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WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Peter Lawrence, the head coach of the University of Hartford men's lacrosse team, has announced the schedule for the upcoming 2013 season. The 13-game regular season slate is highlighted by six home games as well as matchups with three opponents that participated in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. As always, the Hawks' schedule will feature the competitive America East conference games as Hartford begins the quest for its second league tournament title in three years.
On Saturday, February 16, Hartford opens its 2013 campaign by hosting the Maryland Terrapins, arguably the strongest opponent to have played at Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium. The Terps, who have reached the NCAA title game in each of the past two seasons and were recently ranked No. 2 in Inside Lacrosse's annual Face-off Yearbook publication. In the first-ever meeting between the two teams last year in College Park, the Hawks hung around until midway through the third quarter, when the Terps used a 7-1 run to close out the game and earn a 12-6 triumph.
After the home opener, the Hawks will hit the road for three of their next four games, starting with a short drive to Worcester, Mass. to take on the Holy Cross Crusaders on Saturday, February 23. Hartford will then look to make it three-in-a-row against Brown when it hosts the Bears in a mid-week non-conference clash on Wednesday, March 6.
The next two games will be on the road, beginning with a date at perennial MAAC power Siena on Saturday March 9. In 2012, the Saints closed out the year with an 11-5 mark, falling by one goal in the MAAC Championship to Canisius.
Following the trip to Loudonville, the Hawks will remain within the borders of the state of Connecticut as they travel to Hamden, Conn. to battle the Quinnipiac Bobcats. Hartford and Quinnipiac have hooked up 13 times in the last 14 years, with the Hawks claiming wins in the last three meetings.
Hartford opens up its longest home stand of the year, a three-game stretch, on Wednesday, March 20 when it welcomes in-state rival Sacred Heart to Alumni Field, followed by Massachusetts on Saturday, March 23. The home stretch is capped-off on Saturday, March 30 as UMBC pays a visit to West Hartford for the start of the America East Conference portion of the schedule.
Sacred Heart and UMBC finished 4-9 and 5-8, respectively, last season while Massachusetts (15-1) is coming off a solid 2012 campaign. The battle between the Hawks and Pioneers will be the 14th meeting between the two teams as the Hawks look to even the series at .500 while last season, Hartford saw its four-game win streak against the Retrievers come to a halt in Baltimore. After finishing the regular season undefeated at 15-0, the Minutemen ended their run with a 13-11 loss to Colgate in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Following the home stand, the Hawks hit the road for their next three games, starting with a Saturday night matchup at Albany on April 6. Entering his 13th season at the helm of the Great Danes, Scott Marr piloted the program to the America East Tournament title game last year after posting a 3-2 mark in the league.
A midweek trip to non-league foe Dartmouth on Tuesday, April 9 is next on the slate for the Hawks as they will look for their first-ever win against the Big Green in six tries in a series that has not been played since the 2009 campaign. The Hawks conclude their longest road stretch of the season by traveling to Binghamton on Saturday, April 13 where they will look for their first win at the Bearcats Sports Complex since 2003.
The 2012 regular season home finale will be played on Saturday, April 20 as the Hawks welcome defending America East Tournament champion Stony Brook to Alumni Stadium for a clash under the lights of Al-Marzook Field. Last season, the two teams split a pair of games, with Hartford taking the regular season meeting in overtime (11-10) at La Valle Stadium before falling on the road in the conference tournament's semifinal round by a single goal (9-8).
Hartford's final contest of the 2012 campaign will be played at Vermont on Saturday, April 27 at Virtue Field. The top-four regular season finishers will qualify for the America East Tournament which begins with the semifinals on Wednesday, May 1 and concludes with the championship game on Saturday, May 11.
