Maryland, Notre Dame And ESPNU Game Highlight 2010 Men's Lacrosse Schedule
Nov 3, 2009
Fairfield University head men's lacrosse coach Andy Copelan announced the team's 2010 schedule this afternoon. The 14-game slate features a nationally televised contest, six opponents that received votes in the final media poll of 2009, as well as playing a full-slate of seven games versus ECAC Lacrosse League foes.
"Our 2010 schedule poses some real challenges and some real opportunities," said Copelan. "We've added three non conference opponents who were in the NCAA tournament last year in Villanova, Notre Dame and Maryland and at least one of our games will be on national television."
Fairfield begins the campaign with a pair of home games. The Stags will open against Lafayette on February 20, meeting the Leopards for the first time since an 18-7 win in 1996. The Stags then host Bryant College in the first-ever meeting between the two teams in men's lacrosse.
A three-game road trip follows, beginning at Villanova. The Wildcats finished the 2009 season ranked 18th in the media poll and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. It marks the first time since the two teams have met since an 11-9 Stags win in Philadelphia in 2001.
The Stags will meet Notre Dame, who finished last season ninth in the media poll, in a game to be played at The Kinkaid School in Houston, Texas. The Stags are 2-4 all-time versus the Irish, last meeting in 2005, with a 12-11 home win on the way to the Stags second NCAA Tournament berth.
The final game of the road trip is the conclusion of a home-and-home series with Colgate. The Raiders finished last season ranked 20th in the nation and are meeting Fairfield for the fifth time, with both sides winning twice.
The Stags then return home to begin their fifth season of ECAC Lacrosse League play. First on the slate is one of five new members, Ohio State, on March 23, in the Stags only scheduled night game of the season. Hobart, who the Stags knocked off 9-7 last season, visit on March 27 in the sixth meeting of a series led 3-2 by Fairfield.
"The ECAC realignment provides us the chance to not only compete against some terrific teams," said Copelan, "but also play in front of some up and coming recruiting markets. Top to bottom, our league will be one of the best in the country. We are looking forward to the challenge of playing in such a competitive conference."
A first-ever meeting with Bellarmine is next for the Stags on the road. The Knights are another of the first-year members of the ECAC Lacrosse League.
The Stags come back home on April 10 for an ECAC game versus Loyola. The Greyhounds, finished 14th in the final poll last season, are meeting the Stags for the 10th time. A non-conference home game is next as the Stags take on Hartford in a Tuesday afternoon game. It is the first meeting between the in-state rivals since a double-overtime affair in 1999.
The Stags next game is at Air Force, where the teams renew a conference rivalry that spanned five-seasons. The Falcons are a new member of the ECAC, but the two teams met from 2001-2005 as members of the Great West Lacrosse League, with the Stags holding a 3-2 series edge.
Fairfield's final home game comes on April 24, against ECAC foe Denver, and will be the team's first-ever regular season game televised nationally. The contest will air live on ESPNU and is part of a double-header that will be played at Rentschler Field in Hartford, Conn.
Copelan will visit his former employer in the first of two road games to end the year, as the Stags travel to Maryland for a May 1 meeting. Maryland advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2009 NCAA Tournament and finished the season ranked eight in the country.
The Stags finish the year in Connecticut with an ECAC game at Quinnipiac. The Stags and Bobcats are meeting for the second time, with the Stags earning a 15-2 win in the 1999 season opener.
