truebluefan

BALTIMORE – Loyola College women's lacrosse team will host seven games, including three of its BIG EAST Conference contests, during the 2008 season. The Greyhounds open their season with a roadtrip to the Tar Heel State to face North Carolina on Friday, February 15, at 7:00 p.m., and Davidson on Sunday, February 17, at 1:00 p.m.

"We are excited for the season to start because, and we feel that we have a very balanced schedule with a nice mix of home and road games," Head Coach Kerri O'Day said. "It is good to have two non-conference games (North Carolina and Davidson) before we start our BIG EAST schedule. It is also important to us to continue the tradition of some of the more local rivalries with UMBC, Towson, Delaware, Mount St. Mary's and Maryland."

Loyola begins its BIG EAST slate on Saturday, February 23, at Georgetown, then steps back out of conference play on Tuesday, February 26, at UMBC. The Greyhounds host four-straight games beginning on Saturday, March 1, versus Towson. Delaware comes to Diane Geppi-Aikens Field on Wednesday, March 5, followed by BIG EAST opponents Rutgers and Connecticut on Saturday, March 8, and Saturday, March 15, respectively.

Loyola returns to the road on Saturday, March 22, when it travels to South Bend, Ind., to face Notre Dame. The Greyhounds then face Penn State in State College, Pa., on Sunday, March 30. The Greyhounds also face two teams in 2008 that are first-year women's lacrosse members of the BIG EAST, Cincinnati and Louisville. The Bearcats come to Baltimore on Friday, April 4, while the Greyhounds travel to Kentucky to face the Cardinals on Sunday, April 6. The games will not count in the BIG EAST standings during 2008.

Loyola plays at Mount St. Mary's and Cornell on back-to-back Wednesdays, April 9 and April 16, before returning to Baltimore for its final BIG EAST game of the year against Syracuse on Saturday, April 19. Notre Dame will host the BIG EAST Tournament in South Bend on April 25 and 27.

The Greyhounds close out their regular-season against Maryland on Saturday, May 3, in Baltimore. Loyola hosts the Charles Street Challenge to open the preseason on Saturday, February 9, on Diane Geppi-Aikens Field.

Day Date Opponent Location Time
Sat. Feb. 9 Scrimmage Baltimore, Md. All Day
Fri. Feb. 15 North Carolina Chapel Hill, N.C. 7:00 p.m.
Sun. Feb. 17 Davidson Davidson, N.C. 1:00 p.m.
Sat. Feb. 23 * Georgetown Washington, D.C. 3:00 p.m.
Tues. Feb. 26 UMBC Catonsville, Md. 7:00 p.m.

Sat. March 1 Towson Baltimore, Md. 3:30 p.m.
Wed. March 5 Delaware Baltimore, Md. 3:00 p.m.
Sat. March 8 * Rutgers Baltimore, Md. 11:00 a.m.
Sat. March 15 * Connecticut Baltimore, Md. 1:00 p.m.
Sat. March 22 * Notre Dame South Bend, Ind. 1:00 p.m.
Sun. March 30 Penn State State College, Pa. 1:00 p.m.

Fri. April 4 Cincinnati Baltimore, Md. 3:00 p.m.
Sun. April 6 Louisville Louisville, Ky. 1:00 p.m.
Wed. April 9 Mount St. Mary's Emmitsburg, Md. 3:30 p.m.
Wed. April 16 Cornell Ithaca, N.Y. 4:00 p.m.
Sat. April 19 * Syracuse Baltimore, Md. 1:00 p.m.
Fri. April 25 BIG EAST Semifinals South Bend, Ind. TBA
Sun. April 27 BIG EAST Finals South Bend, Ind. TBA

Sat. May 3 Maryland Baltimore, Md. 4:00 p.m.
Sun. May 11 NCAA First Round Campus Sites TBA
Sat. May 17 NCAA Quarterfinals Campus Sites TBA
Fri. May 23 NCAA Semifinals Towson, Md. TBA
Sun. May 23 NCAA Championship Towson, Md. TBA

* BIG EAST Conference game

truebluefan

PITTSBURGH - Third-year head coach Michael Scerbo's Duquesne lacrosse team will face three 2007 NCAA Lacrosse Championship teams, highlighted by three-time defending national champion Northwestern, as part of their 2008 17-game schedule released today. The Dukes open the most difficult schedule in the 13-year history of the program with seven consecutive road games beginning February 17 at Notre Dame. Two days later on February 19, DU will travel to Columbus, Ohio to take on Ohio State.

