GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University men's lacrosse team has assembled a 13-game schedule for the 2021 season, head coach Richard Carrington has announced.
2021 Tusculum men's lacrosse schedule
The Pioneers will play 10 South Atlantic Conference matches this season, with the addition of league newcomer and perennial Division II power Limestone along with first-year program Anderson.
"The 2021 season comes with more challenges and more opportunities to overcome adversity," said Carrington, the only coach in program history who will be entering his eighth season in 2021. "We speak a lot about character and personal development, and this season will put our core values and philosophies to the test. Frankly, I eagerly await the emergence of some great leaders we have on this 2021 team."
Eight of Tusculum's 13 contests will be on the road, including all three of its non-conference matchups. The Pioneers will play their first four matches away from home before welcoming Newberry for their home opener on Saturday, March 6. Tusculum went 4-3 during the abbreviated 2020 season and had won two straight before play was brought to a halt in mid-March. The Pioneers beat Newberry 11-10 in their only conference game last year.
The Pioneers will begin the season on Saturday, Feb. 6 at Alderson Broaddus. The Battlers were 0-5 last season and were outscored by an average of 20 goals per game. Tusculum won the only previous meeting by a 25-7 score on Apr. 24, 2014 at Pioneer Field in the final game of the Pioneers' inaugural season.
Tusculum will visit Chowan on Sunday, Feb. 14 for the first-ever meeting with the Hawks. Chowan went 5-3 last season after going 2-13 during the 2019 campaign, but was 0-2 against South Atlantic Conference opponents with losses to Newberry (11-9) and Coker (16-6).
Conference play begins for the Pioneers on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at Mars Hill. The Lions were 3-5 overall last season and 0-1 in conference play, one year after going 3-12 overall and 0-8 in the league. The Pioneers are 4-2 all-time against the Lions, with four consecutive victories including a 15-13 road win in their last matchup in 2019.
The Pioneers will wrap up their February schedule with their final non-conference game, on Saturday, Feb. 27 at Lees-McRae. The Bobcats were 1-6 last season, earning their lone win against Shorter in their only home game of the year before play was stopped. Tusculum beat Lees-McRae 19-5 at home last season and owns a 3-0 lead in the all-time series.
Tusculum will host Newberry in the home opener on Saturday, March 6. The Wolves were 3-3 overall and 0-1 in conference play last season, losing to the Pioneers 11-10 at home in their only league contest of the season. The Pioneers are 2-1 all-time against the Wolves, with the road team winning all three previous meetings.
Two preseason nationally-ranked opponents follow as the Pioneers visit Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday, March 13 followed by a trip to Limestone on Saturday, March 20. The Bears, ranked sixth in the US Lacrosse Magazine preseason Top 20, were off to a 6-1 start last season. Lenoir-Rhyne is 7-0 all-time against Tusculum. Limestone, making its SAC debut in 2021, was 4-1 when the 2020 season came to an end, including an 18-7 home win over the Pioneers on Feb. 14. The Saints are 5-0 all-time against the Pioneers, and were ranked in all five meetings include twice as the number-one team in Division II.
The Pioneers close March with home games against first-year program Anderson on Wednesday, March 24 and Queens on Saturday, March 27. Anderson becomes the 11th SAC member in men's lacrosse, while Queens carried a 5-2 record at the end of the 2020 season. The Royals, ranked 12th in the preseason Division II Top 20 poll, are 6-1 all-time against the Pioneers with three straight wins since a 12-9 Tusculum victory on April 1, 2017.
Tusculum will be on the road to face Coker on Friday, April 2. The Cobras compiled a solid 6-2 record last season after completing the 2019 campaign out of the postseason with a 5-9 record. The Cobras hold a 4-3 edge in what has been a highly-competitive series, in which the home team has lost six of the seven matchups.
Back-to-back home games will wrap up the Pioneer Field regular-season slate for the Pioneers, with contests against Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday, April 7 and Catawba on Sunday, April 11. The Railsplitters were 2-4 last season after posting a 4-10 record during the 2019 season. The teams have split their six all-time meetings, three of which were decided by one goal. Catawba was off to a 3-3 start last season after going 9-6 in 2019 and earning a national ranking. The Pioneers are 4-2 all-time against the Indians.
The regular season will come to a close for the Pioneers on Saturday, April 17 at Wingate. The Bulldogs, ranked 14th in the Division II preseason poll, had a 4-2 record last year after winning the SAC regular-season and tournament championships in 2019. Wingate is 7-0 all-time against Tusculum, three times winning as a ranked team.
The SAC Men's Lacrosse Championship is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, April 20 with first-round matches at campus sites. Lenoir-Rhyne is scheduled to host the remainder of the tournament, with the semifinals slated for Friday, April 23 and the finals on Sunday, April 25. Twelve teams will compete in the NCAA Division II Men's Lacrosse Championships, all selected on an at-large basis.
