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The VMI Keydets are the 26th team in our 2020 men’s college lacrosse schedule preview series and the fourth team from the SoCon. VMI finished 4-9 overall in 2019 and 0-7 in SoCon play. The Keydets failed to qualify for the SoCon Tournament despite recording the most overall wins in a season since 2012.
Here’s their entire 2020 schedule:
VMI’s 2020 Schedule
| Date | Road Team | Home Team | Special Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Road Team | Home Team | Special Notes |
| 2/15 | VMI | Manhattan | |
| 2/20 | VMI | Lehigh | First meeting since 2013 |
| 2/29 | VMI | Mount St. Mary's | |
| 3/7 | Richmond | VMI | SoCon |
| 3/13 | VMI | High Point | SoCon |
| 3/21 | VMI | Jacksonville | SoCon |
| 3/27 | UMBC | VMI | First meeting since 1997 |
| 3/29 | Hampton | VMI | |
| 4/4 | Bellarmine | VMI | SoCon |
| 4/7 | Merrimack | VMI | At Staples HS (in Westport, CT), First ever meeting |
| 4/11 | VMI | Air Force | SoCon |
| 4/18 | VMI | Mercer | SoCon |
| 4/25 | Furman | VMI | SoCon |
| 4/28 | VMI | Virginia |
Who’s In?
- Lehigh Mountain Hawks (2/20)
- UMBC Retrievers (3/27)
- Merrimack Warriors (4/7)
Who’s Out?
- NJIT Highlanders (15-8 W)
- Wagner Seahawks (15-10 W)
VMI’s Opponents 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 |
| .519 | .601 | .437 | 42.31 | 42.33 | 42.29 |
Circle These Dates
- 2/15 at Manhattan: Last year’s season-opener was a successful one for the Keydets, but it didn’t come easy. After a good first half that saw VMI take the lead, Manhattan was able to build up a five-goal run to take a three-goal lead entering the fourth quarter. VMI scored five of the six fourth quarter goals to take a one-goal victory, with Ryan Perouty scoring his fourth and final tally for the game-winner.
- 3/27 vs. UMBC: This will be the first meeting between the two teams since 1997 when current assistant coach Doug Barlett was leading the Keydets. VMI has defeated the Retrievers only once, heading back to 1992 when UMBC was 13th in the country. It was also the only time VMI has ever defeated a ranked team.
- 3/29 vs. Hampton: Hampton’s entering their fifth season as a Division I program and their first under new head coach Rashad Devoe. VMI hasn’t had to deal with anything serious from the Pirates, winning by over 10 goals in each of their four meetings dating back to 2016. But with a new head coach, be on the lookout for perhaps a different Hampton team than what we’ve previously seen.
- 4/4 vs. Bellarmine: SoCon play hasn’t been kind to the Keydets. They haven’t won a conference game since 2014, when they were a member of the Atlantic Sun. Trailing 10-2 early in the third quarter last year against the Knights, VMI scored 10 goals in the final two quarter to cut the deficit to one with 5:01 left to play. But the Keydets were unable to get one more goal in one of their toughest losses of the season.
- 4/18 at Mercer: Another potential opportunity for VMI to get a conference victory will be against the Bears. Mercer had only one win last season, and it came against VMI. The Bears led by three goals after the third quarter but managed to pull away with a 5-0 run to open the fourth en route to a 16-10 win in Lexington.