Duquesne will be Denver, Colo. to play Stony Brook on February 24 before taking on Denver February 26. March 1 DU will visit Nashville, Tenn. to take on Vanderbilt, a 2007 NCAA Tournament team, before taking on cross-town rival Robert Morris in Moon Township on March 5. Three-time defending NCAA Champion Northwestern will host Duquesne on March 7. This will be first time since 2003 that the Dukes faced Wildcats.

Due to the upcoming renovations to Rooney Field, the Dukes will play their home games at Cupples Stadium on Pittsburgh's South Side. The Dukes' home opener will be March 9 against Davidson. The Dukes finish their non-conference schedule with a pair of road matches taking on first-year program Cincinnati on March 16 and Bucknell March 20.

The 2008 Atlantic 10 schedule begins at Temple on March 30. The Dukes return home to host George Washington on April 4 and defending A-10 champion Richmond on April 6. After a trip to St. Bonaventure on April 11, DU finishes out their home schedule against Saint Joseph's on April 13 and La Salle on April 18. The regular season ends April 20 at Massachusetts.

The Dukes return first-team All-Atlantic 10 selection and leading scorer Kathleen McNish, second-team all A-10 pick Tyneisha Harris and Sarah Cates, Janna Faulkner and Meghan Frederick who were named to the conference all-rookie team. The top four teams qualify for the 2008 Atlantic 10 Championship which will be held on the campus of the University of Massachusetts April 25-27.

"Although we are on the road for 12 of 17 games this season, we will have more home games for 2009 in the new stadium" said Scerbo. "Scheduling Northwestern is a great move for us because we get to have the best team in the country on our schedule and more importantly they will be coming to Pittsburgh in 2009."

2007-2008 Schedule Quick Notes

The Dukes opponents combined for a .587 record (159-112) last season. Seven of them had double-digit wins last season: Denver, George Washington, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Richmond, Stony Brook, and Vanderbilt.

Duquesne will play one team from the America East Conference (Stony Brook), three teams from the American Lacrosse (Northwestern, Ohio State, Vanderbilt) two Big East teams (Cincinnati and Notre Dame), one independent (Davidson), one MPSF team (Denver), one Northeast team (Robert Morris), and one Patriot League team (Bucknell).

This is the first time in program history that Duquesne is playing the defending NCAA Champion.

Cincinnati is the only team that is a first-time opponent for the Dukes. 2008 marks the first season the Bearcats are fielding a team.

Besides Cincinnati, Stony Brook and Northwestern are the only teams DU did not face last season.

Duquesne 2007-2008 Schedule

Feb. 17 at Notre Dame 12:00 p.m.
Feb. 19 at Ohio State 4:00 p.m.
Feb. 24 vs. Stony Brook^ 12:00 p.m.
Feb. 26 at Denver 4:00 p.m.

Mar. 1 at Vanderbilt 2:00 p.m.
Mar. 5 at Robert Morris 4:00 p.m.
Mar. 7 at Northwestern 5:00 p.m.
Mar. 9 DAVIDSON 1:00 p.m.
Mar. 16 at Cincinnati 1:00 p.m.
Mar. 20 at Bucknell 6:00 p.m.
Mar. 30 at Temple* 1:00 p.m.

April 4 GEO. WASHINGTON* 4:00 p.m.
April 6 RICHMOND* 12:00 p.m
April 11 at St. Bonaventure* 4:00 p.m.
April 13 SAINT JOSEPH'S* 1:00 p.m.
April 18 LA SALLE* 4:00 p.m.
April 20 at Massachusetts* 1:00 p.m.

