Previewing NJIT’s 2019 men’s college lacrosse schedule

The NJIT Highlanders are the 73rd and final team in our 2019 schedule preview series and the fourth and final independent. The Highlanders finished 1-15 in 2018. This will be NJIT’s final season as an independent as the team prepares to be a member of the NEC in 2020. The Highlanders will also play their home games at Rutgers-Newark’s Alumni Field as their new stadium completes construction during the summer.

Here’s their entire 2019 schedule:

Who’s In?

• Siena Saints (4/13)

Who’s Out?

• Princeton Tigers (15-8 L)
• UMass Lowell River Hawks (9-3 L)

Average Winning Percentage From 2018 Teams

• Overall: .410

Circle These Dates

• 2/9 (at Lafayette): Lafayette has a new head coach in Pat Myers to help build a new culture in the Lehigh Valley. In last year’s meeting, the Highlanders fell by two goals thanks to a 4-0 run in the second half by Lafayette.
• 2/23 (at VMI): NJIT has won three games in their four year history. They’ve defeated Hampton twice and Dartmouth once in 2016 (their first ever win). The Keydets have given the Highlanders a good couple of games for the past few seasons, including a one-goal game back in 2017.
• 3/23 (vs. Wagner): Another team with a new head coach for NJIT to possibly take advantage of. The breaking point of last year’s meeting for the Highlanders was a 6-0 run by the Seahawks that began in the first quarter until the early third quarter.
• 4/6 (at Hampton): This should be an NJIT win, since they’re undefeated against the Pirates in their two all-time meetings in the past couple of years. Hampton’s still a program that is looking to get a full-fledged Division I schedule, but they’re slowly improving.
• 4/13 (at Siena): The Highlanders have a new opponent in Siena, with another new head coach in Liam Gleason. The Saints are looking to rebound after a couple of down seasons and lose their top scorer in Chris Robertson to graduation.

For other schedules and team rosters, check out our Men’s Division I matrix.