BEMIDJI, Minn. — Seventeen regular-season home games, at least six games versus 2016 NCAA Tournament participants, including a series at defending champion University of North Dakota, and the North Star College Cup highlight Bemidji State University’s 36-game 2016-17 men’s ice hockey schedule.

In addition to the Beavers’ 28-game Western Collegiate Hockey Association slate, BSU has eight nonconference contests which include UND, a home-and-home series versus University of Minnesota Duluth, the program’s first meeting since 1999-2000 versus Princeton University at Sanford Center as well as St. Cloud State and the University of Minnesota or University or Minnesota Duluth as a part of the 2017 North Star College Cup.

The Beavers lift the lid on their 61st season of play at Sanford Center Oct. 7-8, jumping into WCHA play versus a Bowling Green State University team that ended the Beavers 2015-16 season in the first round of the WCHA Playoffs. The home series is followed by a road trip to Marquette, Mich., for a league series at Northern Michigan University, Oct. 14-15. Bemidji State’s second road trip of the season is just west on Highway 2. The Beavers will battle defending NCAA Champion University of North Dakota in a nonconference series at Ralph Engelstad Arena, Oct. 21-22. The series marks the seventh consecutive season the Beavers have faced UND before wrapping up the month of October with a WCHA home series versus University of Alaska-Anchorage, Oct. 28-29, to kick off a string of eight straight WCHA games.

The Beavers embark on their longest road swing of 2016-17 Nov. 4-5 when they travel to Fairbanks, Alaska for a two-game set against the University of Alaska before returning to the Land of 10,000 Lakes for an intrastate matchup with Minnesota State University, Mankato, Nov. 11-12. The team’s longest road trip is followed by the team’s only four-game homestand of the year. Northern Michigan will travel to Bemidji, Nov. 18-19, before the Beavers break from league play to face Princeton, Nov. 25-26.

A trip to Houghton, Mich. for a two-game series at Michigan Technological University, Dec. 2-3, opens play in December. The Beavers then return to Sanford Center to host Lake Superior State University, Dec. 9-10, before a home-and-home nonconference series with Minnesota Duluth, Dec. 16-17. After a game at UMD’s AMSOIL Arena, the Bulldogs will return the favor and travel to Sanford Center for the second half of the nonconference series.

The Beavers proceed their first bye week (Jan. 13-14) with a road series at Bowling Green, Jan. 6-7.

After more than a month without a home contest, BSU returns to Sanford Center for a two-game homestand with Ferris State University, Jan. 21-22.

For the third consecutive year, Bemidji State will participate in the North Star College Cup. Hosted at Xcel Energy Center, Jan. 27-29, BSU will open play versus the defending champion St. Cloud State and will play either Minnesota or Minnesota Duluth, on day two, as the Beavers look to take control the coveted cup for the second time in three years.

The final month of the regular season is bookended by a pair of WCHA home series. The Beavers open February by hosting Michigan Tech (Feb. 3-4). A trip to Huntsville, Ala. for the team’s only meeting with long-time rival University of Alabama-Huntsville, Feb. 10-11, is followed by the Beavers’ final bye week of the season. Bemidji State then wraps up the regular-season with a two-game home series versus Minnesota State, Feb. 24-25.

The revamped WCHA playoffs begin March 3-5 with the top eight teams playing best-of-three quarterfinal series at the home sites of the top four seeds. The semifinal round, March 10-12, will again feature a best-of-three series on the campuses of the top two remaining seeds with the winners advancing to a single-game conference title game for the Broadmoor Trophy and an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, March 18. For the first time since 1987-88, the top seed will host the league’s championship game.

The NCAA Tournament opens March 24-26. Advancing teams will be seeded in any of the four regional sites, which include Fargo, N.D., Providence, R.I., Cincinnati, Ohio, and Manchester, N.H.

After a weekend off the ice, the four regional championship teams will participate in the Frozen Four, which will take place April 6 and 8 at the United Center in Chicago, Ill.

The 2016-17 men’s hockey season ticket process is already underway and are available now. For more information, to renew your current season ticket package or for questions regarding season ticket options, call Adrian Dunn at (218) 755-2827.

Bemidji State, which finished 17-16-6 overall and posted an 11-12-5 mark in WCHA play to finish fifth in the league, wrapped up the 2015-16 campaign dropping a best-of-three WCHA Playoff series at Bowling Green.

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For the complete 2016-17 BSU Men’s Hockey schedule Click HERE

For the complete 2016-17 WCHA Men’s Hockey composite schedule, Click HERE