^ at Denver, Colo.
* Atlantic 10 match

HOME matches are in caps.
All times are Eastern Standard and subject to change.

truebluefan

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Head coach Liz Ota recently announced Seana Smith and Christy Smith as captains for the 2008 women's lacrosse team. The pair of seniors, who were elected by their teammates, will serve as captains for the Brown and White for the first time. "We're thrilled that we have two seniors in leadership positions," explained Ota. "As seniors, Seana and Christy have been an integral part of the rebuilding process of the women's lacrosse program at Lehigh, and they are more than prepared to lead our 2007-2008 team. They are well received and well respected by their teammates and coaches."

Seana Smith started all 17 games on defense for the Mountain Hawks last season. The Yardley, Pa. native recorded a team-high 38 ground balls, and added nine draw controls and 11 caused turnovers. Following the season, Smith was named the Lehigh Coaches Award Winner. As a sophomore in 2006, Smith appeared in 16 games, totaling 17 ground balls along the way. Smith is a multi-year member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll.

"Seana has emerged as the leader of our defense," Ota said. "Her junior year was critical in terms of developing her leadership skills. She really had a breakout season both on the field and terms of her personal development."

Christy Smith was an All-Patriot League Second Team selection for the second consecutive year in 2007 after tallying 22 goals and 11 assists. She also racked up 31 ground balls and led the team with 24 draw controls. Following the season, Smith was honored as the 2007 Patriot League Women's Lacrosse Scholar Athlete of the Year and she also garnered an award from the Lehigh Valley Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women as the top collegiate women's lacrosse athlete in the Lehigh Valley. Smith, who is also a standout on the Mountain Hawks field hockey team, played her high school lacrosse in Downingtown, Pa. where she was named to the All-Area team and served as team captain. Off the field, Smith is a multi-year member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll as well as the Dean's List.

"The great thing about this team is that Seana and Christy will have company in leadership. We have solid leadership in our junior class as well as in our sophomore class," Ota said. "Our captains last year, Tess McGrath and Kyle Roth, did a fantastic job of leading the team and allowed our seniors to come into their leadership roles at a critical time for the program."

The Mountain Hawks recently completed their fall schedule and will continue with their winter strength and conditioning program as the end of the semester approaches.

truebluefan

ITHACA, N.Y. -- A trio of seniors have been elected tri-captains for the upcoming 2008 season as the Cornell women's lacrosse team attempts to claim its second Ivy League title in three years. Noelle Dowd, Charlotte Schmidlapp and Katherine Simmons will pick up the leadership mantel, surrounded by a strong senior class of seven student-athletes who will also provide guidance to a team that features 19 freshmen and sophomores.

"We feel very fortunate to have such strong leadership in the Class of 2008," said head coach Jenny Graap. "Noelle, Charlotte and Katherine have earned the respect of their coaches and their teammates with hard work and dedication both on and off of the field. All three are wonderful ambassadors for Cornell lacrosse, and their collective energy and insight will no doubt strengthen our program in the coming year."

Dowd earned her first All-Ivy accolade a season ago as an honorable mention pick in the midfield. She ranked second on the team in scoring (37 points) and placed third in both goals (29) and assists (8). She joined Simmons and senior Ashleigh Smith as the only three players on the team to reach double figures in caused turnovers (13), ground balls (16) and draw controls (15). Dowd had five goals and an assist in wins over Colgate and Brown and notched four goals and an assist against Rutgers, adding two ground balls, two draw controls and two caused turnovers. She enters the season needing 18 points to reach 100 points for her career.

Schmidlapp enters her final season as a two-year starter and is one of the most skilled attackers in the Ivy League. An outstanding playmaker and a force on the draw control, she ended last season with 14 goals and five assists and ranked among the team leaders in draw controls (35). Schmidlapp has overcome numerous injuries to serve as a quarterback on the offensive end.

A first-team All-Ivy pick in 2006 and 2007, Simmons is a two-time first-team IWLCA all-region selection and is one of the top two-way players in the Ancient Eight. Simmons ranked second on the team in goals (32) and third in points (35), while pacing the team in ground balls (35) and caused turnovers (19) in 2007. She also ranked among the team leaders in draw controls (third, 19) and placed first in game-winning goals (3). A tri-captain a season ago, she enters her final season four goals shy of 100 for her career and is in sight of hitting the top 10 in career ground balls (98), draw controls (58) and caused turnovers (46).

