jdredmon@mavs.coloradomesa.edu

Hockey is making a return to CMU with a full schedule this fall after a shortened five game season last year, in which they finished with a 3-2 record. They are slated to play in 24 games this season.

Forward Charlie Barnum, who was named team captain over the weekend, credits student-coach Matt Meiring for getting the team back into conference play after being dropped when the ice rink in town closed a few years ago.

“The past few years we’ve been playing all of our games on the road,” Meiring said. “This past year we got an outdoor rink for practice, but we still can’t play our home games there. It’s a size and safety issue. We’re holding out hope that Glacier [Ice Arena] opens up at some point.”

Because of the lack of a regulation-sized rink in the area, the team will be playing its home games in Eagle. Since being out of full-time action for about two years now, the team will look to improve in the coming weeks and show that they are still a respectable team and shouldn’t be overlooked.

“We’re starting to get used to playing on the road,” Barnum said. “It shouldn’t be too different from playing in Grand Junction. We’re going to have a real good team and we have a lot more talent than people know. I think we’ll definitely be over .500.”

Meiring said that while playoffs aren’t an option this season, the team will still look to compete at a high level.

“Basically we’re just rebuilding and trying to get back to where we were,” Meiring said. “As far as us getting back to playoff eligibility, it’s a probationary period of one year since we’ve been out for two years. So next year will be our first year of being eligible.”

Just because the team won’t be able to qualify for the playoffs, Meiring noted that the support the team as received from the fans has been positive despite the absence and not being able to play in the area.

“You’d like to see [fans] at games, but if they can make it, they’ll be more than welcome,” Meiring said. “We’ve seen plenty of support around campus and I don’t think we could ask for much more. It’s been important.”