Weekend Roundup: League Openers, Regional Rivalries and Road Trips.
Penn Gold faces three games in three days, Central Indiana heads to Michigan, and teams across the state prepare for a packed October weekend.
The tournament trips aren't over, but Indiana high school hockey is starting to look a little more familiar.
League opponents are back on the schedule. Regional matchups are taking shape. And from South Bend to Evansville, teams are preparing for another weekend that stretches well beyond their home rinks.
Penn Gold has three games in three days, beginning with Friday night's Michiana League opener against Marian-Riley and ending with a Sunday afternoon meeting against Bishop Noll at Notre Dame.
Central Indiana heads to Grand Rapids for another weekend of tournament competition. Carmel Gold welcomes New Trier Blue from Illinois for a two-game series. South Stars Red faces Brebeuf Jesuit and Bloomington on consecutive nights.
Meanwhile, Columbus, Westfield, Crown Point and Munster are part of a busy slate across Northwest Indiana, with varsity and junior varsity games scheduled throughout the weekend.
With October underway, the schedule is beginning to offer something that early-season showcases can't always provide: a closer look at how Indiana teams measure up against one another.
Penn Gold Faces Three Games in Three Days
Penn Gold won't have much time to settle into the Michiana League schedule.
The Kingsmen open Friday against Marian-Riley at The Ice Box in South Bend, return Saturday to face the Southwest Michigan Blades, then meet Bishop Noll on Sunday at Notre Dame.
It's a demanding three-day stretch against three different opponents.
Penn enters the weekend following a trip to the Great Lakes Kickoff Classic in Kalamazoo, where the Kingsmen faced competition from across Michigan and Indiana.
Marian-Riley presents an immediate challenge Friday night. The team is coming off a 7-2 victory over HSE A in Fishers last weekend and has shown an ability to generate offense early in the season.
Saturday's meeting with the Blades keeps Penn in Michiana League play before Sunday's matchup with Bishop Noll adds another Indiana opponent to the schedule.
The weekend will test Penn's ability to maintain its pace through three consecutive days, while offering an early look at how the Kingsmen match up against familiar regional competition.
Penn Gold Weekend Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Oct. 9 | 6:45 p.m. | Penn Gold at Marian-Riley | The Ice Box, South Bend |
| Saturday, Oct. 10 | 6:45 p.m. | Penn Gold at Southwest Michigan Blades | The Ice Box, South Bend |
| Sunday, Oct. 11 | 1:15 p.m. | Penn Gold vs. Bishop Noll | Notre Dame, South Bend |
Michiana League Opens With Three Friday Night Games
Penn and Marian-Riley aren't the only teams beginning league play Friday.
The Michiana High School Hockey League opens its regular season with three games at The Ice Box, bringing together teams from Northern Indiana and Southwest Michigan.
St. Joe visits Lakeshore St. Joe at 7 p.m., while Adams hosts the Southwest Michigan Blades at 8:30 p.m.
Adams is coming off a strong showing at the Great Lakes Kickoff Classic, where it advanced to the semifinals before falling to KOHA U18 AA.
The opening weekend gives Michiana teams an opportunity to build on their early tournament performances as league results begin to take shape.
Michiana Opening Night
| Time (ET) | Matchup | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 6:45 p.m. | Penn Gold at Marian-Riley | The Ice Box, Rink 1 |
| 7 p.m. | St. Joe at Lakeshore St. Joe | The Ice Box, Rink 2 |
| 8:30 p.m. | Southwest Michigan Blades at Adams | The Ice Box, Rink 1 |
Central Indiana Heads North for Another Tournament Test
Central Indiana's varsity team returns to Michigan this weekend for tournament play in the Grand Rapids area.
The Knights open Friday afternoon against the Lansing Stars at Kentwood Ice Arena before playing twice Saturday.
Their schedule includes a noon matchup with the Ice Cats at Patterson Ice Center and a 5:30 p.m. meeting with Dishing Apples 18U at Eagles Ice Center.
Central Indiana began its season with an 8-0 win over Brebeuf Jesuit, getting goals from seven different players and putting 46 shots on net.
The Knights followed that performance with a 5-1 loss to HSE A last Friday.
Three games against Michigan-area competition will give Central Indiana another opportunity to evaluate its depth and consistency before returning to more Indiana opponents.
A potential Sunday tournament game remains to be determined.
