POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The Marist Athletics Department and men's lacrosse head coach Keegan Wilkinson have released the schedule for the 2012 season. The Red Foxes, who finished the 2011 season at 8-7 and a third-place finish in the conference, will play an 11-game schedule, including six Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) contests.
The schedule begins with four road games for the Red Foxes, starting at Sacred Heart on Feb. 25 and Stony Brook on March 3. Marist will be looking for revenge as both these teams defeated the Red Foxes in Poughkeepsie at the beginning of last season.
On March 10, Marist will travel to lacrosse powerhouse Maryland for a game against the 2010 national runner-up. Three days later, the Red Foxes will be at Rutgers for a contest against the for from the Big East. Last season, Marist survived a late comeback attempt to defeat the Scarlet Knights 10-9.
The following week, on March 17, the team opens its MAAC portion of the schedule with their home-opener against Jacksonville. In 2011, the Red Foxes won an overtime thriller over the Dolphins 9-8 in Jacksonville.
The Red Foxes hit the road again for the next two weeks with MAAC games at Detroit Mercy on March 24 and VMI on March 31. A 15-7 win over VMI last season kick-started a program record seven-game winning streak that propelled Marist into the playoffs. The Red Foxes also defeated Detroit Mercy in that streak before the Titans ended Marist's season in the MAAC Semifinals.
Following the game at VMI, the team returns home for a non-conference matchup with Lafayette before hitting the road for a showdown at perennial contender Duke on April 7. The Blue Devils lost in the NCAA Semifinals to Maryland, a year after winning the National Championship over Notre Dame.
Three of Marist's final four home contests are at Tenney Stadium, beginning with a MAAC game against Manhattan on April 14. A week later the Red Foxes will travel to Albany to take on Siena in their final road game of the season. Marist will welcome Saint Joseph's on April 24 before Canisius comes to Poughkeepsie for the regular season finale on April 28.
The Red Foxes will be hosting the 2012 MAAC Championships at Tenney Stadium May 4-6. The top four teams at the end of the regular season qualify for the tournament. Marist has reached the semifinals each of the past two seasons.
"I could not be more excited about the upcoming season," Wilkinson said. "We have an extremely challenging non-conference schedule, including the games at 2011 Final Four participants Maryland and Duke. I am looking forward to these contests which should be great preparation for our team heading into MAAC play."