LEXINGTON, Va. -- It's been nearly a month since the Virginia Military Institute played on its home field, but that ends Saturday as the Keydets host Furman University at noon on Drill Field #2. It will be the first-ever meeting between the two Atlantic Sun Conference members.
How to Catch The Action
Admission is free for Saturday's game. Fans unable to make the trek to Lexington can follow the action through a live stats link. There will also be occasional tweets through @VMILacrosse on Twitter. Following the game, the event will be tape delayed on the Big South Conference Network. Links to the video will be posted on the team's social media accounts (www.Facebook.com/VMILAX / www.twitter.com/VMILacrosse) as well as VMIKeydets.com
Weather.com Report
The weather on Saturday will be perfect for a lacrosse game in Lexington. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-70s, with partly cloudy skies. Winds will be around 10 miles per hour from the south-southwest.
Parking for Saturday's Game
Parking will be permitted at the Paulette Hall lot, Marshall Hall lot and Jordan's Point lot. Fans parking at Jordan's Point can enjoy a nice walk to the stadium via Saunders Field Road or the Woods Creek Trail. Handicap parking will be available above the field, but require a handicap parking tag or hanger. At no time will vehicles without a handicap parking tag or hanger be permitted to drive on the trail above the field. Parking on Anderson Road or along Saunders Field Road will NOT be permitted, by order of the VMI Post Police.
Accessing Drill Field #2
Fans parking at Paulette Hall or Marshall Hall can access the field by a set or railroad tie stairs. We ask the fans walking along Drill Field #1 stay to the far left of the field, walking along the wall. There are multiple sets of bleachers available for the comfort of fans in attendance. Those parking at Jordan's Point can either take the Woods Creek Trail, which will bring them above Drill Field #2, or by walking down to Paulette Hall and using the railroad tie stairs. Please stay the left side of Drill Field #1. Please take note that will drizzle in the forecast and colder temperatures, there may be ice forming on the stairs and pathway leading to Drill Field #2. Fans are asked to please use caution when moving up to the field for the game.
Pets
Pets will NOT be allowed on any of the Drill Fields, but will be permitted along the Woods Creek Trail above the fields.
Drill Fields #1 and #3
We ask that fans please refrain from walking on either of the grass drill fields. Only Drill Field #1 will be permitted for access, and then only the left-hand side of the field to access the game field.
The Series
Saturday's game will be the first meeting all-time between VMI and FUrman on the lacrosse field. The institutions are familiar with one another however, as both were members of the Southern Conference. On July 1, 2014, VMI will leave the Big South Conference as its host league and return to the SoCon where it was a member from 1927 until 2003.
On This Date: April 12
The Keydets always seem to be playing on April 12. This season's game will be the 10th time in since 1983 the program is playing on April 12. VMI is 3-6 all-time on this date, but sits at 2-2 at home. VMI's most recent game on this date was a 9-8 win at Siena in 2008. That game was also VMI's last league game on this date when the Keydets competed in the MAAC.
National Rankings - April 7
VMI ranks 15th in the country in caused turnovers per game, averaging 8.45. Junior Tyler Prasnicki is ranked 11th nationally in the same category, forcing 1.91 per game. Linemate Tom Brown is 29th in the country with 1.50 caused turnovers per game.
Junior keeper Evan Windisch is currently 10th in the country in save per contest, stopping an average of 11.36 opponent shots per game.
All In The Family
Lacrosse, regardless of gender, is a sport known to run in the family. Three such examples of that are on the VMI roster.
Three players, Rory Dillon, Brad Nardella and Tyler Prasnicki, all have siblings playing lacrosse at the college level.
Dillion's sister, Jamie, is a sophomore on the Mary Washington University women's lacrosse team.
Nardella's brother, Joseph, is a junior midfielder at Rutgers University and currently leads Division I in faceoff win percentage (72.4).
Prasnicki's sister, Lauren, is midfielder for the Longwood University women's team, and is second in points with 37 (13g, 24a)
