NEWBERRY, S.C. – Building on the success of the 2022 season that saw the team go 11-8 during the regular season and include an appearance in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament that resulted in the program's first win in postseason history against Limestone, Women's Lacrosse returns in 2023 with an 18 match slate to build off of the successes and accomplishments of the previous season.
Splitting the matches home and away evenly at nine (including the first match, which will be an exhibition), the schedule includes eight matches against non-conference opponents with three against teams that Newberry will face for the first time. The non-conference opponents will dominate the early part of the schedule, with all eight being played within the first ten matches before getting into conference play for the remaining eight. Those matchups include four from the Conference Carolinas (Belmont Abbey, Barton, Emmanuel, & Lees-McRae), three from the Gulf South Conference (Flagler, Lander, & Young Harris), and one from the Sunshine State Conference (Florida Tech).
The season will kick off with an exhibition against Conference Carolinas member Belmont Abbey College at Setzler Field on February 4 at 1 PM in the first ever matchup between the two teams before hitting the road for the first time of the season with a bout against Peach Belt Conference representative Young Harris College on February 11 at 2 PM. The Wolves will then come back home for their matchup against Emmanuel College on February 15 at 4 PM before going against Lander University on February 18 at 1 PM. Newberry will be looking to avenge their loss in the only matchup between them and Lander which resulted in a close 12-13 defeat on February 1, 2020.
February 22 will see the Wolves take on their first SAC opponent in a road matchup against the Limestone Saints at 4 PM before heading up to Wilson, North Carolina, to take on non-conference opponent Barton College on February 25 at 1 PM. The win against Limestone last season in the SAC tournament also marked their first win against the Saints after dropping the first two previous matchups in a 12-11 victory, and they look to extend their winning ways against Barton College after defeating them in their first ever matchup on February 22, 2022.
A SAC matchup with Lincoln Memorial takes place on March 4 at 1 PM on Setzler Field before rounding out the remainder of their slate of non-conference opponents against Lees-McRae at home on March 8 at 4 PM, Florida Tech on March 12 on the road at 1 PM, and Flagler College on March 14 in St. Augustine, Florida at 2 PM. This will be the first time that Newberry will face Florida Tech and Flagler College in women's lacrosse.
Heading into entirely SAC play for the rest of the season, Newberry will make the trip to face the Wingate Bulldogs on March 22 at 4 PM before coming back home to face UVA Wise on March 25 at 12 PM. A consecutive home match sees the Wolves take on Anderson University for the first time ever on March 29 at 4 PM before traveling back to North Carolina to face Mars Hill on April 1 at 4 PM.
A date with Catawba follows for Newberry on April 8 at noon before facing the Coker Cobras on April 12 at 4 PM, with both matches being played at Setzler Field at home. The Wolves will see their final two matches played on the road and at home with the first against Tusculum occurring in Greeneville, Tennessee, on April 15 at 7 PM before ending the regular season at Setzler with a bout against Lenoir-Rhyne on April 19 at 7 PM.
