Dec. 29, 2009
EASTON, Pa. - The Lafayette men's lacrosse team has announced its schedule for the upcoming 2010 season. The 13-game schedule entails seven home games and six road contests, starting with the Feb. 20 season-opener at Fairfield.
After the season-opener, the Leopards travel to Binghamton on Feb. 27 before the home-opener on March 2 against Penn.
Four days later, Lafayette hosts Wagner in a Saturday afternoon matinee at 1 p.m. The Leopards are 7-1 all-time against the Seahawks, including a 15-4 victory last year in Staten Island, N.Y.
Lafayette embarks on its quest for a Patriot League tournament berth, a feat they fell just short on last year due to league tiebreaker policies, six days later when it welcomes defending league champion Navy to Rappolt Field on Friday March 12 at 7 p.m. The Leopards trailed the Mids 10-8 going into the fourth quarter last year before Navy pulled away in the final 15 minutes.
The Leopards remain in league competition the following weekend, traveling to Lewisburg, Pa. to take on Bucknell, the 2009 regular season champion.
A return to non-conference contests awaits Lafayette with two home games against perennial power Drexel on Sunday, March 28 followed by a battle with Mount St. Mary's (April 3) to kick off the month of April. Lafayette used goals from six different players, including three from Matt Mersky to defeat the Mount 10-8 last year.
The Leopards jump back on the road for three straight games, beginning with a midweek game at Marist on April 6, the final non-conference game of the season. Lafayette handed the Red Foxes' an 11-7 defeat in Easton last season.
Lafayette then makes a stop in Worcester, Mass. and shifts its focus back to the Patriot League, where it will look to improve on a 2008 season that saw it finish in a tie for fourth place. A meeting with Holy Cross on April 10 sees the Leopards attempt to grab its third consecutive victory over the Crusaders.
The last road game of the regular season ends in Hamilton, N.Y. on April 16, with a Friday night contest against Colgate.
The Leopards cap the 2010 regular season off with two home games, with Patriot League tournament implications almost certain to join them. Army comes to College Hill on Tuesday, April 20. Lafayette controlled the first 45 minutes of last year's contest before Army held an 8-3 advantage in the final quarter to pull off a 13-12 victory.
The final game of the season, set for Saturday April 24 at 7 p.m., is a rematch of last year's epic season finale in Bethlehem, when the Leopards handed archrival Lehigh a 9-8 defeat.
Head coach Terry Mangan and his squad eagerly await next month and the return of preseason camp.
"There is no doubt every game this year will be a big challenge, but we are looking forward to meeting those challenges," Mangan said. "The players and the coaches are anxious to get started next month"
Leopard fans unable to attend certain games will be able to watch select contests on LSN All-Access. Check back to GoLeopards.com for details and listings on which games will be available.
