WEST POINT, N.Y. – Army lacrosse coach Joe Alberici announced the schedule for the 2009 season, Monday. The challenging slate, which includes nine home contests, will pit the Black Knights against the likes of defending national champion Syracuse and quarterfinalist Duke, along with another tough Patriot League slate.

"I am excited about the schedule we have coming up for the 2009 season," said Alberici. "A tough non-conference schedule like ours is crucial in prepping us to play in a Patriot League that gets tougher and tougher every year. We also look forward to defending the home turf of Michie Stadium so many times."

Alberici, who capped the 2008 campaign with Patriot League Coach of the Year honors, welcomes back a roster that includes 30 returning lettermen and five of the team's top-six scorers that led the Black Knights to a 9-6 record, a top seed for the Patriot League Tournament and a No. 19 ranking in the final national poll.

After an exhibition at Massachusetts (Feb. 7), Army will play the earliest season-opener in the 92-year history of the program on Feb. 14 against visiting Virginia Military Institute. After a road date with Syracuse (Feb. 20), the Black Knights will kick off a three-game homestand versus Cornell (Feb. 28) in a game to be broadcast on ESPNU.

Army will open March by welcoming first-time opponent Bryant (Mar. 4) and service-academy-rival Air Force (Mar. 7) to the Hudson Valley, before heading to Piscataway, N.J. to take on Rutgers (Mar. 14).

The Black Knights will open Patriot League play with a home date versus Lehigh (Mar. 17) and a road showdown with Holy Cross (Mar. 21), before hosting Hofstra (Mar. 24) in their second ESPNU game of the season.

A stretch of four-straight league games starts at defending champion Colgate (Mar. 29), before Bucknell returns to West Point (Apr. 4) for the first time since upsetting the top-seeded Black Knights in the first round of the Patriot League Tournament last season.

Army's annual showdown with Navy (Apr. 11) will have an added twist as it will be the opening game of the 2009 Inside Lacrosse Day of Rivals, hosted at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. as part of a double-header with Johns Hopkins and Maryland.

After hosting Lafayette (Apr. 14), the Black Knights will head to Durham, N.C. to take on Duke (Apr. 18) in their final preparation for the Patriot League Tournament, scheduled for April 24 and 26 at the home venue of the tournament's top-seed.

Army will wrap-up the regular season with its final home contest against Pennsylvania (May 2).

February
Sat.  7    at UMass (Exh.)   Amherst, Mass.      1:00 p.m.
Sat. 14    VMI               West Point, N.Y.   12:00 p.m.
Fri. 20    at Syracuse       Syracuse, N.Y.      7:00 p.m.
Sat. 28    CORNELL (ESPNU)   West Point, N.Y.    5:00 p.m.
 
March
Wed.  4    BRYANT            West Point, N.Y.    4:00 p.m.
Sat.  7    AIR FORCE         West Point, N.Y.   12:00 p.m.
Sat. 14    at Rutgers        Piscataway, N.J.    1:00 p.m.
Tue. 17    LEHIGH *          West Point, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.
Sat. 21    at Holy Cross *   Worcester, Mass.   12:00 p.m.
Tue. 24    HOFSTRA (ESPNU)   West Point, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.
Sun. 29    at Colgate *      Hamilton, N.Y.      1:00 p.m.
 
April
Sat.  4    BUCKNELL          West Point, N.Y.   12:00 p.m.
Sat. 11    vs. Navy ~        Baltimore, Md.     11:30 a.m.
Tue. 14    LAFAYETTE *       West Point, N.Y.    7:00 p.m.
Sat. 18    at Duke           Durham, N.C.       12:00 p.m.
Fri. 24    Patriot Semifinals
Sun. 26    Patriot Final
 
May
Sat.  2    PENNSYLVANIA      West Point, N.Y.   12:00 p.m.

Home matches in CAPS at Michie Stadium
~ Day of Rivals, M&T Banks Stadium
* Patriot League game
Schedule is as of Nov. 17, 2008 (subject to change).

2008-11-17