mountain-
Fri., Oct. 15 Boston College, 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 22 Wisconsin, 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 5 Colorado College, 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 19 Bemidji State, 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 26 Lake Superior State, 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 31 Northern Michigan, 6:00 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 21 Alaska Anchorage, 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 22 Alaska Anchorage, 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 5 Colorado College, 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 18 Michigan Tech, 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 19 Michigan Tech, 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 4 St. Cloud State, 7:30 p.m.