5/22/2003 - Men's Lacrosse
Navy Men's Lacrosse Team To Join The Patriot League
ANNAPOLIS, Md.-Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk announced Thursday that Navy's lacrosse program will join the Patriot League beginning with the 2004 season. The Midshipmen have been a member of the ECAC lacrosse league since 2000.
"We have a great deal of respect for the quality teams and competitive challenge the Patriot League presents to our midshipmen student-athletes," said Gladchuk. "We are enjoying a number of important rivalries that have become traditional through league play. Joining the nationally-ranked competition already on our lacrosse schedule will be Patriot League programs that are clearly emerging as highly respected across the country. We plan to complement these fine programs in the league's collective pursuit of bringing a national championship to the Patriot League."
"We are excited as a staff and a team to join the Patriot League," said Navy head coach Richie Meade. "Joining the Patriot League aligns us with institutions with which we have a great deal in common in terms of athletics and academic achievement. By competing in the Patriot League, we will have a good chance of winning the conference and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. With that said, we will still play a strong, if not stronger, nonconference schedule with some of our traditional opponents like Maryland, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown and North Carolina."
"We are very pleased that the Navy men's lacrosse program will begin official competition in the league next spring," said Carolyn Schlie Femovich, Executive Director of the Patriot League. "As a full member of the Patriot League and a nationally-ranked program with a highly-respected lacrosse tradition, Navy will help make our already competitive league even stronger. The top teams traditionally challenge the best in the country and adding Navy to the lineup will continue our efforts to make the Patriot League a national leader on and off the field of competition."
Joining the Patriot League will add even more significance to the Army-Navy rivalry, as the Black Knights are also a member of the Patriot League in lacrosse. The Mids, who own a 49-26-3 (.647) series advantage over Army, defeated the Patriot League Champions in the season finale this year, 12-11.
The eight-team Patriot League is slated to play a round-robin schedule in 2004, with the top-four teams advancing to a championship tournament scheduled for April 30 (semifinals) and May 2 (finals).
