The Stony Brook Men’s Lacrosse team’s 2016 season schedule was released Tuesday morning. The Seawolves’ 15-game regular season schedule features four opponents ranked in the 2015 end-of-season coaches’ poll.
In recent seasons, Stony Brook has faced several marquée lacrosse schools, including non-conference matches against Duke, Maryland and Virginia. By comparison, the 2016 schedule is significantly easier, but it still includes some formidable foes.
On Feb. 27, Stony Brook will host Brown. The Bears went 12-5 last season and finished the season ranked No. 13 in the USILA Coaches Poll. Brown reached the NCAA tournament last season, where it lost in the first round, 15-9, to the eventual champion, Denver.
The Brown matchup is the third game of a season-opening home stand for the Seawolves. The season debut will take place on Feb. 16 against the Sacred Heart Pioneers, while the second game of the year is a Feb. 21 match versus the St. John’s Red Storm. On the road last season, the Seawolves lost to the Red Storm 13-8.
Stony Brook heads on the road to face Fairfield on March 5, a team the Seawolves defeated 10-9 last season, before playing against Rutgers at home on March 11. The Seawolves beat the Scarlet Knights on the road in 2015 by a score of 13-9.
On March 15, sticks will clash as the battle for Long Island is on the line. Stony Brook plays host to Hofstra in the two schools’ first men’s lacrosse game since 2009. The Pride went 5-9 in a disappointing 2015 campaign.
Stony Brook’s America East opener is a road match against the No. 6 Albany Great Danes on March 19. The Seawolves’ rivals reached the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament, where they were upended by Notre Dame. Albany is looking to regroup this season after the graduation of two-time Tewaaraton Trophy winner Lyle Thompson this past spring.
Stony Brook continues the road trip with matches against UMBC and Lehigh on March 26 and March 29, respectively.
On April 3, the Seawolves return to Long Island where they will face the Vermont Catamounts. Stony Brook scored 21 goals against Vermont last year, its largest scoring outburst of the season.
Following the showdown with the Catamounts, Stony Brook has two consecutive games against non-conference ranked opponents.
On Apr. 9, the Seawolves head to New Jersey to face the No. 15 Princeton Tigers, before heading home to play against the No. 20 Marist Red Foxes.
The Stony Brook regular season schedule concludes with America East games against UMass Lowell, Binghamton and Hartford, with the Binghamton game being played at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.
The top four finishers in the conference reach the America East Tournament, which will be hosted by the top seed. The semifinals of the tournament will be played on May 5, with the championship game on May 7.
The Seawolves will look to avenge last season’s loss in the conference title game, when they were beaten by the Great Danes 22-9, as their season concluded in disappointment on Albany soil.
Correction: Oct. 21, 2015
The initial online publishing of this article omitted the last four paragraphs, which detail the remainder of the Stony Brook Men’s Lacrosse 2016 schedule.