Central Indiana Varsity Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Oct. 9 | 4:30 p.m. | Central Indiana vs. Lansing Stars | Kentwood Ice Arena |
| Saturday, Oct. 10 | Noon | Central Indiana vs. Ice Cats | Patterson Ice Center |
| Saturday, Oct. 10 | 5:30 p.m. | Central Indiana vs. Dishing Apples 18U | Eagles Ice Center |
| Sunday, Oct. 11 | TBD | Tournament game TBD | Grand Rapids area |
Central Indiana's JV teams also have games scheduled, including a Friday meeting with HSE B and a Saturday trip to Oxford, Ohio, to face Miami JV.
South Stars Red Gets Two Indiana Opponents
South Stars Red enters the weekend with two Indiana opponents on its schedule.
The Stars meet Brebeuf Jesuit on Friday night at Carmel Ice Skadium before returning to Perry Park on Saturday to face Bloomington.
South Stars comes into the weekend after a 3-2 victory over Columbus last Saturday, continuing an early stretch that included a runner-up finish at the Great Lakes Fall Classic in Michigan.
The Stars went 3-2 in that tournament, with both losses coming against the West Michigan Ice Dogs. Their championship-game defeat came in a shootout.
Brebeuf, meanwhile, continues working through a challenging opening stretch that has included games against Central Indiana, Zionsville and Marian-Riley.
Friday's meeting gives the Braves another opportunity against an established Indiana opponent.
Saturday brings Bloomington to Perry Park for an 8:30 p.m. game against South Stars Red.
South Stars Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Oct. 9 | 8:30 p.m. | South Stars Red at Brebeuf Jesuit | Carmel Ice Skadium |
| Saturday, Oct. 10 | 5:15 p.m. | Crown Point White JV at South Stars White JV | Perry Park |
| Saturday, Oct. 10 | 8:30 p.m. | Bloomington at South Stars Red | Perry Park |
Carmel Gold Welcomes New Trier Blue
Carmel Gold has a two-game set against New Trier Blue of Illinois this weekend.
The Icehounds host New Trier Friday at 9:45 p.m. and Saturday at 6:05 p.m., with both games at Carmel Ice Skadium.
Carmel opened its Indiana league schedule with a 6-0 shutout of Zionsville in September, allowing only three shots on goal.
The Icehounds have since faced additional competition outside Indiana, including a difficult weekend at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
New Trier gives Carmel another opportunity to face an unfamiliar opponent without leaving home.
The two-game set should also provide a chance to see how Carmel adjusts from one night to the next against the same team.
Carmel Gold Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Oct. 9 | 9:45 p.m. | New Trier Blue at Carmel Gold | Carmel Ice Skadium |
| Saturday, Oct. 10 | 6:05 p.m. | New Trier Blue at Carmel Gold | Carmel Ice Skadium |
Carmel Blue JV also hosts Crown Point White JV late Saturday before traveling to South Bend on Sunday to face Penn Black JV.
Northwest Indiana Brings a Packed Schedule
Northwest Indiana has one of the busiest schedules of the weekend, with games spread across Dyer, Hammond and Culver.
Friday brings Crown Point Red to Lake Central Prep at Midwest Training & Ice Center.
Saturday includes a pair of games for Columbus, which visits Munster Red at noon before facing Crown Point Red at 8 p.m.
Westfield also makes the trip south to Evansville on Saturday before heading to Hammond on Sunday to face Munster Red.
Munster White JV has two games of its own, hosting Momentum JV on Saturday and DePaul Prep on Sunday at Kube Sports Complex.
Lake Central Prep travels to Culver B on Saturday before returning home to face Adams on Sunday afternoon.
Northwest Indiana Schedule
| Date | Time | Matchup | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Oct. 9 | 7:30 p.m. CT | Crown Point Red at Lake Central Prep | Midwest Ice Arena |
| Saturday, Oct. 10 | Noon CT | Columbus at Munster Red | Kube Sports Complex |
| Saturday, Oct. 10 | 1:45 p.m. CT | Momentum JV at Munster White JV | Kube Sports Complex |
| Saturday, Oct. 10 | 6 p.m. ET | Lake Central at Culver B | Henderson Ice Arena |
| Saturday, Oct. 10 | 8 p.m. CT | Columbus at Crown Point Red | Midwest Training & Ice Center |
| Sunday, Oct. 11 | 12:45 p.m. CT | Westfield at Munster Red | Kube Sports Complex |
| Sunday, Oct. 11 | 2:30 p.m. CT | DePaul Prep at Munster White JV | Kube Sports Complex |
| Sunday, Oct. 11 | 3:40 p.m. CT | Adams at Lake Central Prep | Midwest Training & Ice Center |
The weekend creates several opportunities for comparison between Indiana programs that have spent much of the early season facing different opponents.
