LEXINGTON, Va. – Fresh off its best season in 15 years, VMI lacrosse head coach
James Purpura announced his team's 2024 season schedule Tuesday afternoon.
Currently, the Keydets are one of six teams nationally to increase their win total in each of the last three seasons. The Keydets open the season February 3 in Lexington and will play eight home contests overall at Drill Field #2 on North Post.
Preseason
The Keydets travel to Durham to play defending national championship finalist and perennial power Duke in a preseason scrimmage on January 27. The Blue Devils finished 16-3 in 2023 and fell to Notre Dame in the national title game this past May.
A Tough Slate in 2024
The 2024 slate features multiple teams that received votes or were ranked at various points throughout the 2023 season.
An Action-Packed February
VMI will play five games in the month of February, which ties a program high.
VMI opens the year with a home contest against Cleveland State on February 3. The following weekend, the Keydets will host Queens (N.C.) on Saturday, Feb. 10. The Keydets then embark on a two-game road swing with a Friday night matchup with local rival High Point on February 16 before traveling to Hampton on Feb. 20 for a midweek contest. The Keydets return home to host St. Bonaventure on Saturday, Feb. 24 to conclude the month of February.
Finishing Out-of-Conference and MAAC Play Starts in March
After playing five games in February, VMI slows to one game per week in March until the start of conference play. The Keydets head to Columbus to play Detroit Mercy in a neutral site game at Ohio State University on Saturday, March 2.
The Keydets then begin MAAC conference play versus Long Island at home on March 9 before traveling the following weekend to MAAC finalist Siena on Saturday, Mar. 16. The Keydets return home for a tight stretch with a home game against Sacred Heart on March 23, an away contest at Mount St. Mary's (Md.) on Wednesday, Mar. 27, and conclude with a home game on Saturday, Mar. 30 versus Canisius.
The Final Countdown
The month of April continues MAAC conference play. The Keydets will begin the month heading up to the Big Apple to play Manhattan College on Saturday, Apr. 6. VMI returns home to host Wagner a few days later on April 10 for a midweek contest, then hit the road once more to face Quinnipiac on Saturday, Apr. 13. The Keydets conclude the regular season against the defending MAAC champions in Marist at home on April 20.
The MAAC Tournament begins Saturday, Apr. 27, with the semi-finals slated for May 2 and the title game on Saturday, May 4.
Streaming
The full streaming schedule will be released at a later date. Thanks to generous donations and support, VMI will have the ability to stream home games this upcoming season on ESPN+.
* Dates, opponents and times are subject to change. All changes will be posted at VMIKEYDETS.COM and social media platforms *
2024 VMI Lacrosse Schedule
January 27 1:00 PM Away Duke (Exh.) Durham, NC
February 3 12:00 PM Home Cleveland State Lexington, Va.
February 10 12:00 PM Home Queens Lexington, Va.
February 16 6:00 PM Away High Point High Point, NC
February 20 4:00 PM Away Hampton Hampton, Va.
February 24 12:00 PM Home St. Bonaventure Lexington, Va.
March 2 12:00 PM Neutral Detroit Mercy Columbus, Ohio
March 9 12:00 PM Home LIU Lexington, Va.
March 16 1:00 PM Away Siena Loudonville, NY
March 23 12:00 PM Home Sacred Heart Lexington, Va.
March 27 TBA Away Mount St. Mary's Emmitsburg, MD
March 30 12:00 PM Home Canisius Lexington, Va.
April 6 TBA Away Manhattan Riverdale, NY
April 10 4:00 PM Home Wagner Lexington, Va.
April 13 12:00 PM Away Quinnipiac Hamden, CT
April 20 12:00 PM Home Marist Lexington, Va.
April 27 TBA Neutral MAAC Tournament - First Round
