Northeastern Releases 2011-12 schedule

With the good news piling up of late for Northeastern - Jamie Oleksiak confirming that he plans to return to Boston next year, regardless of where he's drafted later this month, Greg Cronin not leaving, Vinny Saponari coming on board and bringing former Dubuque Fighting Saints teammate John Gaudreau with him, providing the offensive spark an already defensively-sound team desperately needs to compete in Hockey East - the Huskies have released their 2011-12 schedule, which features a Black Friday date at Michigan and two at Notre Dame the following weekend.

The Huskies start their conference schedule much the way that they ended it last year - with a challenge. Seven of their first 10 conference games are against fellow Hockey East quarterfinalists in, as the Huskies will face off  with UMass, UNH, Maine, Merrimack and Boston College to begin their season.

For the complete Northeastern schedule, please see below. It can also be viewed online here.

DATE	OPPONENT	LOCATION	TIMES/RESULTS
10/2/2011	ST. FRANCIS XAVIER (scrimmage)	Matthews Arena	7 p.m.
10/7/2011	MASSACHUSETTS	Matthews Arena	7 p.m.
10/14/2011	NEW HAMPSHIRE	Matthews Arena	7 p.m.
10/16/2011	at Maine	Orono, Maine	7 p.m.
10/21/2011	at Merrimack	North Andover, Mass.	7 p.m.
10/22/2011	BOSTON COLLEGE	Matthews Arena	7 p.m.
10/29/2011	at New Hampshire	Durham, N.H.	7 p.m.
11/4/2011	at Merrimack	North Andover, Mass.	7 p.m.
11/5/2011	MERRIMACK	Matthews Arena	7 p.m.
11/11/2011	at Boston College	Chestnut Hill, Mass.	7 p.m.
11/12/2011	at Massachusetts	Amherst, Mass.	7 p.m.
11/18/2011	PROVIDENCE	Matthews Arena	7 p.m.
11/19/2011	VERMONT	Matthews Arena	7 p.m.
11/25/2011	at Michigan	Ann Arbor, Mich.	7 p.m.
12/2/2011	at Notre Dame	South Bend, Ind.	7 p.m.
12/3/2011	at Notre Dame	South Bend, Ind.	7 p.m.
12/10/2011	UMASS LOWELL	Matthews Arena	7 p.m.
12/30/2011	vs Minnesota / Princeton / Niagara	Minneapolis, Minn.	TBA
12/31/2011	vs Minnesota / Princeton / Niagara	Minneapolis, Minn.	TBA
1/7/2012	UNDER-18 U.S. NATIONAL TEAM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (scrimmage)	Matthews Arena	7 p.m.
1/13/2012	BOSTON UNIVERSITY	Matthews Arena	7 p.m.
1/14/2012	at Boston College	Chestnut Hill, Mass.	7 p.m.
1/20/2012	at UMass Lowell	Lowell, Mass.	7 p.m.
1/21/2012	UMASS LOWELL	Matthews Arena	7 p.m.
1/27/2012	at Vermont	Burlington, Vt.	7 p.m.
1/28/2012	at Vermont	Burlington, Vt.	7 p.m.
2/3/2012	MASSACHUSETTS	Matthews Arena	7 p.m.
2/6/2012	vs Boston College	TD Garden	TBA
2/10/2012	at New Hampshire	Durham, N.H.	7 p.m.
2/13/2012	vs Boston University / Harvard	TD Garden	TBA
2/17/2012	PROVIDENCE	Matthews Arena	7 p.m.
2/18/2012	at Providence	Providence, R.I.	7 p.m.
2/24/2012	MAINE	Matthews Arena	7 p.m.
2/25/2012	MAINE	Matthews Arena	7 p.m.
3/2/2012	at Boston University	Boston, Mass.	7 p.m.
3/3/2012	BOSTON UNIVERSITY	Matthews Arena	7 p.m.

Checking in on the Hockey East Class of 2011

Now that the flurry of post-post-season comings and goings are over, it's time to see how the Hockey East class of 2011 is faring in their post-collegiate careers.

Since his season ended - perhaps prematurely - at the hands of Notre Dame, Stephane Da Costa is the only Hockey East-er to head straight to the NHL. Playing for the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, Da Costa recorded a shot, but no points and was a minus-one in the Sens' 4-2 loss to the suddenly frisky Toronto Maple Leafs.

Other HEA alums who are poised to see time at the NHL level in the next season include reigning conference player of the year Paul Thompson, who has three point (1-2) in three games for the Wilkes-Barre Penguins and is a plus-four - a surprise for a player who didn't do much back-checking as a student-athlete. His former linemate Mike Sislo signed a two-year, entry-level deal with the New Jersey Devils on Sunday; while Sislo will finish the season at AHL Albany this year, he could compete for time in a Devils roster full of holes next season.

Former Boston College standout Cam Atkinson has played in two games with AHL Springfield (MA), and is 2-2=4 in those games with a plus-one rating. His former teammate Jimmy Hayes has played three games for the Rockford IceHogs - AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks - but is yet to register a point and is a minus-one in those games. Don't be thrown by the AHL's website saying that he's playing D for Rockford - he's still on the right wing.

Ex-Maine Black Bear Gustav Nyquist has 1-2=3 totals through four games with Detroit Red Wings' affiliate Grand Rapids, and has a plus-one rating as well.

Below are the stats for all Hockey East 2011 alums through their first few days/weeks as professionals:

ECHL

UMass - F Chase Langeraap (SC) - 8 GP, 2-0=2, +2
Merrimack - F Joe Cucci (SC) - 2 GP, 0-1=1, Even
Vermont - F Josh Burrows (BKR) - 7 GP, 1-0=1, +5


AHL
BC - F Cam Atkinson (SPFLD) 2 GP, 2-2=4, +1
BC - F Jimmy Hayes (ROC) 3 GP, 0-0=0, -1
BU - F Joe Pereira (WOR)- 1 GP, 0-0=0
BU - D David Warsofsky (PRV) - 7 GP, 0-1=1, +1
Maine - F Tanner House (OKC) 3 GP, 1-1=2, +1
Maine - F Gustav Nyquist (GRP) 4 GP, 1-2=3, +1
Maine - D Jeff Dimmen (POR) 2 GP, -1
Maine - D Mike Banwell (ALB) 1 GP, 0-0=0, -1
UMass - G Paul Dainton (SPFLD)- 1-2-0, 2.71, .923
Merrimack - F Chris Barton (BPT) - 1 GP
Northeastern - F Tyler McNeely (BPT) - 6 GP, 2-1=3, +4
Northeastern - F Wade MacLeod (SPFLD)- 5 GP, 1-0=1, -1
UNH - D Matt Campanale (BPT) - 1 GP
UNH - F Paul Thompson (WBS) - 3 GP, 1-2=3, +4
Vermont - D Kevan Miller (PRV) 3 GP, 0-0=0, Even


NHL

Merrimack - F Stephane Da Costa (OTT) - 1 GP, -1



Signings

Merrimack Captain D Adam Ross - ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings
UNH Captain F Mike Sislo - NHL New Jersey Devils (assigned to Albany)
Maine D Josh Van Dyk - NHL Edmonton Oilers (assigned to Abbotsford, has not yet played)