SCHENECTADY, NY -- The 2010 Union College women's lacrosse team's schedule is undoubtably one of the nation's top schedules in any division. The Dutchwomen, 15-4 and NCAA Regional participants in 2009, will face 10 teams that ended the 2009 season ranked in top 20 national polls.
In fact, four of the first six games are on the road and three of those four road games are against Stevens, Washington & Lee and Salisbury. Salisbury ended the year ranked #2 in the IWLCA poll and #1 in the final LaxPower regular season poll.
Union plays road games against three top 10 teams in Salisbury, Hamilton and Middlebury. Only three of the team's nine away games come against teams that were not ranked in the top 20 in either 2009 poll. Union opens the home season on March 13 against St. John Fisher (#18 in IWLCA and #20 in LaxPower) at 1 p.m. at Frank Bailey Field. The season opener is March 2 at Babson.
A total of 63% of Union's games (10 of 16) feature teams that were in the final top 20 rankings in one or both of the final national polls.
Lacrosse Magazine posted a comment about the Union schedule on its website:
Have you seen the non-conference schedule the Dutchwomen are playing this year? Here's the list, along with last year's record: Babson (15-3), Stevens (17-2), St. John Fisher (11-7), Washington & Lee (13-5), Salisbury (20-2), Trinity (10-4), Middlebury (11-6) and Cortland (14-7).
All but two were NCAA tournament qualifiers in '09 and the two that weren't - Trinity and Stevens - had a gripe about not being included. Throw in Hamilton (16-3) and William Smith (11-4) from the Liberty League and we're talking about one of the epic schedules of all time. If LaxPower doesn't have Union's schedule as the toughest from start to finish, they need to re-run the numbers.
The Dutchwomen are 30-8 over the past two seasons, and return all top six scorers and the top goalkeeper from last spring. Union is led by All-American junior attack
Kristin Joyce, who had 64 goals and 21 assists with 85 points and 49 draw controls.