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Virginia Releases 2011 Men's Lacrosse Schedule
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia men’s lacrosse head coach Dom Starsia announced his team’s schedule for the 2011 season today. UVa, a 2010 NCAA semifinalist, boasts a schedule which features eight games against teams that saw postseason action in last year’s NCAA Championships, including the NCAA champion and one other semifinalist, while at least seven contests will be televised by one of the ESPN Family of Networks.
“We are very pleased to announce our schedule for the 2011 season,” said Starsia “As we come off a season in which we had the No. 1 RPI in the country and enter a 2011 campaign that features increased television exposure (including a regular season appearance on the ‘mother ship’ ESPN) and welcoming some new opponents to Charlottesville all contribute to the anticipation of another exciting spring in 2011.”
The Cavaliers open up the season on Feb. 19 inside the confines of Klöckner Stadium against Drexel, the 10th year in a row Virginia has started its season against the Dragons. Virginia then replays the first two rounds of its 2010 NCAA Tournament matchups by hosting Mount St. Mary’s on Feb. 22 and then heading to Long Island on Feb. 26 to face Stony Brook.
Virginia returns home on Feb. 28 to host VMI before appearing inside the Carrier Dome on March 6 against Syracuse, winners of the 2008 and 2009 NCAA titles. UVa turns right around to host former UVa All-American defenseman Ryan Curtis’ Vermont squad on March 8.
After appearing in Inside Lacrosse’s Big City Classic the past two years, UVa returns to Baltimore for the publication’s Face-Off Classic, an annual event the Cavaliers appeared in the first two years it was held. Virginia will face fellow 2010 semifinalist Cornell on ESPNU as part of a lacrosse triple-header contested in M&T Bank Stadium on March 12.
UVa returns to Klöckner Stadium on March 19 to host Ohio State, the first contest against the Buckeyes since 2001 and will be the fifth all-time meeting in a series that began in 1968, but went on hiatus until 1999.
The Cavaliers will then head back up to Baltimore for a March 26 meeting at Johns Hopkins for the Doyle Smith Cup. The contest with the Blue Jays is the 64th season in a row the teams have played each other and the 2011 tilt will be televised on ESPNU.
Virginia opens ACC play at home against Maryland April 2, a game televised on ESPNU. Virginia continues league play on April 9 when North Carolina comes to Charlottesville for a contest televised on ESPN.
ACC play concludes on April 16 when the Cavaliers appear on ESPNU in Durham, N.C. against Duke. Virginia will then return to Durham six days later, as the Blue Devils will host the ACC Championship on April 22 and 24. The semifinals and finals of the ACC Tournament will be televised on ESPNU.
Virginia will conclude the regular season portion of its schedule April 30 when it hosts Pennsylvania. The all-time series with the Quakers, which has never been contested outside of Charlottesville, is one of UVa’s oldest in lacrosse, beginning in 1929. After meeting again in 1931 the series was dormant until 1997. The 2011 edition will be the first against Pennsylvania since 1998 and fifth contest overall.
The NCAA Championship for men’s lacrosse begins May 14-15 at home sites, followed by the quarterfinals at either Hofstra (South) on May 21 or Harvard (North) on May 22. Harvard will host the NCAA Quarterfinals at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
The final four returns to M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md., after hosting the event last season. The fifth final four to be held at the home of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens kicks off with the semifinals on May 28, followed by the finals on May 30.
“The growth of the game in recent years has elevated the play for college teams across the board and there is now a requirement to be at your best on every game day,” said Starsia. “Fans can now catch an emerging program or a traditional rival and expect to see a dramatic performance. This has not made it any easier on the level of anxiety for the coaches but there will certainly be any number of exciting moments following the opening face off with Drexel. Don’t miss out!”
Season tickets for men’s lacrosse go on sale January 3 at 9 a.m. The all lacrosse season pass for reserved seats is $40. The all lacrosse season pass for adult general admission is $30, while the all lacrosse season pass for youth, senior citizens and faculty/staff general admission is $20. The all season pass is good for all men’s and women’s lacrosse home games. A men’s lacrosse only reserved season ticket seat is $30.
Virginia sold out of Reserved Seat season tickets last year and all season ticket holders from last year will have priority on renewal. All new Reserved Seat orders for 2011 will be put on a waitlist and seating will be done based on priority.
All single game tickets will go on sale Feb. 9.