Boston College Hockey's 2012-13 Hockey East Schedule Comes Into Focus

On Tuesday, the University of Vermont's men's hockey program released its 2012-13 schedule, so we can go ahead and pencil in three dates on the defending National Champions sched. The Eagles will host the Catamounts on February 1 this season, while making the return trip to Burlington for the regular season finale on March 8-9. The February 1 date will be the Friday night game before the Beanpot first-round matchup against Harvard.

Next year marks the second straight season where the Eagles will finish the regular season with a weekend series vs. Vermont. Last year, the Eagles took four points from the Catamounts by a combined score of 9-1 to win the program's second straight Hockey East regular season title.

With UVM releasing its 2012-13 schedule, over half of the programs in Hockey East have now released their schedules. More announced HEA dates:

UMass-Lowell: @ UML 10/26, UML 10/28, UML 2/8

BC faces a UML team that came within a game of reaching the program's first ever Frozen Four before bowing out to Union 4-2 early this coming season. The Eagles start Hockey East play on the road at Lowell on October 26 with the return game on that Sunday at 4 PM. The Eagles and River Hawks conclude the three-game series on February 8 at Conte, in the warm up for the Beanpot Consolation Championship game the following Monday.

Northeastern: @ NU 10/13, NU 10/20, @ NU 1/19

The Eagles will begin their Hockey East title defense on the road at Matthews Arena against Northeastern on October 13. The Huskies return trip is a week later on October 20. The series concludes on January 19 back at Matthews Arena. Northeastern is one of four clubs that the Eagles took all three from last season (Providence, New Hampshire and Vermont the others).

Providence: @ PC 12/7, PC 3/1, @ PC 3/2

BC ends the season as they ended 2011 -- with a home-and-home against Providence followed by two against Vermont. The Eagles blitz the Friars to the tune of 10-0 in last season's home-and-home in late February.

New Hampshire: UNH 1/11, @ UNH 1/12, UNH 2/17

The Eagles will likely begin 2013 with a home-and-home series with the Wildcats. The Wildcats are coming off a down year which saw UNH's run of 10 straight NCAA Tournament appearances snapped. BC gets the extra home game this year as the series wraps up on February 17. BC earned a rare three game sweep of the Wildcats in 2011-12.

Merrimack: MC 11/16, @ MC 2/15, @ MC 2/23

BC and Merrimack have an odd scheduling deal this season with three one-off games. The first is on November 16 at home. The next two are in mid-to-late February, both at Lawler. Last season, the two teams tied 2-2 in early January before BC rattled off two wins -- 4-2 and 2-1 -- as part of their second half tear. Merrimack finished a point away from earning home ice in the Hockey East Quarterfinals, a fine year as far as MC seasons go.

The four Hockey East programs yet to release their 2012-13 schedule are BC, BU, UMass and Maine.

After the jump, a look at the Eagles 2012-13 Hockey East (plus Beanpot) schedule to date.