CLEVELAND, Ohio – A home game against the preseason No. 2, a road contest against the preseason No. 1 and five first-time opponents highlight the Cleveland State University lacrosse program's 2018 schedule released Wednesday.
Head coach Dylan Sheridan revealed the 2018 slate, including home games against Ohio State and Duke, on Lax Sports Network (LSN) with co-hosts Travis Eldridge and Josh Hawkins Wednesday afternoon. Additionally, Cleveland State and LSN announced that the network will produce and broadcast both of those aforementioned games.
CSU's 14-game regular-season schedule will see it face three NCAA quarterfinalists from last season, including the 2017 national runner-up, two of the past four national champions and four teams that ended 2017 as consensus top-10 squads.
In addition to the release of the schedule, Cleveland State announced that 2018 season tickets are now on sale. Purchasing season tickets, $60 for adults and $35 for children under 12, is the only way to guarantee tickets to the Ohio State and Duke games. Season tickets can be purchased by calling (216) 687-5440.
Cleveland State will host a pair of scrimmages on a single date to unofficially kick off the season. The Vikings will welcome defending BIG EAST Tournament champion Marquette along with in-state foe Wittenberg Saturday, Jan. 27. Fans can attend those scrimmages for free to get a sneak peek at the Vikings before the regular season begins.
For the second straight year, Cleveland State will open the regular season by hosting a Big Ten foe. The Vikings will welcome Ohio State Saturday, Feb. 3, at 6:00 p.m. to commence their second season of existence. The Battle of Ohio will feature the only two Division I schools sponsoring men's lacrosse in the Buckeye State.
After it opened at home against Michigan in its inaugural season, CSU will play its first road game of 2018 against the Wolverines. The two squads will tangle Saturday, Feb. 10. Michigan finished among the top 25 in last year's NCAA RPI.
CSU will then have a quick turnaround as it returns home to host Mercer Tuesday, Feb. 13. The first of two midweek home games will see the Vikings face their first of five new foes.
The Vikings will then embark on a trip that will see the team play four straight games away from home, marking the second straight season that CSU will have faced that obstacle.
Cleveland State will begin the trip Feb. 17 at Bellarmine. The Vikings and Knights met in fall and spring scrimmages in 2016-17, but this meeting will mark the first in the regular season between the programs.
For the second straight season, Cleveland State will venture to the westernmost outpost of Division I lacrosse on the final weekend of February and face both programs from the Centennial State. CSU will face Air Force Friday, Feb. 23, and take on Denver Sunday, Feb. 25, with both games taking place at the Pioneers' facility.
Air Force has been to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments and claimed the Southern Conference regular-season and tournament titles last year. It was ranked among the top 20 in US Lacrosse Magazine's preseason rankings.
Denver, ranked No. 1 in the aforementioned rankings, advanced to the national semifinals last year in its eighth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Sheridan spent four seasons on the staff of the reigning BIG EAST regular-season champions prior to CSU.
Cleveland State will begin the month of March and close its road trip March 3 at Canisius. The Vikings then return home for two games within six days.
CSU hosts Lafayette Tuesday, March, 13, in what will be the program's first game against a Patriot League opponent.
The following weekend will provide a noteworthy day in CSU's young program history. Cleveland State will host Duke Sunday, March 18, marking the first time the Vikings have hosted a former national champion.
The Blue Devils, ranked second in the preseason rankings, have won two of the past five national championships and have qualified for 11 consecutive NCAA Tournaments.
Cleveland State will close the month of March by facing its third Big Ten foe, as it travels to Penn State March 24. The Nittany Lions were seeded in the NCAA Tournament last year and sit among the top 15 in the preseason rankings.
CSU will alternate home and road games on the four Saturdays in April.
The Vikings host Hampton (April 7) and travel to Robert Morris (April 14) to open the month with both games representing a new opponent for CSU.
Cleveland State's final two opponents of 2018 mirror those it played to close 2017. CSU welcomes Sacred Heart in its home finale (April 21) before closing the season at Detroit Mercy (April 28). The Vikings ended their inaugural season by defeating the Titans to record the first Division I win in program history.
Seven of CSU's 14 opponents in 2018 ranked among the top 25 nationally in scoring offense last season.
Fans of Viking lacrosse have the opportunity to support the burgeoning program by joining the Extra Man Organization (EMO), the official friends group of CSU lacrosse. For more information about the benefits of joining the EMO, please click here. Fans interested in joining the EMO should contact Carrie Neville at (216) 687-5440.
Sheridan's segment discussing the 2018 schedule will continue to be available through LSN's on demand portal.
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