St. Joseph's Lacrosse Schedule: The Hawk Will Never Die?

PROGRAM SCHEDULE PROPAGANDA: UNRELEASED
THIS IS WHY WE FIGHT: THE SCHEDULE

Seems legit. Philadelphia is a divisive place:

Here are some schedule highlights and games of note:

We've Always Been at War with the NEC
March 28: at Bryant; April 4: Robert Morris; April 7: Wagner; April 11: at Mount St. Mary's; April 18: Hobart; April 25: at Sacred Heart

St. Joseph's made a splash in their first season in the Northeast Conference: An unbeaten regular season run through the league merited the Hawks with the top seed in the NEC Tournament and the right to host the event. The team's rush through the conference during the regular season was impressive, winning their games by an average of 5.5 goals and owning only one win -- against Bryant -- by less than three tallies. The reality that St. Joseph's created for itself in its new confederation is one where the Hawks are now a high-grade predator rather than rotting meat, changing the Hawks' conference purpose and volition.

Given the sheer volume of contributors returning to Hawk Hill in 2015 it's not ridiculous to think that St. Joe's can duplicate its unblemished record in regular season NEC play, but the Hawks will be tested right out of the gate in its league in 2015: A highly-anticipated meeting with the Bulldogs in Smithfield will provide the Hawks with an early test in the league while a meeting with Robert Morris at Sweeney Field will force St. Joseph's to run with one of the most tempo-defined teams in the nation. The course of the Hawks' NEC effort next spring will focus immediately, and that's both an advantage and disadvantage for a program desperately seeking its first NCAA Tournament invitation.

Sixth Borough Brawlin'
February 17: Pennsylvania; March 3: at Drexel

The new deal in Division I lacrosse isn't Baltimore warfare; rather, it's all about the brawlin' in the Sixth Borough. St. Joseph's will meet two Philadelphia teams this season in the regular season, throwing hands with the Quakers and Dragons early in their campaign (the Hawks will also meet Villanova this fall). These games are great for a region that is bringing its lacrosse concern to an elite level, pitting the Hawks' rising program against established entities that have cast a shadow on St. Joseph's for seemingly the entirety of the Hawks' lacrosse existence. Regional pop can often carry greater significance than a national rip, and St. Joe's has two opportunities for that in 2015.

Toothy Grins
February 7: at Richmond; February 14: High Point; March 14: Michigan; March 21: Delaware

These aren't games that are going to be circled with red ink, but these are games that will define St. Joseph's position in the national hierarchy. These are "rung" opportunities, illustrating whether St. Joe's has established a new spot on the ladder.