:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65811241/DSC00773.0.0.jpeg)
The LIU Sharks are the 42nd team in our 2020 men’s college lacrosse schedule preview series and the fifth team from the NEC. LIU, previously known as LIU Post, was in Division II last season and finished 11-5 overall in 2019 and 5-1 in ECC play. The Sharks, previously known as the Pioneers, lost to Mercy in the ECC Championship game and did not qualify for the Division II NCAA Tournament.
Here’s their entire 2020 schedule:
LIU’s 2020 Schedule
| Date | Road Team | Home Team | Special Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Road Team | Home Team | Special Notes |
| 2/8 | LIU | Siena | First ever Division I game, first meeting since 1987 |
| 2/15 | Wagner | LIU | NEC |
| 2/22 | St. John's | LIU | First meeting since 1995 |
| 2/29 | LIU | Hofstra | First meeting since 1990 |
| 3/3 | LIU | Fairfield | First ever meeting |
| 3/7 | Quinnipiac | LIU | First ever meeting |
| 3/10 | LIU | UMass | First meeting since 1985 |
| 3/14 | LIU | NJIT | NEC, First ever meeting |
| 3/21 | Sacred Heart | LIU | NEC, First meeting since 1998 |
| 3/28 | Robert Morris | LIU | NEC, First ever meeting |
| 4/4 | LIU | Hobart | NEC, First meeting since 1988 |
| 4/11 | LIU | Merrimack | NEC, First ever meeting |
| 4/18 | Mount St. Mary's | LIU | NEC, First ever meeting |
| 4/25 | LIU | Saint Joseph's | NEC, First ever meeting |
Who’s In?
- Everyone except Merrimack
Who’s Out?
- Everyone except Merrimack
LIU’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 |
| .478 | .449 | .501 | 46.38 | 47.17 | 45.71 |
Circle These Dates
- 2/8 at Siena: First D1 game, let’s see how the Sharks are. They have some talented guys on the team in William Snelders and Jake Gillis on offense, and perhaps their success in Division II can carry over into Division I. But at the same time, Division I is a different breed with different kinds of players. LIU has played the Saints on nine different occasions, with the last coming in 1987. LIU is 8-1 all-time against Siena.
- 2/15 vs. Wagner: The first home Division I game for the Sharks comes a week later against in-state foe Wagner. It’s also their first opponent against an NEC opponent and is a little bit interesting. LIU will take on eight NEC foes in 2020, whereas the rest of the conference will have seven games. Not sure how this game will count toward their NEC record.
- 2/29 at Hofstra: Hofstra’s the program with the most history against LIU with 23 all-time meetings against the Long Island foes. The Pride lead the series 16-7 and most recently met in 1990, which was a Hofstra win when then-C.W. Post went 0-11. LIU last defeated Hofstra in 1987.
- 3/21 vs. Sacred Heart: The bulk of NEC play will be during LIU’s second half of the season. Perhaps this is where we will really see how LIU looks when everything starts coming together. On the opposite side, the Pioneers lost nearly 60% of their scoring from a year ago with Joe Saggese and Max Tuttle being two notable players. But Logan Liljeberg should be the main attraction on offense with a defense led by goalie Brooks Dutton. LIU has defeated the Pioneers in their two prior meetings, most recently in 1998.
- 4/11 at Merrimack: Along with LIU, Merrimack is moving up from Division II to Division I. But unlike the Sharks, the Warriors won’t be eligible for any postseason competition for the next four seasons as they go through a transitional phase across all of their D2 programs. Either way, these teams will continue their recent rivalry which went in favor of LIU last year in a thrilling 17-16 overtime finish in Brookville.