DENVER – The University of Denver men’s lacrosse team will play one of its toughest schedules to date as it faces five teams that participated in the 2012 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament, including NCAA Champion Loyola University.
“We are very excited about our 2013 schedule, the most formidable one in DU history,” said DU head coach Bill Tierney. “The ECAC slate, which will be a great challenge for us, includes the 2012 NCAA Champion Loyola Greyhounds, as well as Fairfield and Ohio State, who each beat us by a goal last year. Our nonconference schedule ranks up there with the hardest in the country, as we will face off against Notre Dame, Duke, Lehigh, Penn State, Penn and others.”
Denver opens the 2013 season against Duke in Durham, N.C., on Saturday, Feb. 9, and then returns to the Moe’s Southwest Grill Classic at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla., to take on Penn State on Sunday, Feb. 17.
The Pioneers once again host the DU Face-Off Classic from Feb. 23-24 at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium, welcoming Lehigh, Canisius and Air Force. Lehigh and Canisius were both NCAA Tournament participants last season.
Denver remains at home the following weekend, hosting Penn, and then travels to Columbus, Ohio, to face Ohio State on March 9 in its first Eastern College Athletic Conference game of the season. Next up for the Pioneers is a meeting with Notre Dame (March 16) at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium, followed by an ECAC meeting with Air Force at home (March 23).
After a trip to play ECAC opponent Hobart (March 30), the Pioneers return home to host first-year program Marquette on April 5. Less than 48 hours later, Denver picks up ECAC play against, welcoming Bellarmine to the Mile High City.
Denver closes out ECAC play against Loyola (April 13), Fairfield (April 20) and Michigan (April 27). The ECAC Tournament (May 2 & 4) will be hosted by Hobart College with the top four teams participating.
“We found out last year that a great strength of schedule is of primary importance when it comes to being chosen for the NCAA Tournament,” Tierney said. “We also believe that to be the best, you have to play the best, so although daunting, we look forward to playing this amazing schedule next spring.”
The Pioneers also have a full fall schedule in place to prepare them for the spring. Denver opens the fall season against Maryland in the first-ever Seatown Classic hosted by the Seattle US Lacrosse Chapter in Tukwila, Wash., at the Starfire Sports Campus on Saturday, Oct. 13.
Denver then hosts its annual alumni game on Saturday, Oct. 20, followed by the Fourth Annual Colorado Lacrosse Showcase between the Pioneers and Denver Outlaws. DU raps up its fall schedule against North Carolina in a scrimmage on Saturday, Jan. 29.
