Bears to face Sioux

The last two NCAA Division I hockey champions will open the season at the University of Maine’s Alfond Arena on the weekend of Oct. 13-14 when defending champ the University of North Dakota and 1999 titlist Maine square off.

North Dakota’s Fighting Sioux and Maine’s Black Bears have won three of the last four NCAA titles and four of the last eight.

That series highlights the Black Bears’ 35-game schedule, which includes its first foray into Florida for a tournament at the Teco Arena in Naples on Dec. 27-28. ECAC teams Clarkson and Cornell and CCHA club Ohio State are the other teams with Maine facing Clarkson in the opening round.

The Black Bear Hockey Classic on Oct. 20-21 will see NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist St. Lawrence squaring off against Holy Cross of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and Maine facing the USA Development Program team in the semis.

In addition to its 24-game Hockey East schedule, the North Dakota series, and the tournaments, Maine will play a two-game home set with Ohio State and road games at Cornell (N.Y.), Brown University (R.I.), and Dartmouth (N.H.).

“It’s a daunting schedule, but it’s a fun schedule,” said Maine coach Shawn Walsh.

Maine winger Niko Dimitrakos, who will be a junior, said the North Dakota series “will be a good test to see where we are. We’re going to have a young team. It’ll be a big series and will set the tone for the season.”

He added that the Black Bear Hockey Classic match-up with the USA Development team will be interesting “because we’ll get to see how our country is coming along when it comes to the development of players.”

He termed the Florida trip “exciting” but said they will have to put the sun and relaxation in the background in order to focus on their tournament foes.

In other news, Maine winger Barrett Heisten, the Bears second-leading scorer last season, has informed Walsh that he won’t return for his junior year this fall.

Heisten, a first round draft choice of the Buffalo Sabres in 1999, had 13 goals and 24 assists in 37 games. His 86 penalty minutes were second most on the team. The 6-foot-1, 191-pound Heisten, a member of the Hockey East All-Rookie team two years ago, concluded his 71-game Maine career with 25 goals, 40 assists and 158 penalty minutes.

“He will either sign with the Sabres or play Major Junior A,” said Walsh. “There is a new rule that directly applies to his situation. If he doesn’t sign with Buffalo and plays Major Junior, he will become a free agent (after the season) and can sign with anybody.”

Heisten was one of the premier power forwards in the country and a top-notch defensive forward as well.

“It’s obviously a tough loss,” said Dimitrakos. “He has been one of our top players over the last two years. Hopefully, someone will step up and take over.”

THE SCHEDULE September 7 Blue/White, 7 p.m.

October 13 North Dakota, 7 p.m. 14 North Dakota, 7 p.m. Black Bear Hockey Classic 20 St. Lawrence vs. Holy Cross, 4 p.m. 20 Maine vs. USA development team, 7 p.m. 21 Consolation Game, 4 p.m. 21 Championship Game, 7 p.m. 27 Ohio State, 8 p.m. 28 Ohio State, 7 p.m.

November 3 at Providence, TBA 4 at Northeasten, TBA 10 Merrimack, 7 p.m. 17 at UMass-Lowell, 7 p.m. 21 at Cornell, TBA 24 at Brown, TBA 25 at Dartmouth, 7 p.m.

December 1 Northeastern, 7 p.m. 3 Northeastern, 2 p.m. 8 at Boston University, 7 p.m. 10 Boston College, 7 p.m. 14 UMass-Amherst, 7 p.m. Florida Tournament 27 Maine vs. Clarkson, TBA 27 Cornell vs. Ohio State, TBA 28 Consolation, TBA 28 Championship, TBA

January 5 at New Hampshire, 7 p.m. 6 at New Hampshire, 7 p.m. 12 Boston University, 7 p.m. 13 Boston University, 7 p.m. 26 at Boston College, 7 p.m. 27 at Boston College, 7 p.m.

February 4 New Hampshire, 7 p.m. 9 at UMass-Amherst, 7 p.m. 10 at UMass-Amherst, 7 p.m. 16 UMass-Lowell, 7 p.m. 17 UMass-Lowell, 7 p.m. 23 at Merrimack, TBA 24 at Merrimack, TBA

March 2 Providence, 7 p.m. 3 Providence, 7 p.m. 8-10 Hockey East quaterfinals, TBA 16 Hockey East semifinals, TBA 17 Hockey East Championships, TBA