SALEM, Va. – The No. 19 Roanoke men's lacrosse schedule has been released as announced by head coach Bill Pilat. Not only will the Maroons play a 17-game regular season schedule, starting with an away game at No. 6 Salisbury on February 11, but Roanoke has earned the No. 19 preseason national ranking by USA Lacrosse Magazine. The Maroons are one of four ODAC schools in the national rankings to start the season.
"Once again our schedule is among the toughest in all of Division III," stated Pilat. Our out of conference schedule has three teams who are in the top 20 in the country. We take two trips to Maryland to face two top five opponents. Starting the season on the road against Final Four participant Salisbury will be an awesome test for the Maroons."
The season kicks off with the trip to the Seagulls before returning home to welcome the Sewanee Tigers to campus on Feb. 18. Roanoke gets the ODAC season started early by traveling to ODAC newcomer Averett on Feb. 22. The Maroons will then get to travel to Sparks, Md. to take on No. 13 Dickinson in a neutral site contest at the US Lacrosse Facility on Feb. 26.
Roanoke then returns home for six-straight games, starting with John Carroll on March. 4. The Maroons then welcome Swarthmore (Mar. 11), No. 18 Franklin & Marshall (Mar. 14), Mary Washington (Mar. 15), and Ohio Northern to Kerr Stadium in non-conference action.
Following the game with the Polar Bears, Roanoke returns to ODAC play for the rest of the regular season. The Maroons' six-game homestand concludes with a visit from Virginia Wesleyan on Mar. 25 before Roanoke pays a visit to Guilford on Mar. 29.
Other home ODAC games include Shenandoah (April 1), Ferrum (Apr. 12), No. 17 Washington and Lee (Apr. 18), and No. 14 Hampden-Sydney (Apr. 22). Remaining road ODAC games include No. 8 Lynchburg (Apr. 8) and Bridgewater (Apr. 15).
"The ODAC is one of the strongest conferences in all of Division III Men's lacrosse and 2023 looks to be no different," added Pilat. "Night games against Washington and Lee and Lynchburg will provide great atmospheres for our players and on Alumni weekend Hampden Sydney comes to town for another great test."
The 2023 ODAC Tournament gets underway with a first-round game on Sunday, Apr. 30 between the #6 and #7 seeds. Quarterfinal contests will be played at the #3 and #4 seeds on Tuesday, May 2 with semifinal action at the #1 and #2 seeds on Thursday, May 4. The ODAC Tournament championship game will be on Saturday, May 6.
