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FIT: Women’s & Men’s Schedules Released

Written by Lee Roggenburg on . Posted in , , , , .
  via FIT press releases      

Women’s Lacrosse Announces 2020 Schedule

MELBOURNE, Fla. – Florida Tech women’s lacrosse head coach McKenzie Rafferty has announced the Panthers’ schedule for the 2020 season. In her second season at the helm, Rafferty will lead her team through an 18-game slate that features nine consecutive home games, seven on the road and two neutral-site contests. The Crimson & Gray will play games against six teams ranked in the USLacrosse Magazine’s Preseason Top-20 Ranking. Panther women’s lacrosse, which enters its sixth season in 2020, has been impressive through its first five campaigns, racking up an overall record of 55-32, including a 13-11 mark against Sunshine State Conference opponents. For the first time, Florida Tech is set to play four SSC road games in 2020 as the league moved to a seven-game schedule with the addition of first-year program Lynn. The Panthers have made the SSC Tournament in all five of their previous seasons. Tech opens it campaigns with a pair of neutral-site matchups on Feb. 15-16 at Tierney Field on the campus of the U.S. Lacrosse Headquarters’ in Sparks, Maryland. The Panthers kick off the season against Post on Feb. 15 and then will square up with Palm Beach Atlantic in a non-conference bout the following day. Florida Tech travels to the Peach State two weeks later for true road games with Young Harris on Feb. 28 and Emmanuel College on Mar. 1. The Panthers mount a significant homestand during the month of March, playing nine straight homes game beginning with a matchup with No. 5 Regis on Mar. 3. Regis is the team Rafferty served as an assistant coach for two years before coming to Melbourne. Tech hosts Concordia-St. Paul and Kutztown on Mar. 5 and 7 before welcoming No. 13 Mercy College to Panther Stadium on Mar. 11. The Panthers’ Senior Day game is Mar. 14 at 3 p.m. against Notre Dame College. They then conclude their non-conference slate against Lenoir-Rhyne on Mar. 18. SSC play gets underway on Mar. 21 as Tech hosts No. 9 Florida Southern at Panther Stadium. Embry-Riddle comes to Melbourne one week later on Mar. 28 followed by Florida Tech’s home finale against No. 8 Rollins on Mar. 31. The Panthers close the regular season with four consecutive SSC road games, including PBA on Apr. 4, Lynn on Apr. 8, No. 6 Tampa on Apr. 15 and No. 17 Saint Leo on Mar. 18. The 2020 SSC Tournament will take place Apr. 23-26. For the latest news, updates and information on the Florida Tech women’s lacrosse team, visit FloridaTechSports.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Panthers news by following Florida Tech Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.    
Penn Announces 2020 Schedule
MELBOURNE, Fla. – With the start of the 2020 season just around the corner, Florida Tech men’s lacrosse head coach Mark Penn has announced the Panthers’ schedule for the ninth campaign in program history. Penn, who enters his second season as head coach and the seventh season overall with the program, is set to guide the Panthers through a challenging 17-game slate, which includes one Division I regular-season game, seven contests outside the state of Florida, and seven home games at Panther Field at the F.W. Olin Sports Complex. Seven of the Panthers’ opponents in 2020 are ranked in the USLacrosse Magazine Preseason Top-20, including five from the Sunshine State Conference. “This is going to be a very challenging schedule,” said Penn. “We have the full allotment of 17 games for the first time in our history. We also are slated with some very difficult opponents but our men are up for the challenge.” Through the first eight seasons of Panther men’s lacrosse, Tech has racked up an overall record of 53-58 while going 17-17 in SSC play over the six seasons the conference has sponsored the sport. Florida Tech kicks off its campaign with four straight weekends outside of Florida, including the season opener against DI Mercer on the road in Macon, Ga. on Feb. 1. This will be the first-ever regular-season DI game in program history. “We are honored that Mercer invited us to play them in a regular-season game,” Penn stated. “The chance to play a Division I opponent in a real game is a great opportunity for our program. Mercer is a strong team, loaded with DI athletes, so we have a huge task awaiting us in Macon. “To be the best, you have to play the best, and we feel that playing up to an established Division I opponent presents us with the chance to do just that. We will have to be our best that day.” The Panthers travel to Missouri the following weekend for contests against No. 15 Lindenwood on Feb. 8 and Maryville on Feb. 10. The next week, Tech is in the Palmetto State to take on No. 1 Limestone in Charleston, S.C. on Feb. 22. “The Limestone game is another opportunity to challenge ourselves mentally and physically,” said Penn. “Limestone’s success speaks for itself. They were just named the team of the decade and are the preseason favorite to win it all. We know it will take our best effort in that game, and I hope our guys aren’t staring at the pinstripes.” Two days after their matchup with the Saints, the Panthers battle Newberry on Feb. 24 in Newberry, S.C. The early road swing concludes on Feb. 29 when Tech travels to Mount Olive, N.C. to face the No. 8 Trojans on their home field. “We have a long first month on the road but we feel that this will prepare us for conference play,” Penn added. “The SSC is one of the toughest conferences in Division II. You have to be battle-tested to thrive in this league and we hope that our work in February will pay off when conference play opens in March.” Fans will have to wait until Mar. 2 for Florida Tech’s home opener against Saint Anselm, which kicks a four-game homestand for the Panthers. Tech takes on Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham on Mar. 8 and Westminster on Mar. 12. The Panthers begin their SSC slate when they welcome Embry-Riddle to Panther Field on Mar. 14. Tech then travels to Montevallo on Mar. 22 before resuming conference play by hosting rival No. 6 Tampa on Mar. 28. Following their matchup with Spartans, the Panthers hit the road for contests at No. 18 Florida Southern on Apr. 1 and No. 17 Rollins on Apr. 4. Tech welcomes Lynn to Melbourne on Apr. 8 and then travels to West Palm Beach on Apr. 11 to take on Palm Beach Atlantic. The regular season concludes Apr. 18 with the annual Senior Day Game against No. 16 Saint Leo at Panther Field. The 2020 SSC Men’s Lacrosse Tournament will take place Apr. 23-26 and be hosted by the team that finishes atop the conference at the end of the regular season. For the latest news, updates and information on the Florida Tech men’s lacrosse team, visit FloridaTechSports.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Panthers news by following Florida Tech Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.  

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