BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University women’s hockey program has revealed its 2016-17 season schedule. Set to open the 34-game season Sept. 30, the Beavers look to build upon their record-setting, 22-victory 2015-16 campaign.

Bemidji State will begin its regular season on the road for a non-conference matchup with Syracuse University, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. While BSU and the Orange have not met in head-to-head competition, the Beavers look to pick up right where they left off in 2015-16. Bemidji State was unbeaten in its last seven road contests (6-0-1) and is 13-5-1 in non-conference play under Head Coach Jim Scanlan.

Following the Beavers’ first-ever meeting with Syracuse, BSU will return to Bemidji and Sanford Center to open its 14-game home season with a four-game Western Collegiate Hockey Association homestand. The Beavers’ welcome two-time defending NCAA Division I champion University of Minnesota, Oct. 7-8, before hosting the Ohio State University for a two-game WCHA series, Oct. 14-15. The Beavers swept the season series versus OSU last season and are unbeaten in 11 of their last 18 meetings with the Buckeyes (9-6-2).

After a road series at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Oct. 21-22, the Beavers will play the first of two home-and-home series with the University of North Dakota, Oct. 28-29. A trip to Madison, Wis. to battle the University of Wisconsin, Nov. 4-5, wraps up a string of 10 consecutive league games.

Nov. 11-12, Bemidji State welcomes the Minnesota Whitecaps to Sanford Center for a pair of exhibition games. The independent team’s roster is slated to be stacked with former collegiate hockey players, including former Beaver Stephanie Anderson, who are training for the 2018 Olympics. BSU remains home Nov. 18-19 to host St. Cloud State University. The series will stand as the Beavers’ final home contest of the calendar year. Following road trips to Minnesota, Nov. 25-26, the team’s first meeting of the season with Minnesota State University, Mankato, Dec. 2-3, and a trip to Rochester, N.Y. for a nonconference series at Rochester Institute of Technology, Dec. 9-10, the Beavers will take a four-week semester break.

Bemidji State returns to action Jan. 13-14 when it travels to Columbus, Ohio for its final regular-season meeting with Ohio State.

Down the stretch, the Beavers play seven of their last 10 games at home beginning with a two-game series with Minnesota Duluth, Jan. 20-21, followed by a home-and-home with North Dakota, Jan. 27-28. The Beavers will then welcome Wisconsin to Sanford Center, Feb. 3-4, before embarking on its final road trip of the regular season, a trip to St. Cloud State, Feb. 10-11.

Bemidji State wraps up the 2016-17 regular season at home, Feb. 17-18, when it hosts Minnesota State.

The first round of the WCHA playoffs will take place Feb. 24-27 with the top four seeds hosting the best-of-three series. The four teams advancing out of the first round will play for an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament in the WCHA Final Face-Off, March 3-5. Four conference champions and four at-large teams will then play for a national championship in the NCAA Tournament, beginning the following week, March 10-12.

The 2017 NCAA Frozen Four will take place March 17-19 at Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo.

—bsu—

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

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