WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (Oct. 12, 2009) - William and Mary lacrosse head coach Christine Halfpenny has announced the Tribe's schedule for the upcoming 2010 season. The challenging slate features 17 regular-season contests, nine of which will be played at Albert-Daly Field in Williamsburg.

In addition to the seven-game Colonial Athletic Association ledger, W&M will square off against 10 non-conference foes from all across the country. The Tribe's schedule includes contests against four teams that earned berths in the 2009 NCAA tournament and six games against squads that were ranked among the nation's top 20 in the final Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Poll.

The College will open the 2010 campaign with three consecutive home games, two of which will be against teams that finished last season ranked among the top 20. W&M will welcome Ohio State to Williamsburg for the season opener on Feb. 14. Ranked 16th nationally at the conclusion of last year, this season's contest will mark the first meeting between the Tribe and the Buckeyes.

W&M will face another challenging test the following weekend when it hosts Duke on Feb. 21. Ranked fifth in the country at the end of last season, the Blue Devils advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals in '09.

The Tribe will wrap up its three-game season-opening stretch against Oregon on Feb. 28. The matchup will be the Tribe's first-ever meeting with the Ducks, who posted a 12-5 record last season.

The Green and Gold will finally hit the road with a pair of contests during spring break, as it will take on Boston University and Navy. BU earned a spot in the '09 NCAA Tournament and finished the year ranked 12th nationally, while Navy posted a 13-5 record last season.

W&M will then square off against a pair of in-state foes, as it hosts Virginia on March 17 before traveling to Virginia Tech on March 20. The Cavaliers were ranked 10th nationally at the conclusion of last season and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

After hosting California on March 24, the Tribe will wrap up its non-conference slate with road games at Penn State (March 28) and Richmond (April 4). Penn State finished last season ranked 15th nationally, while Cal advanced to the MPSF Championship game.

Having won back-to-back regular-season conference titles, the College will begin its quest for the CAA championship on the road against Hofstra (April 9) and Drexel (April 11) during the opening weekend of league action. W&M earned victories against both opponents last season, defeating the Pride, 19-13, and the Dragons, 18-12.

The following weekend, W&M will play its first home games in nearly a month when it hosts Delaware (April 16) and Towson (April 18). Delaware was the lone league team to defeat the Tribe last season, as the Green and Gold posted a 7-1 conference record en route to claiming the top seed in the CAA Tournament.

The Tribe will then host George Mason (April 23) and play at James Madison (April 25) before concluding the regular season against Old Dominion on April 29 for Senior Day. The CAA Championship will feature the conference's top four teams and will be hosted by the regular-season champion on May 6 & 8.

W&M returns nine starters from last season's team that ranked 20th nationally in the final regular-season IWLCA poll.

February 14   OHIO STATE          W&M                 1:00 pm
February 21   DUKE                W&M                 1:00 pm
February 28   OREGON              W&M                 1:00 pm
 
March 7       Boston University   Boston, MA          1:00 pm
March 10      Navy                Annapolis, MD       4:00 pm
March 17      VIRGINIA            W&M                 7:00 pm
March 20      Virginia Tech       Blacksburg, VA      1:00 pm
March 24      CALIFORNIA          W&M                 7:00 pm
March 28      Penn State          State College, PA   1:00 pm
 
April 4       Richmond            Richmond, VA        1:00 pm
April 9       Hofstra             Hempstead, NY       7:00 pm
April 11      Drexel              Philadelphia, PA    1:00 pm
April 16      DELAWARE            W&M                 7:00 pm
April 18      TOWSON              W&M                 1:00 pm
April 23      GEORGE MASON        W&M                 7:00 pm
April 25      James Madison       Harrisonburg, VA    1:00 pm
April 29      OLD DOMINION        W&M                 7:00 pm
 
May 6         CAA Tournament      TBD                 TBD
May 8         CAA Tournament      TBD                 TBD

2009-10-12