GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University women's lacrosse team is scheduled for a 16-game slate of games for the 2024 season, head coach Jenna Agostino has announced.
The Pioneers are coming off a strong finish to the 2023 season, when Tusculum won four of its final six games to end the year at 7-9 overall and tied for seventh place in the South Atlantic Conference at 4-6. Agostino begins her third season with the Pioneers with seven starters returning to the lineup.
Tusculum will play 10 SAC matches this spring along with a slate of six non-conference contests, five of which are against Gulf South Conference opponents. Seven of the Pioneers' games will be played on their home turf at Pioneer Field, where the squad finished with a 4-5 record last season.
The season opener for the Pioneers will be on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at Pioneer Field against Shorter. The Hawks were 2-14 overall last season and went 0-6 in the Gulf South Conference. This will be the first meeting between the teams since Feb. 6, 2019 when the Pioneers claimed a 16-12 victory. Tusculum leads the all-time series over Shorter by a 2-1 margin.
Tusculum will visit Lee on Saturday, Feb. 10. The Flames went 8-10 last season and were 3-3 in the GSC before losing 20-14 to Flagler in the conference semifinals. Last year, the Flames beat the Pioneers 16-6 to build their lead in the series to 3-0.
The Pioneers will travel to Lander for their first-ever meeting with the Bearcats on Saturday, Feb. 17. Lander was 11-7 overall last season and finished 4-2 in the Gulf South Conference, losing 16-12 to Flagler in the conference championship match.
Tusculum will open its SAC schedule on Wednesday, Feb. 21 against Limestone. The Saints finished third in the SAC with an 8-2 record, then lost 18-15 to Lincoln Memorial in the conference quarterfinals to end the year at 13-4. The Saints beat the Pioneers 19-6 last March for their third win in as many meetings.
Another first-time opponent awaits on Sunday, Feb. 25 as the Pioneers host Thomas More. The Saints compiled a 6-10 record last season as they continue reclassification into Division II following stints in the NAIA and Division III.
Tusculum will wrap up February with a visit to Catawba on Wednesday, Feb. 28. The Indians were 10th in the SAC with a 1-9 record and finished at 3-14 overall, including a 15-3 loss to the Pioneers at the start of April. Catawba leads the all-time series with the Pioneers by a 5-2 margin.
The Pioneers will visit Newberry on Saturday, March 2 to face a Wolves squad that placed second in the SAC with a 9-1 record. Newberry advanced to the conference finals where it lost 14-8 to Wingate to end the season at 13-6. The Wolves beat the Pioneers 11-6 last season, but Tusculum leads the all-time series 6-3.
Tusculum will step back out of conference on Wednesday, March 6 at home against Alabama Huntsville. The Chargers took second place in the Gulf South Conference at 5-1, but lost 15-13 to Lander in the semifinals to end with a 9-9 record. The Chargers beat the Pioneers 20-6 last season in the first-ever meeting between the teams.
Defending SAC champion Wingate will take on the Pioneers on Saturday, March 9 at Pioneer Field. The Bulldogs went undefeated at 10-0 in the conference during the regular season, then beat Newberry 14-8 in the championship to end the season at 17-2. The Bulldogs beat the Pioneers 21-5 last season and holds an 8-1 lead in the all-time series.
Tusculum will travel to Montevallo for the first time in their final scheduled non-conference match of the season on Wednesday, March 13. The Falcons were 7-9 last season and 2-4 in the Gulf South Conference.
The Pioneers travel to Anderson on Saturday, March 16. The Trojans tied for seventh place in the SAC with the Pioneers at 4-6, and finished 9-8 in their first season. Anderson beat Tusculum 14-13 in the first meeting between the programs last March.
Tusculum hosts Mars Hill on Saturday, March 23. The Lions were 4-11 overall last season and took ninth place in the SAC with a 2-8 record. The Pioneers lead the all-time series by a 3-2 margin, including a 12-9 victory in last year's season finale.
Three of the Pioneers' final four games are on the road, starting Wednesday, March 27 at Lincoln Memorial. The Railsplitters grabbed sixth place in the SAC standings with a 5-4 record, and advanced to the semifinals where they lost 18-11 to Newberry to end the year at 9-9 overall. The Railsplitters beat the Pioneers 17-8 last season, but Tusculum holds on to a 4-3 lead in the all-time series.
Senior Day will be Saturday, April 6 when the Pioneers host Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bears tied for fourth in the SAC last season at 6-4, and fell 8-7 to UVA Wise in the quarterfinals to end the season with a 7-11 record. The Bears beat the Pioneers 17-5 last season and are 8-0 all-time against Tusculum.
The Pioneers close the season with a trip to first-year program Emory & Henry on Saturday, April 13, followed by a visit to UVA Wise on Wednesday, April 17. The Cavaliers tied for fourth in the SAC at 6-4 last season and lost 20-3 to Wingate in the semifinals to end the season at 11-7 overall. The Pioneers knocked off the Cavs 14-9 last season, but UVA Wise still has a 5-3 edge in the series between the teams.
The top six teams will qualify for the SAC Championship tournament, which begins on campus sites on Saturday, April 20. The semifinals will be hosted by the top two seeds on Wednesday, April 24, followed by the championship match at the Sportsplex at Matthews on Sunday, April 28.
