CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State University lacrosse team will have an unconventional, yet incredible challenging, opportunity as the Vikings will face Team Canada as part of the program's fall schedule announced Monday morning by head coach Dylan Sheridan.

CSU will also face two fellow Division I schools and a Division III school from Ohio during the fall portion of the schedule, but the highlight for the program is a chance to face the defending world champions.

"The goal of each scrimmage—and really each day of the fall season—is to learn and grow as a group. We have a challenging fall schedule, highlighted by the defending world champions. The culture of Vikings lacrosse is still a work in progress, but competing against the best is a core principle. We hope the strength of our fall schedule will accelerate our learning curve and prepare us for a successful second season at the Division I level."

Cleveland State will match up with Team Canada Sunday, Oct. 8, in Buffalo, N.Y. The game will be held at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute with action beginning at 12:30 p.m. The game will be a part of Canada's roster selection process for the 2018 FIL World Championships.

The Vikings will begin their fall slate Saturday, Sept. 30, when they host Ohio Wesleyan. The Battling Bishops have been a frequent occupant in the NCAA Tournament in the past decade, including reaching the national quarterfinals in 2015.

After the matchup with Team Canada, Cleveland State will take a weekend off before closing the fall season Saturday, Oct. 21, by facing Manhattan and Binghamton on the same day. The Bearcats, who finished among the top 20 in the RPI rankings last season, will host the event.

Fall practice for Cleveland State began Tuesday, Sept. 12.

2017 FALL SCHEDULE