As always, the Skylights will be tested on the hardwood

Montana State University-Northern head coach Chris Mouat firmly believes in challenging his Skylight basketball team with a tough non-conference schedule every season.

And the upcoming 2019-20 season will be no different.

The veteran head coach of the Skylights has once again assembled a schedule full of challenges well before the Skylights begin full-time Frontier Conference play in January, and those challenges include exhibition games against both of Montana's NCAA Division I programs.

The Skylights will travel to Bozeman to take on the Montana State Bobcats Nov. 17, and they will play the University of Montana Lady Griz Dec. 5 at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula. Both games will be non-counters for the Skylights, while it is yet to be determined whether the Cats and Lady Griz will count the games toward their regular season schedule or not. But at any rate, both games will certainly go a long way in helping the Skylights ready themselves for Frontier play.

"I'm excited about our schedule," Mouat said. "We have a lot of very good games against very good teams, including playing MSU and the Lady Griz. We'll find out a lot about ourselves with our non-conference schedule."

The season begins for the Northern women Oct. 20 when the Skylights host Mount Royal University of Canada inside the Armory Gymnasium. Northern's first two games of the new season will be at home as the Skylights also host arch rival Dickinson State Nov. 8. MSU-N then plays three of its next four games in Great Falls, as the Skylights battle Corban University Nov. 15, then head to the Providence Tournament to take on Northwest University of Washington and a rematch with DSU Nov. 22-23. Northern will close out the month of November by hosting the Thanksgiving Classic. The Skylights will play Yellowstone Christian University Nov. 29, and a team yet to be determined the flowing night.

December begins with the Skylights playing their annual two Frontier games before the new year. MSU-N opens league play in the Armory Dec. 6 against the defending NAIA champion Montana Western Bulldogs, and the following night, the Skylights will host Rocky Mountain College, another NAIA national tournament team from a season ago.

December also includes the Phoenix Frontier Challenge Dec. 18-20. There, Northern will take on Northern New Mexico, Benedictine University and Benedictine Mesa. The Skylights then come home to close out non-league play with a doubleheader against Alberta-Augustana Dec. 28-29.

From there, Northern begin Frontier play in earnest. The Skylights start league play by hosting Carroll College Jan. 7, before heading to Great Falls to play Providence Jan. 9. That's the start of a three-game road trip as Northern also travels to Lewis-Clark State Jan. 16 and Montana Tech Jan. 18. Northern then plays the rest of January in the Armory, starting with Carroll Jan. 22 and Providence Jan. 23. LC State comes to Havre Jan. 31 and Tech begins the month of February by visiting Havre Feb. 1.

MSU-N's next four will be on the road, as the Skylights travel to Western Feb. 6 and RMC Feb. 8, followed by trips to LCSC Feb. 13 and Tech Feb. 15. Northern's final home games will be Feb. 21-22 when they host Rocky and Western, respectively, and the Skylights will close out the regular season with trips to Carroll Feb. 28 and Providence Feb. 29.

The annual Frontier Conference playoffs are scheduled for March 3-10, and the NAIA national tournament is back in Billings March 18-24.

The Skylights open their brand new season Oct. 20 at home against Mount Royal University inside the famed Armory Gymnasium.