Six home games and four contests against NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago highlight the 2015 Canisius College men's lacrosse schedule, announced by head coach Randy Mearns on Monday.
“We like to play a challenging schedule and this season is no different,” Mearns said. “With a great set of non-conference opponents and an always difficult MAAC schedule, we are very excited about our 15-game slate. Being able to play four NCAA Tournament teams from last season –three in non-conference – will not only prepare us for our MAAC schedule and give us a good idea of where we are as a program but also what we need to work on.
“The MAAC as a whole has made a commitment to the sport of lacrosse and each year, every team is getting better – making the most important part of our schedule also the most challenging. It is an exciting time to be part of the MAAC as the conference continues to improve with each step of the strategic plan. We are excited to get the season started and compete for another MAAC Championship and NCAA Tournament berth.”
The Griffs open the 2015 campaign on Feb. 14 with a home game against Boston University. The schools also opened the 2014 season with Canisius earning a 9-3 victory.
Canisius is also set to host Albany (March 17) and Binghamton (April 14) at the Demske Sports Complex. The Great Danes, who Canisius defeated last season for the program's first-ever win against a ranked school, advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals a year ago.
The Griffs are also set to participate at the Frontier Airlines Faceoff Classic in Denver, Colo. once again. Canisius is slated to play Furman and Air Force on Feb. 21 and Feb. 22 on the campus of the University of Denver.
Additional non-conference games are scheduled at Michigan (Feb. 28), Hobart (March 10), Cornell (April 7) and VMI (April 19).
Canisius begins its quest for a MAAC Championship with a road conference game against Manhattan on March 14. The Griffs will also host Marist (March 21), defending champion Siena (March 28) and Quinnipiac (April 11), while traveling to play Monmouth (April 4) and Detroit (April 25).
The top four teams in the MAAC regular season qualify for the 2015 MAAC Championship, held on the campus of the highest-seeded team. The semifinals are scheduled for April 30 with the championship game slated for May 2.
Canisius returns 29 letterwinners and eight starters from last season. Overall, the Griffs bring back 92.3 percent of their points, 91.5 percent of their goals and 94.7 percent of their assists. The Griffs also welcome 10 freshmen to the roster in addition to graduate transfer Christopher Kane from Syracuse.
