DENVER – The University of Denver men's lacrosse team will open up the 2010 season on the road against the defending NCAA national champion Syracuse, DU head coach Bill Tierney announced today. The Pioneers will also embark on new adventure as a member of the Eastern College Athletic Conference, making the move with former Great Western Lacrosse League teams, Air Force, Bellarmine, Ohio State and Quinnipiac.

The Pioneers will enter the Carrier Dome on Friday, Feb. 19 to face an Orange team that posted a 16-2 overall record last season and a dramatic 10-9 come-from-behind win in overtime against Cornell at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., to capture the program's 11th National Championship.

"Starting off the season against the defending National Champions is going to be a great test of our young team," Tierney said. "It was important for us as a coaching staff to come here and make a statement to our players, and what better way than opening up a season against the best team in the country."

Following their game with the Orange, the Pioneers remain on the road to face the Jacksonville University Dolphins on Sunday, Feb. 21, a program in its inaugural season of Division I lacrosse.

Denver opens up its home schedule on Saturday, Feb. 27 as it welcomes the Albany Great Danes to the Mile-High City. The Pioneers then welcome Air Force, Lehigh and Penn to Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium for the Ninth Annual DU Face-Off Classic on Saturday, Mar. 6 and Sunday, Mar. 7.

The Pioneers then host Canisius at home before heading on a two-game Northeast road trip to Notre Dame and Stony Brook, two teams that finished ranked in the top-25 last season. During the 2009 season, the Pioneers matched-up with the then No. 4 Irish in a GWLL game, dropping a 10-8 decision at Invesco Field at Mile High. Denver faced Stony Brook at home last season, turning in a 17-12 victory.

In a non-conference game, the Pioneers will host Air Force on Saturday, March 27 in the first of four straight home games, three of which are ECAC opponents. Denver opens ECAC play against Hobart on Saturday, April 3 and follows it up with games against Bellarmine and Quinnipiac the following weekend.

"Joining the ECAC is going to be a great asset for us," Tierney said. "We are going to face some very tough teams that have strong lacrosse programs and if we play well, we can really make a statement in our first year. The good news for the Denver lacrosse community is that we will bring in some very good East teams to the Mile-High City."

Denver then returns to the road to take on Ohio State on Saturday, April 17, followed by a match-up with Fairfield on Sunday, April 25 in a televised ESPNU contest.

Once again, the Pioneers will make the trip up Interstate-25 to host a game at Invesco Field at Mile High as they invite Loyola to the Rocky Mountain Region for another ECAC meeting on Sunday, May 2.

Denver closes out the regular season with its final conference game, making the journey south to the United States Air Force Academy on Saturday, May 8.

Heading into the 2010 season, the Pioneers return their top-two leading scorers from a season ago as senior Charley Dickenson (Dallas, Texas) and Mark Matthews (Oshawa, Ontario) will be called upon to help lead the Denver offense.

"Everyone is starting fresh this season," Tierney said. "Since we are new as a coaching staff and we have a big group of incoming players, everyone will be competing for a starting position. It's a new language, new techniques and a new way of doing things that everyone needs to become familiar with. Our goal is to have fans say, 'I can't wait till the spring.'"

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2009-10-06