DURHAM, N.C.—The Duke men's lacrosse team kicks off the 2019 season Monday with its first official practice of the campaign. The Blue Devils open the season Feb. 2 at Furman.
First Practice
With about a week of team-led workouts, the Blue Devils officially hit the practice field Monday, Jan. 14 at 3 p.m. Duke will have two full weeks of practice before traveling to Ohio State to face the Buckeyes in a scrimmage Jan. 26. Then seven days later the Blue Devils will take the field officially versus Furman in Greenville, S.C., at 7 p.m.
Home Opener
The Blue Devils will make their home debut, Wednesday, Feb. 6 against High Point. It will be the first of eight home games for Duke and the second of five games in the month of February. They close the first month of the season against a pair of preseason top 25 teams in Denver and Penn, Feb. 16 and 23rd, respectively.
Preseason Rankings
Duke enters the year as the preseason No. 2 behind Yale in both the US Lacrosse and Inside Lacrosse polls. The Blue Devils fell to the Bulldogs in the NCAA Championship game 13-11 as Yale took home its first NCAA lacrosse title. Duke is set to face seven of the Face-Off Yearbook preseason top 25, including No. 4 Loyola.
Preseason All-Americans
A trio of Blue Devils was named to the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook Preseason All-America squads. Senior midfielder Brad Smith was a first-team choice, while close defensemen Cade Van Raaphorst and JT Giles-Harris were voted to the second team. Duke was one of five programs to have at least three players voted to the top three teams and one of two to have three players on the first and second teams.
Danowski Going for Win No. 400
A big number is attached to Duke's first game of the 2019 campaign. Head coach John Danowski will be looking for his 400th career victory when the Blue Devils play the Paladins.
Danowski will be the first Division I coach in lacrosse history and just the third across all three divisions to amass 400 career victories. Sporting a 399-194 career record, Danowski holds a five-win edge on Bill Tierney who is 394-129 in 34 seasons.
Danowski Signs on for Four More Years with Team USA
John Danowski will return for a second term as the U.S. men's senior national team after leading the United States to gold at the FIL World Championships this past summer in dramatic fashion.
This will be the first time in the history of the U.S. men's program that a coach will serve as a head coach for more than one term. Joining him on his staff will as assistant coaches be Joe Amplo, Seth Tierney and Charley Toomey.
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