After twelve long years of playing on other campuses and fields, grab your favorite doormat–––––the ‘Fish are finally home. Home games for all of PBA’s outdoor sports (including men’s and women’s lacrosse) are now played at “the RAC” (Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Athletic Campus– 3401 Parker Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33405, map here). All home men’s lacrosse games will be played on the varsity game field. Bleacher seating for #PBAvsERAU will be limited, so bring a blanket to sit on the hill.

The first 150 fans will receive a stadium horn/vuvuzela. For students without transportation, shuttles will leave from main campus starting at 6:45 (Greene Complex).

The last time Embry-Riddle and Palm Beach Atlantic played on the same field together, the members of PBA’s freshman class were eleven years old. This was in 2007, when the Eagles and Sailfish met twice, once in the regular season and once for the FLL Championship Game (the latter played on PBA home turf). The Eagles won both games and the championship; Palm Beach Atlantic moved on to the Southeastern Lacrosse Conference the next season.

It’s a rivalry that will continue, though. Both teams are provisional members of the Sunshine State Conference (NCAA-D2) and will play each other for years to come, along with the likes of Tampa, Lynn, and Rollins.

The Eagles of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University finished the 2014 season as an independent with a 3-1 record. Their wins came against Stetson (16-7), Valdosta State (13-4), and Flagler (10-7). Their lone loss came to Florida Atlantic (14-4), a team that Palm Beach Atlantic defeated earlier in the season, 19-3. But a new year means a new team and new challenges. The Eagles early-season matchup with PBA will be a litmus test for how the rest of their season, with games against teams like Flagler College and the University of North Florida, will go.

This year’s Sailfish squad welcomes in nine new athletes, including Thomas East, who played on PBA’s national tournament team in 2013. East, by way of Missouri State University, is back in blue, silver, and white and will look to make an impact between the boxes at both LSM and short-stick midfield. He’ll be joined by eight others, dead set on changing the course of Palm Beach Atlantic’s lacrosse program and erasing stereotypes.

That starts on defense, where four new players will start for the ‘Fish in 2015, joining Anthony Curra––––a first-team all-conference defender and All-American selection. Joining him will be sophomore Drake Kessell, who begins his first season as a starter in goal. Will this new crop of athletes invite a new era of tough defensive play for the team that finished second to last in the SELC for goals allowed? Only time will tell.

Offensively, Palm Beach Atlantic only returns four athletes that saw significant minutes during the 2014 season. The team will be led by first-team All-American and preseason Player of the Year candidate Nick Scalzo, who is sitting out Saturday night’s game against ERAU. If the ‘Fish want to start 2015 with a bang, they’ll need to find new heroes on the offensive end for the SELC’s most potent offense.