The Lynchburg College men's lacrosse has announced the schedule for 2009, its 30th year of NCAA play. In 2008, Lynchburg defeated Virginia Wesleyan College to earn its third Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championship, securing a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time. The Hornets set a team record for wins in a season with 16 and the 2008 senior class finished with a program-record 55 wins in four years.
The Hornets will open the 2009 season on February 21 by hosting out-of-conference foe and reigning National Champion Salisbury University. Game time has been set for 1 p.m.
The following weekend will feature back-to-back home contests. Saturday February 28, the Battling Bishops of Ohio Wesleyan University come to Shellenberger Field for a 1 p.m. game. The following day, the Hornets will host the Colorado College Tigers at 1 p.m. Lynchburg has only played Colorado College once before, an 8-6 victory in Colorado Springs in 2005.
Wednesday March 4 features the first midweek contest of 2009 for Lynchburg, an out-of-conference game against Muhlenberg College set for 4 p.m. The Hornets will finish the week on Saturday March 7 at 1 p.m. against 2008 NCAA Quarterfinalist Cabrini College.
Saturday March 14, the Hornets will travel to Charlottesville, VA for a neutral site contest against 2008 NCAA participant Denison University. The game will be played at the Main Athletic Turf Field at St. Anne's Belfield School at 7:30 p.m.
Lynchburg travels to Stevenson University (formerly Villa Julie College) on March 21 for a 2 p.m. tussle against the Mustangs. The Hornets have never lost to Stevenson, compiling a 4-0 all-time record.
The following week features two home contests, against Greensboro College Wednesday March 25 at 7 p.m., and against Randolph College Saturday, March 28 at 7:00 p.m. The contest against Randolph will be the first-ever between the cross-town opponents. Randolph College (formerly Randolph-Macon Woman's College) admitted men for the first time in August 2007, and will field a lacrosse team for the first time ever in 2009.
The month of April will feature only ODAC contests for Lynchburg College, beginning on Wednesday the 1st at 7 p.m. when the Hornets will host Virginia Wesleyan College. Lynchburg will travel to Randolph-Macon College on Saturday April 4, game time TBA.
On Saturday April 11, Shellenberger Field will play host to the Maroons of Roanoke College at 7 p.m.
The third week in April features two contests, home against Hampden-Sydney College on Wednesday the 15th at 7:00 p.m., and at Guilford College, Saturday the 18th.
Lynchburg concludes the regular season on April 22 at Washington and Lee University, with game time set for 7 p.m.
For the first time ever, the ODAC Men's Lacrosse Championship will feature six teams, with the third and sixth seeds and fourth and fifth seeds playing at the higher seed on Saturday April 25. The two semifinal games will be Tuesday April 28, and the Championship game will be played Sunday May 3.
The 2009 Division III NCAA Final will be played at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts on Sunday March 24.
