The Mercyhurst University women’s hockey team won’t wait long to play College Hockey America’s newest teams in the 2012-13 season.
The Lakers, which finished 23-8-3 and ranked eighth nationally in 2011-12, opens the regular season at NCAA Division I newcomer Rochester Institute of Technology Sept. 28-29. The Lakers face Penn State, another first-year D-I program, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 at Mercyhurst Ice Center. They travel to St. Charles, Mo., to play Lindenwood, a second-year D-I team, Nov. 2-3. Mercyhurst won all four meetings with the Lions last season by a combined 30-3 score. Mercyhurst begins the season with four straight road games, including a doubleheader at Quinnipiac Oct. 5-6, after playing an exhibition game against Stoney Creek (Ontario) Sept. 22 at MIC.
The Lakers end October with a five-game homestand against Providence Oct. 12-13, Clarkson Oct. 19-20 and Minnesota State-Mankato Oct. 26-27. Two games against Boston College Jan. 18-19 at MIC headlines a season-high, six-game homestand. The Eagles reached the NCAA Frozen Four the past two seasons. The regular season ends at home Feb. 23 against RIT. The CHA Tournament begins March 1 with a new best-of-three series format in the first round. The highest-seeded teams will host those series, as well as the semifinals and final March 8-9.

Mercyhurst women’s 2012-13 schedule
(all times p.m.)
Date Opp. Time
September
22 vs. Stoney Creek# 5
28 at RIT* 7
29 at RIT* 2
October
5 at Quinnipiac 7
6 at Quinnipiac 1
12 vs. Providence 7
13 vs. Providence 2
19 vs. Clarkson 7
20 vs. Clarkson 3
26 vs. Minnesota-Mankato 7
27 vs. Minnesota-Mankato 1
November
2 at Lindenwood* 7
3 at Lindenwood* 1
16 at Yale 7
17 at Yale TBA
30 vs. Penn State* 7
December
1 vs. Penn State* 2
7 at Robert Morris* 7
8 at Robert Morris* 3
January
4 vs. Durham# 7
11 vs. Syracuse* TBA
12 vs. Syracuse* 2
18 vs. Boston College 7
19 vs. Boston College 2
25 vs. Lindenwood* TBA
26 vs. Lindenwood* TBA
29 at Cornell 7
February
1 at Penn State* 2
2 at Penn State* 2
8 vs. Robert Morris* TBA
9 vs. Robert Morris* 2
15 at Syracuse* 7
16 at Syracuse* 2
22 vs. RIT* 3
23 vs. RIT* 2
March
1-3 CHA Tournament first round TBA
8 CHA Tournament semifinals TBA
9 CHA Tournament final TBA
# Exhibition game
* College Hockey America game