HSE and Westfield Continue Busy Schedules
HSE has three teams in action this weekend, beginning with a pair of games Friday night at the Fuel Tank in Fishers.
HSE JV hosts Westfield JV at 7 p.m., followed by HSE B against Central Indiana Knights B JV at 8:55 p.m.
HSE A returns Sunday with a trip to Culver, where the Royals face Culver Varsity A at Henderson Ice Arena.
HSE A is coming off a split weekend that included a 5-1 win over Central Indiana and a 7-2 loss to Marian-Riley.
HSE B also enters the weekend looking to respond after an 8-1 loss to Westfield last Sunday.
Westfield has a full schedule of its own, with its varsity team traveling to Evansville on Saturday and Munster on Sunday. Its JV team plays HSE Friday and hosts Angola Saturday.
HSE and Westfield Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Oct. 9 | 7 p.m. | Westfield JV at HSE JV | Fuel Tank at Fishers |
| Friday, Oct. 9 | 8:55 p.m. | HSE B at Central Indiana Knights B JV | Fuel Tank at Fishers |
| Saturday, Oct. 10 | 1 p.m. | Westfield at Evansville | Swonder Ice Arena |
| Saturday, Oct. 10 | 6:15 p.m. | Angola JV at Westfield JV | Pop Weaver Pavilion |
| Sunday, Oct. 11 | 9:45 a.m. | HSE JV at Angola JV | Thunder Ice Arena |
| Sunday, Oct. 11 | 12:05 p.m. | HSE B at Zionsville | Carmel Ice Skadium |
| Sunday, Oct. 11 | 2 p.m. | HSE A at Culver Varsity A | Henderson Ice Arena |
For HSE and Westfield, the weekend provides another mix of league and exhibition competition as teams work toward more consistent performances.
Around the Rinks
Several additional matchups round out the weekend, including junior varsity tournament games in the Chicago area.
Bishop Noll JV and Lake Central JV are both scheduled to compete in the Chicago Fall Classic, while Central Indiana Knights JV travels to Oxford, Ohio.
Friday
| Time | Matchup | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 8:10 p.m. CT | Lake Central JV vs. Bishop Noll JV | Edge Ice Arena, Bensenville, IL |
| 10:40 p.m. CT | Bishop Noll JV vs. Northeast Mavericks JV | Edge Ice Arena, Bensenville, IL |
Saturday
| Time | Matchup | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 4:50 p.m. CT | Lake Central JV vs. Clearwater Ice Storm 2 | Rosemont Ice Arena, Rosemont, IL |
| 5:15 p.m. ET | Central Indiana Knights JV at Miami JV | Goggin Ice Center, Oxford, OH |
| 9 p.m. CT | Lake Central JV vs. Northeast Mavericks JV | Edge Ice Arena, Bensenville, IL |
| 9:50 p.m. ET | Crown Point White JV at Carmel Blue JV | Carmel Ice Skadium, Carmel, IN |
Sunday
| Time | Matchup | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1:30 p.m. ET | Carmel Blue JV at Penn Black JV | The Ice Box, South Bend, IN |
| 2 p.m. ET | KOHA U18 at Lakeshore St. Joe | Garden Ice Arena, St. Joseph, MI |
League Play Begins to Take Shape
The first weeks of the season gave Indiana teams opportunities to travel, compete in tournaments and test themselves against unfamiliar opponents.
This weekend brings a different kind of challenge.
The Michiana League begins its regular season with three Friday night games in South Bend.
Central Indiana heads back to Michigan looking to build on its opening performances.
South Stars gets two more Indiana opponents, Carmel welcomes New Trier for a two-game set, and Northwest Indiana has a full weekend of games involving Munster, Crown Point, Lake Central and Columbus.
Across the state, varsity and junior varsity teams are beginning to settle into their regular schedules.
And with league games becoming more frequent, the results will start carrying greater weight.
By Sunday night, Indiana high school hockey should have a clearer picture of which teams are beginning to separate themselves.