Air Force Releases 2009 Lacrosse Schedule
10/2/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
Oct. 2, 2008
USAFA, Colo. - Featuring a pair of early season games in Jacksonville, Fla., four home contests and an always challenging slate in the Great Western Lacrosse League, the 2009 Air Force lacrosse schedule was released Thursday by first-year head coach Eric Seremet.
The 2009 season once again starts with a pair of exhibitions, as the Falcons host cross-town opponent Colorado College on Jan. 31 before welcoming GWLL rival Denver on Feb. 7. Air Force heads to Jacksonville, Fla., Feb. 14-15 for its first official contests of the season. The Falcons start with a game against 2008 NCAA participant Maryland on Feb. 14, while taking on Presbyterian College on Feb. 15.
The Falcons are back in Colorado for their next three games, opening their home slate on Feb. 21 against Yale. Air Force then heads to Denver for the annual Pioneer Face-Off Classic, Feb. 28-March 1, where it will take on Towson and Sacred Heart.
An annual service-academy showdown will take place on March 7, when the Falcons travel to West Point, N.Y., to play Army. Air Force then opens its conference schedule with a road contest versus Quinnipiac on March 14.
Following a midseason exhibition at home versus NYIT on March 17, Air Force hosts Bucknell in a non-conference match-up on March 21.
The Falcons are on the road for their next two conference games, visiting Notre Dame on April 4 and Bellarmine on April 11. Air Force then wraps up its home slate with a conference contest against Ohio State on April 17 and a non-conference game versus Detroit Mercy on April 19. Meanwhile, the final regular season contest of is slated for April 25, when Air Force visits Denver.
The top four teams in the Great Western Lacrosse League will earn spots in the conference tournament, slated for May 1 and 3. The GWLL will try to match its success from last season, when three teams (Notre Dame, Ohio State and Denver) advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
"We are excited for the 2009 season," said Seremet. "In addition to a strong slate in the GWLL, which sent three teams to the NCAA playoffs, this schedule offers us a quality mix of opponents, including five teams that finished in the top 20 last year. Our team is working hard on and off the field to meet the challenges that lie ahead."
Air Force will get in its fall warm-up at the 11th-annual Price Modern Lacrosse for Leukemia Tournament, being held Oct. 11 at the St. Paul's School in Brooklandville, Md. The Falcons will take on UMBC and Washington College in the tournament. All proceeds for the event will go to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to help raise money to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's Disease and myeloma. Additionally, each team will play in honor of a local youth ambassador who has survived or is currently undergoing treatment for a blood cancer.
