B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League releases 2012/13 season schedule

The British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League has released its schedule for the 2012/13 regular season. The league's six teams will each complete a 24-game schedule with play commencing on Friday, October 5th and concluding on Saturday, March 2nd.

The full regular season schedule can be found under the 'SCHEDULE' tab on www.bcihl.ca.

Season highlights include the first rematch of the 2012 season's Championship Game when the University of Victoria visits Simon Fraser University on Saturday, October 13th. UVic, who captured its third BCIHL title with a 4-3 overtime victory in March, will face SFU a total of five times over the course of the regular season.

Thompson Rivers University will face SFU for the first time on home ice on Friday, November 30th, reigniting the BCIHL's most heated rivalry. TRU will visit Simon Fraser the following evening to complete a home-and-home series prior to the league's winter break.

Kootenay rivals Selkirk College and Eastern Washington will play the first of their five games on Saturday, November 24th.

Opening weekend fixtures on October 5th and 6th include the University of Victoria hosting Selkirk College for two games while Eastern Washington and Thompson Rivers each visit the Lower Mainland.

The 2012/13 regular season concludes on the first weekend in March with all six teams in action, including a final match-up between TRU and SFU and a home-and-home series between EWU and Selkirk. The BCIHL playoffs -- a first after years of settling the league's championship with a tournament-style event -- begin the weekend of March 8th.