The Big Red opens its 2008 season on February 27 when it visits Colgate in Hamilton, N.Y. beginning at 4:00 p.m.

truebluefan

EDINBORO, PA -- Watch out PSAC attackmen, midfielders, defenders and goaltenders! Here come Edinboro's Fighting Scots! Edinboro University of Pennsylvania President Jeremy D. Brown announced that Edinboro will add women's lacrosse as a varsity sport. Edinboro will begin intercollegiate competition in its newest varsity athletic program in the spring of 2009, fielding a women's lacrosse team in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Coinciding with President Brown's announcement, the University initiated a search for a head coach.

While lacrosse is Canada's national summer sport, its popularity continues to grow in the U.S. at an unprecedented rate. At the high school and college levels, lacrosse is now the fastest growing sport.

"This is an exciting step for athletics at Edinboro University," said President Brown. "We think our student athletes and their fans will be enthralled by this fast-paced sport that has grown so rapidly in popularity over the past few years. The addition of women's lacrosse to our varsity line-up demonstrates our commitment to providing our students with more opportunities, both in our classrooms and on our athletic fields."

Women's lacrosse involves 12 players (men's teams employ 10) using a "crosse" (netted stick) to pass and catch a hard rubber ball. The game's objective is to score more points (goals) than one's opponent. Gear and equipment for the sport is minimal, except for goaltenders who are outfitted in protective gear. Grass or artificial turf lacrosse fields have goal nets at each end, and games are played in two halves. Lacrosse requires great physical stamina from its participants. Fan support at the college level rivals soccer.

The addition of women's lacrosse gives Edinboro a total of 15 sports in which student-athletes compete at the varsity level. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field, soccer, softball, swimming, volleyball, and now lacrosse. Men's sports offerings are basketball, cross country, football, outdoor track & field, swimming, and wrestling. All but wrestling, Edinboro's premier Division I sport, compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division II category.

"The addition of further athletic offerings has been under study for quite some time," said Edinboro Athletics Director Bruce Baumgartner. "Under Dr. Brown's leadership and direction, we're creating a new master plan calling for continuous improvements of our overall student life environment."

Baumgartner said studies indicate lacrosse is fastest-growing in the eastern part of the country and that the university will move quickly to hire a coach and staff.

"The timing of adding a new spring sport is important," he said. "We want to be competitive as quickly as possible. That requires bringing in a coach with the energy and enthusiasm to recruit quality student-athletes in a timely manner. We'll have about 12 months to put it all together: building a staff, scheduling games, and most importantly, recruiting talented student athletes." He said lacrosse teams at the university level generally average 22 members.

With Edinboro competing in women's lacrosse, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in 2009 will feature 12 schools offering the sport, including Gannon and Mercyhurst, which join the conference next fall. Other PSAC schools offering women's lacrosse are Bloomsburg, East Stroudsburg, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, and West Chester.

Currently, 41 Division II schools sponsor women's lacrosse. There are also 84 Division I lacrosse programs, and 178 Division III participants.

truebluefan

Brooklyn, N.Y. – Long Island University women's lacrosse head coach Regan Teti released the 2008 schedule today, with 16 games on the docket. The Blackbirds will kick off the season on Feb. 29 with a contest against Davidson at Davidson, N.C. Long Island's schedule also features a trip to California for a pair of games.

Following the season-opener, LIU will face Longwood in Farmville, Va., on March 2. After a game at Bucknell on March 5, the Blackbirds will travel to California to face Saint Mary's on March 15 and UC-Davis on March 17.

The Blackbirds are scheduled to open Northeast Conference play on March 22 at Central Connecticut State. After a non-conference contest at Iona on March 25, Long Island will play its first home contest against Quinnipiac on March 28. The Blackbirds' then play three more games at home against Villanova, Manhattan and Sacred Heart.

The team returns to the road for three conference games at Monmouth, Robert Morris and Saint Francis (Pa.). The Blackbirds close the season out at home with contests against Mount St. Mary's on April 18 and Wagner on April 20.

