SWINDON Wildcats will host the Guildford Flames when they get their 2016/17 English Premier League campaign underway next month.
The schedule for the forthcoming season was unveiled this morning, with Aaron Nell’s side travelling to Peterborough Phantoms to round off the opening weekend.
Wildcats play four challenge games against Basingstoke Bison and local rivals Bracknell Bees before the puck drops on their first league encounter against the Flames on Saturday, September 10.
Swindon will also see plenty of action over the festive period, with a Boxing Day trip to Basingstoke before back-to-back home games against the Bison and Guildford Flames on December 27 and 31 respectively, both Christmas games facing-off at 4pm.
Cats will open the new year at Bracknell and end their regular season with a home game against Peterborough on Saturday, March 18, and a trip to Basingstoke the following night.
The Wildcats will also compete in the EPIHL Cup this season, with the first home and away league fixtures counting towards the qualifying process. The top four teams progress through to the two-legged semi-finals, which will take place in January with the final in February.
The end-of-season play-offs have also undergone a revamp, with a new, extended format.
The teams finishing first, fourth, fifth and eighth will go into Group One, with second, third, sixth and seventh in Group Two.
The final four sides will contest finals weekend at Coventry’s SkyDome Arena on April 8-9.
SWINDON WILDCATS 2016/17 FIXTURES
EPIHL unless stated
Home fixtures in CAPS
AUGUST
Wed 31: BASINGSTOKE BISON (Challenge)
SEPTEMBER
Sat 3: BRACKNELL BEES (Challenge)
Sun 4: Bracknell (Challenge)
Wed 7: Basingstoke Bison (Challenge)
Sat 10: GUILDFORD FLAMES
Sun 11: Peterborough Phantoms
Sat 17: MANCHESTER PHOENIX
Sun 18: Hull Pirates
Sat 24: TELFORD TIGERS
Sun 25: Guildford Flames
OCTOBER
Sat 1: BRACKNELL BEES
Sun 2: Manchester Phoenix
Sat 8: PETERBOROUGH PHANTOMS
Sun 9: Telford Tigers
Sat 15: HULL PIRATES
Sun 16: Peterborough Phantoms
Sat 22: GUILDFORD FLAMES
Sun 23: Hull Pirates
Wed 26: MK LIGHTNING
Sat 29: BASINGSTOKE BISON
Sun 30: Sheffield Steeldogs
NOVEMBER
Sat 5: Peterborough Phantoms
Sat 12: SHEFFIELD STEELDOGS
Sun 13: Bracknell Bees
Sun 19: MANCHESTER PHOENIX
Sun 20: MK Lightning
Sat 26: Basingstoke Bison
Sun 27: Telford Tigers
DECEMBER
Sat 3: SHEFFIELD STEELDOGS
Sat 10: TELFORD TIGERS
Sat 17: MK Lightning
Sun 18: Hull Pirates
Mon 26: Basingstoke Bison
Tues 27: BASINGSTOKE BISON
Sat 31: GUILDFORD FLAMES
JANUARY
Sun 1: Bracknell Bees
Sat 7: HULL PIRATES
Sun 8: Telford Tigers
Sat 14: PETERBOROUGH PHANTOMS
Sun 15: Sheffield Steeldogs
Sat 21: MANCHESTER PHOENIX
Sun 22: Guildford Flames
Sat 28: TELFORD TIGERS
Sun 29: Manchester Phoenix
FEBUARY
Sat 4: MK LIGHTNING
Sun 5: Manchester Phoenix
Sat 11: MK Lightning
Sun 12: BASINGSTOKE BISON
Wed 15: BRACKNELL BEES
Sat 18: SHEFFIELD STEELDOGS
Sun 19: Bracknell Bees
Sat 25: MK LIGHTNING
Sun 26: Sheffield Steeldogs
MARCH
Sat 4: BRACKNELL BEES
Sun 5: Guildford Flames
Sat 11: HULL PIRATES
Sat 18: PETERBOROUGH PHANTOMS
Sun 19: Basingstoke Bison
Wed 22: Play-offs
Sat 25: Play-offs
Sun 26: Play-offs
Wed 29: Play-offs
APRIL
Sat 2: Play-offs
Sat 3: Play-offs
Sat 8 & Sun 9: Coventry finals weekend
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