Previewing Colgate’s 2020 men’s college lacrosse schedule

The Colgate Raiders are the 29th team in our 2020 men’s college lacrosse schedule preview series and the second team from the Patriot League. Colgate finished 4-9 overall in 2019 and 2-6 in Patriot League play. After an impressive start to their season, the Raiders declined and failed to qualify for the Patriot League Tournament.

Here’s their entire 2020 schedule:

Who’s In?

• North Carolina Tar Heels (2/1)
• Princeton Tigers (2/18)
• Cornell Big Red (3/24)
• Harvard Crimson (3/28)

Who’s Out?

• Binghamton Bearcats (16-10 W)
• Maryland Terrapins (11-6 L)
• Canisius Golden Griffins (8-6 L)

Circle These Dates

• 2/7 at Syracuse: Who could forget the first upset of the 2019 season? Under new head coach Matt Karweck, who came over from Notre Dame, the Raiders dominated the majority of the season-opener inside the Carrier Dome and came out with the 12-9 win. Everyone from the players to the staff had some kind of familiarity with the Orange, but this year’s Syracuse team is expected to be much better than the 2019 version.
• 2/18 at Princeton: It’ll be the first time these two teams met in the regular season since way back in 1929, over 90 years ago. But it’ll be the first time since they faced off in a fall-ball scrimmage at the American Boy Fall Brawl event in late October. It’s pretty rare to see two teams go at it in the fall only to run it back and play a meaningful game in the Spring. Plus, the two teams have some recent tape of their other opponent to watch and scout.
• 2/29 vs. Boston University: One of Colgate’s two Patriot League victories from a season ago, the Terriers are a different looking team this year without Chris Gray and James Burr. But they’ll still look to be a contender for a spot in the Patriot League Tournament with Timmy Ley and goalie Joe McSorley. In last season’s matchup, a 6-0 run by the Raiders in the first half was the turning point in the 9-7 win.
• 3/21 at Bucknell: One of the other teams Colgate will probably be competing with for a Patriot League Tournament spot are the Bison. Bucknell took last year’s regular season finale by outscoring the Raiders in the second and third quarters and slowly extending their lead. That also helped them clinch the sixth and final spot in the conference tournament. The Bison return plenty of their key contributors on offense, specifically at attack.
• 3/28 at Harvard: Gerry Byrne’s Crimson squad will host the Raiders in their first matchup since 2010. The series began back in 1924 when Colgate shutout Harvard 4-0. Since then, Harvard has won all seven matchups. Byrne and Karweck will also see each other in a battle of former Notre Dame assistants.
• 4/24 at Holy Cross: This year’s regular season finale could be a potential win-and-in scenario for both teams. The Crusaders had a good year under then-interim head coach Peter Burke, who became the permanent head coach this summer, and has made Holy Cross a competitive team to play against. Holy Cross took last year’s meeting thanks to a 4-0 run to start the game followed by a 5-0 run in the second half. The Crusaders also return a good chunk of their team from a season ago.