UMass Lowell Hockey Head Coach Norm Bazin announced the schedule for the upcoming 2018-19 season on Wednesday morning.The River Hawks officially open their 52nd season of hockey on Friday, October 12th against RIT to kickoff River Hawk Homecoming Weekend. UMass Lowell will face Acadia University in an exhibition contest on Sunday, October 7th at the Tsongas Center (1pm) to open up the schedule.UMass Lowell begins Hockey East play on Friday, October 26th against Northeastern at the Tsongas Center.The River Hawks' home non-conference schedule includes a matchup with the NCHC's Denver Pioneers on Saturday, December 29th in Lowell and a post-Thanksgiving game against Rensselaer on November 23rd on Black Friday. UMass Lowell will also take road trips to Miami on October 19th and 20th, as well as a two-game series at Colgate on January 11th and 12th."This upcoming schedule will provide many new challenges," said. "We will open up by hosting one of the best teams in Atlantic Hockey with RIT. We also have a crucial road trip to Miami and also face two more road trips to Maine and RPI to finish the first half. We open up the second half with Denver and conclude the regular season with a road trip to Vermont. This schedule features non-conference play against the ECAC, Atlantic Hockey and the NCHC. Our players are looking forward to the upcoming season."The team will host longtime rival Boston University on Saturday, December 8th and will entertain Boston College at home twice this coming season on January 26th and February 8th.UMass Lowell will finish the last two weekends of the regular season with a home-and-home series against New Hampshire on March 1st and 2nd and will play a single game at Vermont to wrap up the regular-season slate on March 8th on Gutterson Fieldhouse.The River Hawks will play eight of their 34 regular-season games in the month of November and will have 10 home contests in the second half of the year. UMass Lowell will play 17 home games this season, which includes four home dates in February, to go along with three home contests in October, November and January.