The NEC Championships will be played at the site of the highest seed on April 25 and 27.

Long Island Blackbirds 2008 Schedule

Day Date Opponent Time
Fri. Feb. 29 at Davidson TBA
Sun. March 2 at Longwood 1:00 p.m.
Wed. March 5 at Bucknell TBA
Sat. March 15 at Saint Mary's TBA
Mon. March 17 at UC-Davis TBA
Sat. March 22 at Central Connecticut* TBA
Tue. March 25 at Iona TBA
Fri. March 28 Quinnipiac* 1:00 p.m.
Sun. March 30 Villanova 1:00 p.m.
Tue. April 1 Manhattan 4:00 p.m.
Fri. April 4 Sacred Heart* 4:00 p.m.
Sun. April 6 at Monmouth* 1:00 p.m.
Fri. April 11 at Robert Morris* 4:00 p.m.
Sun. April 13 at Saint Francis (Pa.)* 11:00 a.m.
Fri. April 18 Mount St. Mary's* 4:00 p.m.
Sun. April 20 Wagner* 5:00 p.m.
Thu. April 25, 27 NEC Championships TBA
Thu. April 25, 27 NEC Championships TBA

* Northeast Conference game
All times are Eastern.

truebluefan

Lacrosse News

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Binghamton Announces 2008 Schedule and Captains

VESTAL, N.Y.- First-year Binghamton University women's lacrosse head coach Tony Zostant has announced the Bearcats' schedule and team captains for the 2008 season. Binghamton will celebrate the seventh season of intercollegiate women's lacrosse when they open their 16-game slate on Sunday, February 17 in Williamsburg, Va., against William and Mary.

Senior Leanne Musso (Auburn, N.Y.) and juniors Kara Slowik (Warners, N.Y.) and Kelsey Pieper (Rensselaer, N.Y.) have been named the 2008 team captains and will lead a young Bearcats squad that features 11 freshman and 12 newcomers.

"The three captains will bring quality leadership and experience headed into the spring campaign," head coach Tony Zostant said. "They have earned the respect from our team and staff with their work ethic and I believe they will provide our program with a very solid foundation for this season."

Following its season opener against the Tribe, the Bearcats will return to Binghamton to host the first of seven home contests to be played at the new, state-of-the-art Bearcat Sports Complex, against Patriot League opponent Colgate on February 22.

The following week, BU will open the America East portion of its schedule when the Bearcats host UMBC on February 29. The Bearcats will also host conference games against Boston University and Stony Brook, while traveling to New Hampshire, Albany, and Vermont.

Other non-conference opponents are set to include Big East power Syracuse University, the MAAC's Canisius, LeMoyne, and Niagara, and Siena, as well as Northeast Conference opponents Monmouth and Wagner College.

"We have put together a competitive schedule for the 2008 campaign," said Zostant. "I am looking forward to our opener at William and Mary and getting things underway this spring."

The top four teams during the regular season will qualify for the America East Championship with the winner earning an automatic berth in the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship. The tournament will be hosted at the highest seed and will run April 25-27.

FEBRUARY
17 Sun. @ William and Mary 1:00 p.m.
22 Fri. COLGATE 4:00 p.m.
29 Fri. *UMBC 4:00 p.m.

MARCH
2 Sun. IONA 2:00 p.m.
4 Tue. @ Syracuse 7:00 p.m.
9 Sun. @ Monmouth 1:00 p.m.
12 Wed. SIENA 6:00 p.m.
16 Sun. @ Canisius 1:00 p.m.
18 Tue. LEMOYNE 7:00 p.m.
21 Fri. *BOSTON UNIVERSITY 4:00 p.m.
29 Sat. *@ New Hampshire noon

APRIL
2 Wed. @ Niagara 4:00 p.m.
9 Wed. *@ Albany 7:00 p.m.
12 Sat. *STONY BROOK 7:00 p.m.
20 Sun. *@ Vermont noon
22 Tue. @ Wagner 4:00 p.m.

Home games are listed in CAPS and played at Bearcat Sport Complex.
* America East Conference game

2007-11-09