The Division I Razorback Men’s Hockey team confronts defending National Champion University of Central Oklahoma this Friday and Saturday night at the Jones Center.  Face-off times on both nights is 7:30 pm.  UCO enters the weekend after having dropped a pair of close games to #5 Iowa State last weekend.  A WCHL conference foe, UCO also enters as the #8 team in the nation.

For their part, the Razorbacks enter the weekend with an overall 3-6-0 record after having dropped a pair of games against WCHL rival Colorado.  After a competitive 4-1 (ENG) loss last Friday, the Hogs dropped game two to the Buffaloes by a lopsided 9-3 score.  The pair of losses knocked the Razorbacks out of this week’s national ranking (available here).

The Bronchos and Razorbacks have met several times before. Dating back to 2012, the teams have met six total times.  The Bronchos have posted an overall 5-1 record against the Razorbacks, with the lone Hogs’ win occuring in overtime on November 22, 2013.  This weekend marks the first time that UCO has visited the Jones Center.

Meanwhile, the Division III Razorbacks (6-0-0) travel to Nasvhille, TN, for a critical conference matchup against the 5-1-0 Vanderbilt Commodores.  Dating back to 2011, Arkansas has never lost to Vanderbilt.  The two teams last met in the semifinals of the SECHC tournament last February, when Arkansas defeated Vanderbilt by a decisive 7-1 score.

Prior to their date last February, the two teams hooked up in the first round of the SECHC tournament on February 22, 2013–a game Arkansas also won 7-1.  The only other game between the conference rivals took place at the Jones Center on December 10, 2011, when the Hogs defeated the Commodores 13-0.  Game times for the DIII Razorbacks are 5:45 pm on Saturday and 10:30 am on Sunday.