ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The University at Albany men’s lacrosse program has announced its full schedule for the 2023 season.  The schedule features a program-record 10 regular-season home matches, in which the Great Danes will welcome defending national champion Maryland, 2022 national runner-up Cornell, and 2022 NCAA quarterfinalists Yale and Penn to Tom & Mary Casey Stadium.  

The full schedule features five opponents who appeared in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, five teams that finished 2022 ranked 20th or higher in the national poll, and three conference champions. 

“As a group, we couldn’t be more excited about our opportunity to play one of the best schedules in the country,” said head coach Scott Marr.  “From opening with Syracuse in the Dome, to hosting national runner-up Cornell and national champion Maryland, our fans are being treated to the best college lacrosse has to offer.  Pair that with our competitive conference schedule, and finishing off with two of the Ivy League’s top programs in Yale and Penn, it proves to be as challenging a non-conference schedule in the country.  We are excited and will be ready for the challenge.” 

UAlbany’s previous single-season high for regular-season home games was eight, in 2011 and 2014.  On two occasions, in 2007 and 2018, UAlbany did play a total of 10 games at home, including postseason contests.  In each year, UAlbany went 10-0 at home. 

Additionally, 2023 season tickets for men’s lacrosse are now on sale.  Season ticket packages include eight of the team’s 10 games, excluding UMass on March 7 and Penn on April 26, due to their non-traditional weekday start times.  These two games will be available for season ticket holders at a discounted rate as add-ons to their season ticket packages.   

Starting December 19, and until January 13, fans can renew or purchase season tickets, guaranteeing their seats for the included eight games at a special Early Bird rate: 

Purchase or renew season tickets HERE. 

Starting January 14, season ticket pricing will increase $25. 

Season parking passes are currently available in the SEFCU lot for $125, and in the Dutch lot for $100.  Season ticket holders who add on the UMass and Penn games to their packages will receive separate, complementary parking for those games in the SEFCU lot. 

2023 Men’s Lacrosse Schedule 

The Great Danes open the 2023 season on February 10 with a return trip to Syracuse.  The Orange visited UAlbany for the first time in series history last season, with the Great Danes claiming 14-12 victory. UAlbany opened a three-goal lead at the break and withstood a Syracuse run in the third quarter before outscoring the Orange 3-2 in the fourth to win by two goals.  It was the program’s third victory over Syracuse in series history. 

The home schedule begins February 18 when 2022 national runner-up Cornell visits Casey Stadium, kicking off a five-game home stand.  Cornell drew the seven-seed in last season’s NCAA Tournament and made a run to the finals, giving Maryland its closest result of the season in a 9-7 defeat. 

The home stand continues with UAlbany’s longest-running non-conference opponents.  First, Drexel will visit UAlbany on February 25, followed by a mid-week showdown on March 7 against UMass.  Since reclassifying to Division I, UAlbany and Drexel have played 20 times, and the Great Danes have met the Minutemen on the field on 22 occasions. Except for Syracuse, who UAlbany has also played 20 times, and excluding Stony Brook and Hartford, who departed the America East beginning this season, no other non-conference series features more than 16 meetings. 

The final two home games of this first-half stretch begin March 11 with defending NCAA champion Maryland, making its first trip to Albany since the 2019 season, and just third visit in seven meetings overall.  Four of the seven meetings between the Great Danes and Terrapins featured both teams ranked, including a 1-2 matchup in 2018 that UAlbany won 11-10.  Maryland has never been ranked lower than seventh in any of their seven meetings against UAlbany. 

The 2022 Maryland Terrapins recorded one of the best seasons in NCAA men’s lacrosse history, going a perfect 18-0 en route to their fourth national title.  Their 18 wins were the most in an undefeated season in NCAA history, and the Terrapins were the first undefeated men’s champion since 2006 Virginia. 

The Great Danes’ America East slate begins March 18 against UMass Lowell.  UAlbany remains unbeaten against the River Hawks in eight meetings since they joined the America East conference, with an average margin of victory of nine goals.  Last season, UMass Lowell put fourth its toughest test against the Great Danes in series history, falling by just one goal. 

A rematch of UAlbany’s last two America East Tournament games brings the Great Danes back on the road for the first time in 43 days with a trip up north to Burlington to play two-time defending conference champion Vermont.  Since going 1-5 in-conference in 2017, Vermont has rolled off a record of 21-6 against America East opponents.  UAlbany and Vermont met in the 2021 conference final, and the 2022 conference semifinal, with Vermont taking the win in each game. 

UAlbany returns home briefly to host UMBC on April 1.  The Retrievers advanced to the America East title game last season falling against the Catamounts by two, 13-11.  Next, the Great Danes pay a visit to first-year America East program Bryant on April 8, before returning home for another long home stand. 

The Great Danes will host four games between April 15 and April 26, starting with third-year America East program NJIT.  Next, on April 21, the UAlbany welcomes back Yale to Casey Stadium for the first time since 2019.  The Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA quarterfinal round last season before falling to Ivy League opponent Princeton.  Yale was one of three teams to finish 4-2 atop the Ivy League standings last season. 

Two days later, the Great Danes will host Merrimack.  The Warriors have joined the America East this season as an associate member, previously playing men’s lacrosse in the Northeast Conference, and is in its third year of reclassifying to Division I.  Merrimack is ineligible for the conference tournament this season, but will be eligible in 2024, the final year of its current agreement with the America East. 

For the second-straight season, UAlbany will host Penn at Casey Stadium.  The Quakers, another 2022 NCAA quarterfinalist, won the Ivy League last season, and played UAlbany for the first time in program history.  The 2023 regular season will come to a close on April 29 with the Great Danes’ fourth road game, at Binghamton.  The America East Tournament is scheduled for May 5 and May 7.