FIXTURES 2015-16: Sheffield star for Slava's stars

The city team travel to Sheffield Steeldogs for their opening fixture of the 2016/17 season on Saturday, September 10.

Slava Koulikov’s men have their first league outing on home ice the following night when welcoming Swindon Wildcats to Planet Ice.

A tough start to the campaign also features home and away clashes against reigning champions Basingstoke and arch rivals Milton Keynes during September.

Phantoms will face their nine EPL rivals six times in all – three at home and three on the road.

The first home and away clashes against each opponent again count towards the EPL Cup standings with the top four teams progressing to the latter stages. Phantoms were runners-up in that competition last season.

The end-of-season play-offs have been revamped with the opening round now featuring two four-team groups rather than two-legged quarter-finals.

The teams finishing first, fourth, fifth and eighth in the standings will form one group with the second, third, sixth and seventh-placed sides making up the other.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the finals weekend on April 8-9.

Phantoms warm-up for the new campaign with four pre-season challenge clashes.

They face Sheffield on August 27 (home) and August 28 (away) before taking on Milton Keynes in the traditional ‘Ashes’ clashes on September 3 (away) and September 4 (home).

PETERBOROUGH PHANTOMS FIXTURE LIST 2016/17

SEPTEMBER

Sat 10 v Sheffield (A)

Sun 11 v SWINDON (H)

Sat 17 v Milton Keynes (A)

Sun 18 v BASINGSTOKE (H)

Sat 24 v Basingstoke (A)

Sun 25 v MILTON KEYNES (H)

OCTOBER

Sat 1 v Hull (A)

Sun 2 v TELFORD (H)

Sat 8 v Swindon (A)

Sun 9 v SHEFFIELD (H)

Sat 15 v Basingstoke (A)

Sun 16 v SWINDON (H)

Sat 22 v Hull (A)

Sun 23 v Telford (A)

Sat 29 v GUILDFORD (H)

Sun 30 v Bracknell (A)

NOVEMBER

Sat 5 v SWINDON (H)

Sun 6 v Manchester (A)

Sat 12 v Hull (A)

Sun 13 v TELFORD (H)

Sat 19 v Guildford (A)

Sun 20 v HULL (H)

Sat 26 v Bracknell (A)

Sun 27 v MANCHESTER (H)

DECEMBER

Sun 4 v BRACKNELL (H)

Sun 11 v BRACKNELL (H)

Sat 17 v Guildford (A)

Sun 18 v TELFORD (H)

Mon 26 v Milton Keynes (A)

Tue 27 v MILTON KEYNES (H)

Thu 29 v Bracknell (A)

JANUARY

Sun 1 v SHEFFIELD (H)

Mon 2 v Sheffield (A)

Sat 7 v Basingstoke (A)

Sun 8 v SHEFFIELD (H)

Sat 14 v Swindon (A)

Sun 15 v Manchester (A)

Sat 21 v HULL (H)

Sat 28 v Milton Keynes (A)

Sat 29 v BASINGSTOKE (H)

FEBRUARY

Sat 4 v GUILDFORD (H)

Sun 5 v Telford (A)

Sat 11 v Sheffield (A)

Sun 12 v MILTON KEYNES (H)

Wed 15 v MANCHESTER (H)

Sat 18 v BRACKNELL (H)

Sun 19 v Telford (A)

Sun 26 v BASINGSTOKE (H)

MARCH

Sat 4 v Hull (A)

Sun 5 v Manchester (A)

Sat 11 v Guildford (A)

Sun 12 v MANCHESTER (H)

Sat 18 v Swindon (A)

Sun 19 v GUILDFORD (H)