ITHACA, N.Y. -- The third installment of Red Hot Hockey against Boston University at Madison Square Garden, the Big Red's first trip to the state of Colorado since the 1995-96 season and 15 home games highlight the Cornell men's hockey team's schedule for the 2011-12 season, announced today by head coach Mike Schafer.

In addition to the previously announced contest against longtime rival Boston University in New York City on Thanksgiving weekend, the Big Red will open up the new year with a two-game set at Colorado College on Jan. 6-7, 2012, at World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo. Cornell last played in Colorado in 1995-96 when the Big Red faced the Tigers and Air Force as part of the Denver Cup. Cornell has made two previous trips to Colorado Springs, playing Air Force in two contests in 1990-91 and again facing Colorado College and Air Force during the 1980-81 season.

Also highlighting the season schedule are 15 home games, including non-conference contests against Mercyhurst and Niagara, in addition to the 11 ECAC Hockey games to be played at Lynah Rink. A pair of exhibiton contests against the University of Guelph and Carleton University at home open the 2011-12 campaign.

The season schedule also includes the Florida College Classic for the 12th straight season, to be held on Dec. 29 and 30, at Germain Arena in Estero, Fla. This year's field includes Clarkson, Maine and Massachusetts, with the Big Red set to battle the Minutemen in the second game on the opening night of the tournament. The Big Red would then face either Clarkson or Maine in either the championship or the consolation game the second night.

After opening the season with the annual Red - White game on Oct. 15, the Big Red will play a pair of exhibition contests, first against Guelph and then against Carleton on Oct. 21 and 22. The regular season begins with just the second-ever meeting against Mercyhurst on Oct. 29 at Lynah Rink.

ECAC Hockey play begins with the Big Red on the road for the first four games, taking on Ivy League foes Yale, Brown, Harvard and Dartmouth in succession before returning home to battle Princeton and Quinnipiac on Nov. 18 and 19. Cornell will then play Niagara on Nov. 22 as a tune-up before facing Boston University on the ice at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 26. The fall semester then comes to a close on Dec. 2 and 3 when St. Lawrence and Clarkson visit Lynah Rink, with the latter game marking the return to Lynah for the newly appointed head coach of Clarkson, Casey Jones, who spent the past three seasons as the Big Red's associate head coach.

The Florida College Classic ends Cornell's winter break on Dec. 29 and 30, and the Big Red will then head to Colorado to face the Tigers in a two-game set on Jan. 6 and 7. Cornell then closes out play at Quinnipiac and Princeton on Jan. 13-14, before finally returning home to Lynah Rink for the first time in seven weeks to face Dartmouth and Harvard on Jan. 20-21.

The stretch run of the season begins with the annual home-and-home series with Colgate on Jan. 27-28, playing first at Lynah Rink before playing game two at Hamilton's Starr Rink. Cornell then travels to Rensselaer and Union on Feb. 3-4, facing the Capital District foes twice in the final four weeks of the season. Brown and Yale will make their appearance at Lynah Rink on Feb. 10-11, with the Big Red traveling to the North Country for games against Clarkson and St. Lawrence on Feb. 17-18. The regular season wraps up on Feb. 24-25 with games against Union and Rensselaer.

Post-season hockey begins on March 2-4 with the first round of the ECAC Hockey tournament, while the quarterfinal round will be held on March 9-11. The league's championship weekend will return to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., on March 16-17.