2014 Michigan Lacrosse schedule released

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

 

Date  Opponent Time
2/1 vs Marquette (ex) 1pm
2/8 at Penn State 1pm
2/14 vs Mercer 7pm
2/19 Detroit (in Pontiac, MI) 7pm
2/22 at Johns Hopkins Noon
3/1 vs Cornell TBA
3/5 at High Point 7pm
3/8 at Furman Noon
3/15 at Bellarmine 1pm
3/18 vs Maryland 4pm
3/22 vs Saint Joseph's 3pm
3/29 at Air Force* 3pm
4/5 vs Fairfield* 3pm
  Showdown at the Shoe (Ohio Stadium)  
4/12 at Ohio* TBA
4/19 vs Yale 4pm
4/26 vs Robert Morris Noon

It's that time of year again. The 2014 schedule for Team 3 of Michigan Men's Lacrosse has been released.

Michigan has some great chances to get some wins this year with fellow fledgling programs furman, mercer and high point on the schedule. Michigan lost a close one last year at high point by 3, furman is in their first year, and mercer is in their third. Michigan's first win in program history was in 2012 in a 14-4 domination over mercer down in Jacksonville. 

Michigan's lone win in 2013, saint joseph's will be coming back to Michigan Stadium as well. 

Annnnnd then there are some very scary games that could result in big losses like another trip out to future conference foe johns hopkins and maryland coming to Michigan Stadium. 

Although not confirmed and left as a TBA for the venue on the schedule, the game against the buckeyes isn't that hard to guess. Similar to Michigan's Battle at The Big House, ohio usually hosts a lacrosse game at the horseshoe prior to their spring game. It looks like the young laxers are being thrown into the lion's cage. Yeesh. It's not so much the opponent as it is a stadium full of uneducated, Maize and Blue hating idiots. 

The ECAC Tournament will be played in Columbus at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. The tournament will feature the top-4 teams in the ECAC regular season standings. If Michigan can somehow sneak in, this would be a huge step for the program.

This is the final season for the storied ECAC. One of its key additions, Michigan, likely caused its end ironically. The ECAC only has 5 teams left this season (Michigan, ohio, Air Force, Fairfield and Bellarmine). 

  • Loyola, Denver & Hobart left the ECAC after the 2013 season and will compete in the Patriot League, Big East & NEC in 2014 respectively.
  • Michigan & ohio will depart after 2014 being joined by Maryland from the ACC as well as Johns Hopkins and Rutgers from the DI-Independents to form the B1G Lacrosse Conference
  • Fairfield will depart for the CAA after 2014
  • Air Force will become an DI-Independent after 2014 

 

Schedule key-

  • Italics indicate the home game will be played at Oosterbaan Field House
  • * indicates ECAC Conference game
  • Bold indicates home game will be played at Michigan Stadium

WolvinLA2

November 18th, 2013 at 7:00 PM ^

I see 9 winnable games and probably 4 that are likely wins (Mercer, St. Joe's, High Point and Furman).  Robert Morris and Fairfield are probably the next most likely, being at home.  A win over Detroit would also be nice.  

littlebrownjug

November 18th, 2013 at 7:48 PM ^

I am a little surprised and bummed that Rutgers is not on the list, because they will be joining the conference shortly. Maryland, JHU and Cornell should be really good learning experiences, and they can hopefully start to win a few more of the close games than they did this year. I would imagine that we are another couple of years out from being deep enough to be competitive against really good teams, but this ship is headed in the right direction.

agp

November 18th, 2013 at 7:49 PM ^

Going to Homewood and then playing Cornell back to back is going to be rough. Like the pacing of the rest of the schedule though. Good variance in opponent quality.

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

November 18th, 2013 at 9:59 PM ^

"Storied" ECAC?  The only story the ECAC has ever had (as a lacrosse league, anyway) was as a holding pen for various and sundry programs until they found a real conference.  It never engendered any real rivalries and teams bolted as soon as they could, and in recent years was basically the remnants of the old GWLL and a couple teams that hadn't yet found a more permanent home.

We were hardly a key addition, and the death knell for the ECAC really sounded when the Big East, rather than the Big Ten, began sponsoring lax.

Anyway, the ECAC still exists, it just won't sponsor D-I men's lax after this year.

L'Carpetron Do…

November 19th, 2013 at 10:34 AM ^

Mercer, HP, St. Joe's and Furman need to be wins.  Robert Morris and Bellarmine are somewhat new programs but are actually pretty good now (I was impressed with B'mine last year).  AF was supposed to be winnable last year but Mich got crushed.  Detroit could be winnable too.  Last year's chedule was really hard and this looks a little easier.  

I'm hoping this is the big breakout year for Michigan.  

I thought ND was supposed to be on the schedule starting in Year 3.  Also - I thought Mercer dropped its program but I guess not - anyone know about that?

 

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

November 19th, 2013 at 11:55 AM ^

There's winnable and then there's winnable.  Air Force for a while now has been a pretty straight-up .500 program, which really put them just on the fringes of winnability for Michigan.

Never heard anything about Mercer dropping its program either now or in the future - they just joined the new A-Sun conference so with conference support they probably won't be going anywhere.