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CLEVELAND, Ohio – Seven games against preseason top-25 teams, a pair of Big Ten foes visiting Krenzler Field and four first-time opponents highlight the Cleveland State University lacrosse program's 2019 schedule released Thursday.
Head coach Dylan Sheridan revealed the 2019 slate on Lax Sports Network (LSN) with host Travis Eldridge.
CSU has 15 regular-season games on the docket, including seven at home, both of which are new highs for the program. The Vikings will host two Big Ten foes in a season for the first time and will also host two NCAA Tournament qualifiers from 2018.
Season tickets for the 2019 season are on sale and can be purchased by clicking here or calling (216) 687-5440. Season tickets are $65 for adults and $40 for youths. Both prices represent decreases for fans on a per-game basis compared to 2018 season-ticket pricing.
The Vikings will face seven teams that finished among the top 25 in the NCAA's RPI rankings from last year. According to US Lacrosse Magazine's early 2019 rankings, the Vikings have seven top-25 teams on the schedule again in 2019, including four of the top 15.
Cleveland State will host a scrimmage to unofficially open the season as it welcomes The Hill Academy Saturday, Jan. 26. Fans can attend the scrimmage for free to get a sneak peek at the Vikings before the regular season commences.
For the third consecutive season, the Vikings will open with a Big Ten opponent although 2019 will be the first season-opening game on the road for CSU. Cleveland State will open with the annual Battle of Ohio Saturday, Feb. 2, as it makes the trip south to Columbus to face Ohio State.
The Vikings will then return home for back-to-back games, beginning by hosting Michigan Saturday, Feb. 9. It will be third straight year that the Wolverines, the first opponent in CSU history, and Vikings will meet.
Cleveland State then welcomes Bellarmine Saturday, Feb. 16, after it made the trip to Kentucky to face the Knights last season.
That will be the final home game for over a month for the Vikings as they head out for six straight games on the road, two of which are neutral-site contests.
Cleveland State will venture west for the first of two times during the campaign on the final weekend of February. CSU will play both Air Force and Denver in Colorado for the third straight season. The Falcons have won two of the past three Southern Conference Tournaments while the Pioneers, the defending BIG EAST regular-season champions, advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the seventh time in eight seasons in 2018.
Cleveland State will open the season's second month by visiting Mercer Saturday, March 2. It will be the first game in Georgia for the Vikings, one of four new states in which the program will play a game in 2019.
The Vikings continue action Saturday, March 9, at Marquette, a squad that Inside Lacrosse put among the top 10 in its initial pre-season rankings. It will be the first regular-season meeting between the teams although they did contest a scrimmage prior to the 2018 campaign.
CSU then plays its first of three midweek games Tuesday, March 12, at Lafayette, as the Vikings will look to open the all-time series against the Leopards with a second straight win.
The sixth and final game of the road trek will take place at Tierney Field, adjacent to the US Lacrosse National Hall of Fame. The Vikings will face five-time national champion North Carolina for the first time in program history Sunday, March 17.
The following four games, and five of the final six, will take place at home for the Vikings. That stretch begins Saturday, March 23, when Penn State, a top-five preseason pick by some publications, ventures to Cleveland.
A visit from the defending Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champions opens the month of April for CSU. After falling by a single goal at Canisius last year, the Vikings will look to turn the tables on their home field.
Cleveland State will host St. Bonaventure April 6 before Robert Morris pays a visit April 13. The Colonials are the defending Northeast Conference champions and led Maryland at the half in the NCAA Tournament last year.
The Vikings' road finale will see them make their longest trip in the program's short history as they head to Utah Saturday, April 20.
For the third consecutive season, Cleveland State will close the season by facing Detroit Mercy as the Vikings host the Titans Wednesday, April 24.
Cleveland State has played three Big Teams and at least one Atlantic Coast Conference team in each year of its existence to date. The Vikings will once again be playing two of the past four national champions.
Sheridan's segment on LSN is available to view for free on laxsportsnetwork.com or through the LSN app.
The Vikings will open the fall portion of their schedule this Sunday, Sept. 30, as they host Wittenberg and Seton Hill. Admission is free for all fans at Krenzler Field.
