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Showers and thunderstorms today and tomorrow; sunshine returns Sunday

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Concert Listings: July 7 to 13

WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Jen Kindret is well aware of the rivalry that exists between King&#8217;s College and Wilkes University.That&#8217;s why the head coach of the King&#8217;s Women&#8217;s Ice Hockey program is excited to see the inaugural season begin with a pair of games against their downtown rival.The schedule for the 2017-18 season was released on Thursday, and it starts with a bang as King&#8217;s and Wilkes face off on Oct. 27 at the Revolution Ice Centre, followed by another meeting on Oct. 28 at the Toyota Sportsplex.&#8220;It&#8217;s going to set the tone for the rest of the season and showcase girls hockey in the area,&#8221; Kindret said.The two rivals will meet again on Nov. 21, and the schedule is full plenty of competition for King&#8217;s, which will compete in the NCAA Division III.King&#8217;s will face Elmira College, a team that &#8216;s a national contender every year, twice at home. Kindret&#8217;s team will also play two games against Chatham University, the place where she served as assistant coach for the 2013-14 season.King&#8217;s will also compete in the first Commonwealth Cup in Pittsburgh, a two-day tournament against other Pennsylvania schools, including Chatham, Lebanon Valley College and Neumann University.The Monarchs will also play seven non-conference games. Those games include the doubleheader against Wilkes, a home-and-away series versus Cortland State, and single games against Nichols College of Massachusetts and Trine University of Indiana. The Commonwealth Cup games at Chatham will not count towards UCHC standings.Overall, King&#8217;s will play a 24-game regular season schedule, including 16 contests in the newly formed United Collegiate Hockey Conference.So how does Kindret expect the new King&#8217;s team to fare in its first season?&#8220;We want to go into every night looking to compete and win,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Being that this is a first-year program, it&#8217;s also important to build our own identity and culture that will be here for years to come.&#8221;Since being named the first head coach of the women&#8217;s ice hockey team last summer, Kindret has been busy traveling across North America recruiting players. The roster will consist of all freshmen with one sophomore transfer, and they come from California, Minnesota, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Florida, Connecticut and Rhode Island.Local standout Sarah Lawson, who played defense for Wyoming Valley West boy&#8217;s team, committed to play for the team in April.Kindret said the players will fit well with the fast style of play. As a former forward at the D-I level with Robert Morris, Kindret said there will be a heavy emphasis on offense with her team.In addition to being skilled on the ice, Kindret expects her players to become involved in the community as well. She said it&#8217;s important for the players to work with young girls interested in hockey and help to grow the game locally.The women&#8217;s team will partner with the King&#8217;s men&#8217;s team with camps and clinics in the fall.&#8220;We want to establish King&#8217;s hockey as a brand,&#8221; Kindret said.The women&#8217;s roster will consist of nearly 20 players, so there will be plenty of ice time available. Kindret said the opportunity to play without having to wait for their junior or senior season was a big draw for many of the recruits.The chance to be a part of something new held a lot of appeal as well.&#8220;It&#8217;s a new program and they&#8217;re not stepping into someone else&#8217;s shoes,&#8221; Kindret said. &#8220;They can create their own history.&#8221;<style>
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<div class="neCaption">King&#8217;s head women&#8217;s ice hockey coach Jennifer Kindret, left, and King&#8217;s senior women&#8217;s administrator Megan Mundy showcase the Monarchs&#8217; 24-game schedule. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_Kindret.jpg</photo0><caption0>King&#8217;s head women&#8217;s ice hockey coach Jennifer Kindret, left, and King&#8217;s senior women&#8217;s administrator Megan Mundy showcase the Monarchs&#8217; 24-game schedule. </caption0><photoCredit0>Submitted photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>King&#8217;s ice hockey opens season vs.Wilkes</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Tom Veneskytvenesky@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta>King&#8217;s Women&#8217;s Ice Hockey 2017-18 scheduleOct. 27, Wilkes University -home, 3:30 p.m.Oct. 28, Wilkes University - away, 7 p.m.Nov. 3 -4 Commonwealth Cup at Chatham University in PittsburghNov. 11, Elmira College - home, 3 p.m.Nov. 12, Elmira College - home, 3 p.m.Nov. 18, Lebanon Valley College - away, 2 p.m.Nov. 19, Lebanon Valley College - home, 3 p.m.Nov. 21, Wilkes University - TBDDec. 1, Stevenson University - away, 3 p.m.Dec. 2, Stevenson University - away, 3 p.m.Jan. 5, Cortland State University - awayJan. 7, Nichols College - home, 2 p.m.Jan. 12, Neumann University - homeJan. 13, Neumann University - home, 7 p.m.Jan. 14, Trine University - home, 2 p.m.Jan. 20, Manhattanville College - home, 3:30 p.m.Jan. 21, Manhattanville College - home, 1 p.m.Feb. 2, Chatham University - away, 5:30 p.m.Feb. 3, Chatman University - away, 2:30 p.m.Feb. 10, William Smith College - home, 3:30 p.m.Feb. 11, William Smith College - home, 1 p.m.Feb. 13, Cortland State University - home, 6 p.m.Feb. 17, Utica College - awayFeb. 18, Utica College - awayFeb. 21, UCHC PlayoffsFeb. 24, UCHC Playoffs</factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TomVenesky</shirttailMeta></div>

King’s women’s ice hockey team to open inaugural season against Wilkes