:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65376537/EVAN_TYLER_K3A0056.0.0.jpg)
The Jacksonville Dolphins are the 8th team in our 2020 men’s college lacrosse schedule preview series and the second team from the SoCon. Jacksonville finished 6-9 overall in 2019 and 5-2 in America East play. The Dolphins advanced to the SoCon Tournament, but fell to top-seeded High Point in the semifinals.
Here’s their entire 2020 schedule:
Jacksonville’s 2020 Schedule
| Date | Road Team | Home Team | Special Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Road Team | Home Team | Special Notes |
| 1/14 | Colgate | Jacksonville | Scrimmage (in Tallahassee, FL) |
| 1/18 | Jacksonville | Navy/North Carolina | Scrimmages at North Carolina |
| 1/24 | Tampa (D2) | Jacksonville | Scrimmage |
| 2/1 | Detroit Mercy | Jacksonville | |
| 2/8 | Vermont | Jacksonville | First meeting since 2018 |
| 2/15 | Jacksonville | Marquette | |
| 2/23 | Jacksonville | Robert Morris | In Sparks, MD, First meeting since 2015 |
| 2/29 | Utah | Jacksonville | First ever meeting |
| 3/7 | Hampton | Jacksonville | First ever meeting |
| 3/10 | Jacksonville | Duke | |
| 3/14 | Mercer | Jacksonville | SoCon |
| 3/21 | VMI | Jacksonville | SoCon |
| 3/28 | Jacksonville | Furman | SoCon |
| 4/4 | Air Force | Jacksonville | SoCon |
| 4/11 | Jacksonville | Richmond | SoCon |
| 4/18 | Bellarmine | Jacksonville | SoCon |
| 4/25 | Jacksonville | High Point | SoCon |
Who’s In?
- Vermont Catamounts (2/8)
- Robert Morris Colonials (2/23)
- Utah Utes (2/29)
- Hampton Pirates (3/7)
Who’s Out?
- Michigan Wolverines (11-10 L)
- Drexel Dragons (19-12 W)
- Towson Tigers (15-13 L)
- Penn State Nittany Lions (24-11 L)
Jacksonville’s Opponent’s 2019 Average Win Percentage & RPI
| Avg. overall win pct. | Avg. nonconference win pct. | Avg. conference win pct. | Avg. overall RPI | Avg. nonconference RPI | Avg. conference RPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. overall win pct. | Avg. nonconference win pct. | Avg. conference win pct. | Avg. overall RPI | Avg. nonconference RPI | Avg. conference RPI |
| .481 | .537 | .424 | 42.79 | 40.29 | 45.29 |
Circle These Dates
- 2/1 vs. Detroit Mercy: A series that has flown under-the-radar, but it has provided some quality contests. Five of their six meetings have been decided by one or two goals, and the home team has won every contest, including the Titans a year ago. Both teams also made their respective conference tournaments in 2019.
- 2/23 vs. Robert Morris (in Sparks, MD): Jacksonville plays the back-to-back NEC champions for the first time since 2015. That was the only time the Dolphins defeated the Colonials, but a lot has changed since especially for Robert Morris. Bobby Mo loses just over 40% of their scoring from a season ago as well as over half of their total starts.
- 2/29 vs. Utah: The Utes make their first trip to the Sunshine State at the end of February and are now a legitimate threat to many teams in only their second season. Utah defeated four SoCon opponents a year ago (Mercer, Air Force, Furman, Bellarmine), with three of those wins coming by a goal.
- 3/28 at Furman: It’s easy to assume the top three teams in the Southern Conference are Air Force, High Point, and Richmond in alphabetical order. The fourth is probably Jacksonville, but the key word is probably. The Dolphins have defeated the Paladins each of the past two seasons by a goal each and previously lost the last three meetings to Richie Meade’s squads.
- 4/25 at High Point: The regular season concludes with a tough matchup on the road against the Panthers. That’s where Jacksonville’s season ended a year ago, but the Dolphins were able to provide the upset against High Point in the regular season at D.B. Milne Field. The friendly confines won’t favor JU this time around, but with players such as Bo BowHunter, Jack Dolan, and Evan Tyler making up part of a nucleus that stays mainly intact from a year ago, don’t count out the Dolphins from yet another upset.