LAKELAND – Florida Southern has announced its 2015 men’s lacrosse schedule as the Moccasins prepare to open their second season inside the Sunshine State Conference. The Mocs, ranked 11th in NCAA Division II in Inside Lacrosse’s 2015 Face-Off Yearbook, have 13 games on the slate for 2015, the eighth season of men’s lacrosse at FSC. They play five home games at Bryant Stadium, the fewest in a single season in the team’s seven-year history, while the eight scheduled road games are tied for the most in a season. Entering his fifth season as the head coach for the Mocs, Marty Ward complied a tough schedule featuring five opponents who enter the season ranked inside the preseason Top 15 by Inside Lacrosse. FSC will face No. 1 Limestone, No. 14 Queens (N.C.) and No. 15 Saint Leo on the road, and will host No. 4 Tampa and No. 12 Mercyhurst. The Mocs open the season by hosting Pfeiffer University on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 1 p.m. Last season, the Falcons bowed out of the Conference Carolinas semifinals but began the season with a 15-9 victory over FSC in the season opener in Misenheimer, N.C. From there, the Mocs will make two consecutive trips to the Carolinas for a four-game set on the road. They face Belmont Abbey at 3:30 p.m., in Belmont, N.C., on Friday, Feb. 13. Then on Sunday, Feb. 15, FSC will compete against Wingate in Wingate, N.C. at 2 p.m. The Mocs return to the Carolinas to visit the top-ranked Limestone in Gaffney, S.C., the defending NCAA Division II National Champions who went 19-1 in 2014, on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 1 p.m. According to Inside Lacrosse, the Saints are “nearly a lock” to win the Conference Carolinas title. It will be the first matchup between the two schools since 2012. The Mocs wrap up the road trip in Hickory, N.C., against Lenoir-Rhyne on Monday, March 2 at 1 p.m. SSC rival Tampa visits Lakeland on Saturday, March 7 at 3 p.m. to begin the conference slate. The Spartans were picked as the favorites to win the Sunshine State Conference in 2015 by Inside Lacrosse. The Mocs were swept by Tampa in two games last season, including an 11-6 loss in the inaugural SSC Tournament Championship Game. The Tampa game also opens a three-game homestand, which includes contests against Lees-McRae on Tuesday, March 10 and Mercyhurst on Thursday, March 12. Both games are 7 p.m. starts at Bryant Stadium. Mercyhurst was seeded third in the South in the NCAA Tournament and lost in the opening round to Tampa, 11-9, a year ago. Of the remaining five games, four are against SSC foes and only one is at home. Rollins plays host to the Mocs on Saturday, March 14 at 1 p.m. FSC is 6-1 all-time against the Tars. The Fighting Knights of Lynn will trek to Lakeland for the Mocs’ final home game on Saturday, March 21 at 7 p.m. In the first-ever matchup against Lynn last season, FSC’s defense limited the Knights to a single goal in the 19-1 win. The Saturday, March 28 game vs. Queens (N.C.) is one of two FSC games listed as a “Game to Watch” in the Inside Lacrosse 2015 Face-Off Yearbook. The Royals were knocked out of the NCAA Tournament in the first round last year at the hands of the eventual champions. Queens is expected to win the South Atlantic Conference title in 2015 after defeating Lenoir-Rhyne for the crown in 2014. The Mocs close the season on the road against Saint Leo on Saturday, April 4 at 7 p.m., and against Florida Tech the following weekend on Saturday, April 11, also at 7 p.m. The contest vs. the Lions considered another “Game to Watch” in the 2015 Face-Off Yearbook. The second SSC Tournament will begin with the semifinal round on Friday, April 24. The SSC Tournament Championship is scheduled for Sunday, April 26. Times and locations will be announced upon the conclusion of the regular season, and both games will be hosted by the higher seed. The NCAA Division II Championship Tournament will begin with the first round on Saturday, May 9. The semifinals will happen on Sunday, May 17. The two finalists will travel to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa., for the national championship game on Sunday, May 24. In 2014, Ward led the Mocs to an 11-4 record, setting a program record for wins in a season. The team finished the season ranked sixth in the South Region and 12th in the final United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Division II Coaches’ Poll. Florida Southern ranked fifth in the NCAA in goals scored per game and sixth in total goals scored. The Scarlet-and-White also rank seventh in the NCAA in total points and points per game, and eighth in assists. To view the entire 2015 men’s lacrosse schedule, click here.