Previewing UAlbany's 2022 men's lacrosse schedule

Courtesy: Steve McLaughlin/UAlbany Athletics

The UAlbany Great Danes are the 25th team in our 2022 men’s college lacrosse schedule preview series and the fourth team from the America East. UAlbany went 8-5 overall in 2021 and 5-3 in America East play. The Great Danes fell to Vermont in the America East Championship.

Here's their entire 2022 spring schedule:

WHO'S IN?

• Cornell Big Red (2/19)

• Drexel Dragons (2/26)

• Siena Saints (3/2)

• Maryland Terrapins (3/12)

• Yale Bulldogs (4/24)

• Penn Quakers (4/30)

WHO'S OUT?

• Colgate Raiders (15-9 W)

• Hartford Hawks (16-6 W, Hawks have opted out of conference play)

• Harvard Crimson (15-14 W in 2020)

CIRCLE THESE DATES

• 2/19 at Cornell: More than likely, this will be Cornell's first game since 2020. The finished that shortened season undefeated at 5-0 and second in the country. But Jeff Teat, Jonathan Donville, and others aren't on campus, and Connor Buczek is now the head coach. Could that result in Albany's first win over Cornell since 2018?

• 3/12 at Maryland: Maryland is back to playing nonconference games after playing a conference-only slate in 2021. The Terrapins appear to be a top three team on paper, perhaps even the best team when preseason rankings come out in January. Donville, now with the Terps, had five goals with the Big Red back in 2020.

• 4/7 vs. Syracuse: A New York rivalry makes history. For the first time in what will be the 20th all-time meeting between the programs, this game will be played in Albany. It's also a Thursday night game with the Great Danes on a quick turnaround with a Saturday date with UMBC. I expect a sellout at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium, which can seat 8,500. And I wouldn't be shocked if there's more fans in attendance for this one.

• 4/16 vs. Vermont: A rematch of last year's America East title game, which the Catamounts won for their first ever conference title. Vermont won that matchup by five goals, but the two teams met twice in the regular season with the Catamounts winning both games by a pair of goals. UAlbany has lost the last five meetings against Vermont.