By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

The University of Alabama Hockey team will play more home games than it ever has at the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena this season, including the popular Ice Iron Cup between Auburn and Alabama.

The Frozen Tide released its schedule for the upcoming season on Sept. 18, and head coach Mike Quenneville called this season’s lineup “the most competitive and challenging schedule in the history of our hockey program.”

This year’s 27-game season will begin on Sept. 26 with the Tide’s game against the U.S. Army’s Fort Benning hockey team, and will conclude the regular season with a Feb. 1, 2014 matchup against Central Florida.

The Ice Iron Cup, which packed out the Civic Complex in 2011, will return to Pelham Jan. 17-19, 2014, after last year’s contest on Auburn’s home ice.

The schedule features several nationally ranked teams, including Florida Gulf Coast, Ole Miss and Arkansas. Alabama has competed in the national championship tournament for the past two years, and won the South Eastern Collegiate Hockey Conference tournament last season.

Through a partnership with the city of Pelham, the Frozen Tide is investing “a sizeable chunk of money” to improve their locker room at the Civic Complex, said Pelham Mayor Gary Waters. The partnership also will allow Alabama to have twice as many home games as usual this season.

The Frozen Tide’s schedule is as follows:

 

Sept.  26 – U.S. Army (Fort Benning) at Pelham Civic Complex

 

Sept. 27 – Tulane University at Pelham Civic Complex

 

Oct. 4 – Michigan – Flint at Huntsville Municipal IcePlex

 

Oct. 5 – Grand Valley State at Huntsville Municipal IcePlex

 

Oct. 6 – Davenport College at Huntsville Municipal IcePlex

 

Oct. 11 – University of South Florida at Pelham Civic Complex

 

Oct. 12 – Christopher Newport at Pelham Civic Complex

 

Oct. 17-18 South Carolina at Pelham Civic Complex

 

Oct. 24 – Georgia Tech at Pelham Civic Complex

 

Nov. 11-12 – Arkansas at Jones Center in Springdale, AR

 

Nov. 15 – Tulane at Biloxi, Miss.

 

Nov. 22 – Central Florida at Rockledge, Fla.

 

Nov. 23 – South Florida at Rockledge, Fla.

 

Nov. 24 – Florida Gulf Coast at Rockledge, Fla.

 

Dec. 6-7 – Ole Miss at Tupelo, Miss.

 

Jan. 10 – Tennessee at Pelham Civic Complex

 

Jan. 11 – U.S. Army (Fort Benning) at Pelham Civic Complex

 

Jan. 17-19 – Auburn at Pelham Civic Complex

 

Jan. 24 – Ole Miss at Pelham Civic Complex

 

Jan. 25 – Georgia at Pelham Civic Complex

 

Jan.31 – Central Florida at Pelham Civic Complex

 

Feb.  1 – Central Florida at Pelham Civic Complex

 

Feb. 7-8 SECHC Championship at Pelham Civic Complex