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UPDATED: Oregon Ducks Release 2010 Schedule

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Disclosure: Some members of our staff (cough..cough…me) happen to be Alumni of that happy hippie commune of a school out in Eugene so if the following preview of the Ducks schedule sounds slightly biased…well then it probably is.

University of Oregon Assistant Coach Jon Bongiorno gave LaxAllStars a sneak peek at the Ducks recently finalized 2010 schedule.

Finishing with an 11-7 record and 2nd place in the PNCLL,  the Ducks showed signs last season that a return to MCLA prominence was not far away.  Their selection as an at-large #15 seed in the national tournament came as somewhat of a surprise to some, but the Ducks look to 2010 as an opportunity to punch their return trip back to Denver.

The 2010 schedule certainly shows some cojones from recently returned Head Coach Joe Kerwin (formerly Head Coach of NCAA Div. 2 Notre Dame De Namur and previous coach of UofO).

Read our recent interview with Kerwin here.

Early tests against Cal, Stanford and Washington in Seattle at The Pac 10 Shootout are mere appetizers for a brutal stretch of games that includes two time defending champion Michigan in Ann Arbor, perennial national power Chapman (looking to break the “always a bridesmaid, never a bride” curse), an Arizona State team that must be itching to get back in the MCLA limelight after last year’s fiasco, and oh by the way their longtime PNCLL arch-nemesis Simon Fraser University in always formidable Canada-land.

This season the Ducks will have every opportunity to prove that they deserve to be named among the MCLA’s elite again.  Strength of schedule is not just another cliche in Eugene heading into 2010.

University of Oregon Ducks 2010 Men’s Lacrosse Schedule:

Date, Opponent, Location, Time
Sat Feb 6: OSU (scrimmage), tbd, tbd
Sat Feb 13: Cal (PAC 10 Shootout), Seattle WA, tbd
Sun Feb 14: Stanford (PAC 10 Shootout), Seattle WA, tbd
Sun Feb 21: Montana, Eugene, 1pm
Sat Feb 27: Santa Clara, Eugene, 3pm
Sat Mar 6: Washington, Eugene, 1pm
Sat Mar 13: Portland State, Eugene, 1pm
Sat Mar 20: Michigan, Ann Arbor MI, 7pm
Mon Mar 22: Michigan State, East Lansing MI, 7pm
Thu Apr 1: Chapman, Eugene, 7pm
Sat Apr 3: Arizona State, Portland, tbd
Sat Apr 10: Simon Fraser, Vancouver, tbd
Sat Apr 17: Oregon State, Portland, tbd
Sat Apr 24: PNCLL Quarterfinals, tbd, 1pm
Sat May 1: PNCLL Semifinals, Bend OR, tbd
Sun May 2: PNCLL Finals, Bend OR, tbd
May 9-16: MCLA Tournament, Denver CO

Stridingman is excited for 2010.
Even Striding Man is excited for 2010.

Photo by Nate Cordova, LicenseToStill.com

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UPDATED: 10/16 Official Press Release

For Immediate Release
Friday, October 16, 2009

www.oregonlacrosse.org

Ducks Announce Roster, Fall Ball Schedule

Eugene, Or. –The University of Oregon men’s lacrosse team finished last season in Denver with what many of the players have called a “learning experience” for the young team and, after graduating only three starters, Oregon has their sights set on the National Championship Tournament once again. After a tough week of tryouts, the Ducks have announced their roster for the 2009-2010 season and welcome sixteen new freshman to the team. Coach Joe Kerwin said, “We had a really competitive week of tryouts this year and I’m excited to see what these young guys can do. We had to make some tough decisions but I know that we’ll be putting the strongest team we can out on the field.”

Another new addition to the team is Head Coach Joe Kerwin, who returns to Eugene after a two year hiatus at Notre Dame de Namur. Senior attackman Justin Blackmore said of having Kerwin back, “You can tell that everyone’s really excited about the change just from the first couple weeks of practice. We know Coach Kerwin is going to be a good leader for the program and will take us where we want to go in the future.” Also, Assistant Coach Jon Bongiorno joins the Ducks after being an assistant and head coach at Eugene’s Marist High School for the last four years.

Despite the loss of three impact players from last years’ squad, the Ducks don’t think they will experience much of a drop off because of the depth and talent of the team that looks to replace them. The U of O will especially look to senior captains Justin Blackmore, Brett Whyte, Erik Lyneis, and Mike Gerrard, as well as juniors Nick Johnston, Kevin Clark, and Austin Zilis to lead the team on and off the field throughout the year.

The Ducks will start their fall season with intrasquad scrimmages on Saturday, October 24 from 11am-4pm. Following a week of practice the annual Oregon Lacrosse Alumni Game will be played Friday, October 30 at 7pm under the lights of the University Nex-Turf field. And to finish up Fall Ball, the Ducks will host the annual University of Oregon Fall Classic Saturday, November 7. Teams participating in the Fall Classic include Oregon State, Western Oregon University, Willamette University, and the Portland Lacrosse Club.

Written by Jimmy Vaughn