Ice Hockey begins season

The IU ice hockey team will face off Friday and Saturday against the University of Dayton Flyers in the first regular-season matchup of the year. For the past eight seasons, IU has made it to the ACHA final four. This year's team is hoping that this series is the beginning to another successful season.\n"We're really anxious to see what happens on the ice, and have a little fun, too," forward Tom Orr said. "It's what we've worked for the last month or two."\nDayton comes to Bloomington to resume a rivalry that started when both teams were members of the now-extinct MCHL. Dayton is the only former MCHL team that IU has kept on its schedule since joining the Great Midwestern Hockey League in 2001. IU holds the series edge 27-3-1.\n"We have a lot a lot of respect for them, they're a good program and usually our games with them are pretty competitive," coach Rich Holdeman said.\nThough the games will not count to IU's conference record, Dayton provides some much-needed regional games for IU. ACHA teams are ranked in post-season play based on regional performance, and many of IU's GMHL opponents are not regional teams.\nIU will be without the services of top returning goal-scorer David Ravensberg, who separated his shoulder during the annual Red and White scrimmage last week.\n"David puts the puck in the net a lot," senior defenseman Joe Rogers said. "So we'll have to find some guys who can take his place."\nOrr said the veterans of the team were ready to accept the challenge.\n"The veteran players are going to have to come out and set the example right away, regardless," Orr said.\nIU lost over 50 percent of its goal-scoring production from last season, and Rogers said that good defense and goaltending were already the focus of the young season.\n"We're going to have to lower our goals against average this season," Rogers said. "We might not put up the same numbers again this year."\nIU will face one of their toughest tests of the year next weekend, when they will travel to the University of Illinois to face a Division I program, but Holdeman and the players agree that they will not be looking past Dayton.\n"Illinois will be a whole different story," Holdeman said "Our focus will be on this game."\nThe excitement of the first game of the year will keep everyone on the task at hand, Orr said.\n"I don't think anyone can overlook the first game of the year," Orr said. "I think everyone is excited to play."\nHoldeman said that although the team is coming together there are some questions remain. Whatever the answers may be, Rogers said IU will learn much about themselves this weekend.\n"It will give us a pretty good idea of where we stand going into the season," said Rogers