Women's Lacrosse Releases 2015 Schedule
Oct 20 | Women's Lacrosse
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Rutgers women's lacrosse team released its 2015 schedule Monday, as the Scarlet Knights prepare to compete in the inaugural season of Big Ten women's lacrosse.
Thirteen-year head coach Laura Brand-Sias will lead RU against seven teams that qualified for the 2014 NCAA Tournament, including defending national champion, Maryland.
Rutgers will also get the opportunity to host the inaugural Big Ten Women's Lacrosse Tournament from April 30 - May 3 at High Point Solutions Stadium.
Big Ten women's lacrosse will feature teams that have won 24 national championships and 20 of the 33 NCAA championships, including nine of the last 10. Maryland has won 12 national championships, with 11 NCAA crowns, including seven straight from 1995 to 2001 and most recently in 2014. Northwestern has claimed seven NCAA titles, highlighted by five consecutive from 2005 to 2009 and most recently in 2012.
"As always, we look forward to playing a competitive schedule, but this year brings us to the start of the Big Ten era," Brand-Sias said. "Not only do we look forward to great out-of-league competition, but we have our inaugural season in a conference laden with national championships. We look forward to our place in history, not only in the Big Ten regular season but in the postseason, as we host the first-ever Big Ten championship here in High Point Solutions Stadium."
The Scarlet Knights will host eight opponents on the season, beginning on Feb. 14 with former league opponent Villanova. The nonconference portion of Rutgers home slate includes a host of regional foes, including Monmouth (Feb. 25), Penn (March 4), Temple (March 11), Hofstra (March 18) and Lehigh (March 31).
Penn ended the year ranked No. 10 in the final IWLCA Coaches poll, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament before falling in the second round to eventual champion, Maryland, by a 13-5 margin.
RU will host its first Big Ten game on March 28 against Penn State, which wrapped up 2014 ranked tied for 13th nationally in the IWLCA Coaches Poll. The Nittany Lions were knocked off in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 16-13, against Princeton.
The only other league opponent set to visit Piscataway is Northwestern. The Wildcats advanced all the way to the Final Four last season, dropping a tight contest against eventual champion Maryland, 9-6. NU was voted No. 3 in the country in the final IWLCA Coaches poll. The date of competition between Rutgers and Northwestern is currently on hold and has yet to be confirmed.
On the nonconference road schedule for Rutgers is Fairfield (Feb. 21), Delaware (Feb. 28), UConn (March 7), James Madison (March 14) and Stony Brook (March 24). Of those opponents, Stony Brook qualified for the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
The Seawolves got out of the first round but fell in their next contest against the national runner-up, Syracuse, 13-6.
Four of Rutgers' final five games of the regular season are against league competition, with four coming on the road. RU will get a chance to knock off the defending champions on April 4, when the team makes the trip to College Park, Md., to face the Terrapins.
From there the Scarlet Knights will travel to NCAA qualifiers Ohio State (April 16) and Johns Hopkins (April 22) before closing the regular season on April 26 at Michigan. The 2014 Big Ten Women's Lacrosse Tournament will be held from April 30 - May 3 at High Point Solutions Stadium.
It will be the first Big Ten Tournament hosted by Rutgers Athletics. The 2015 NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Championship will be held from May 22-24 in Philadelphia. The full 2015 schedule is available below.
Rutgers Women's Lacrosse 2015 Schedule
| DATE | OPPONENT | H/A | LOCATION | TIME |
| Feb. 14 | Villanova | Home | Piscataway, N.J. | 1 p.m. |
| Feb. 21 | Fairfield | Away | Fairfield, Conn. | TBD |
| Feb. 25 | Monmouth | Home | Piscataway, N.J. | 4 p.m. |
| Feb. 28 | Delaware | Away | Newark, Del. | 1 p.m. |
| March 4 | Penn | Home | Piscataway, N.J. | 5 p.m. |
| March 7 | UConn | Away | Storrs, Conn. | TBD |
| March 11 | Temple | Home | Piscataway, N.J. | 6 p.m. |
| March 14 | James Madison | Away | Harrisonburg, Va. | 1 p.m. |
| March 18 | Hofstra | Home | Piscataway, N.J. | 5 p.m. |
| March 24 | Stony Brook | Away | Stony Brook, N.Y. | 7 p.m. |
| March 28 | Penn State | Home | Piscataway, N.J. | 1 p.m. |
| March 31 | Lehigh | Home | Piscataway, N.J. | 5 p.m. |
| April 4 | Maryland | Away | College Park, Md. | TBD |
| April 10 (ON HOLD) | Northwestern ( ON HOLD) | Home | Piscataway, N.J. | TBD |
| April 16 | Ohio State | Away | Cincinnati, Ohio | TBD |
| April 22 | Johns Hopkins | Away | Baltimore, Md. | 6 p.m. |
| April 26 | Michigan | Away | Ann Arbor, Mich. | TBD |
| April 30 - May 3 | Big Ten Tournament | Home | Piscataway, N.J. | TBD |
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics) and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. Fans can receive timely information, including special offers and giveaways throughout the year on our social media outlets along with www.ScarletKnights.com.
