HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College men's basketball team has officially announced its 2016-17 schedule. Getting set for the traditionally tough Centennial Conference schedule, the Fords' non-conference slate is filled with new opponents in the coming year. In total, Haverford will play four of its seven non-conference tilts against teams it has never met since the program's inception.
The season gets underway on the road as the team travels to Penn State-Harrisburg looking to avenge a narrow 57-54 defeat on its home floor last winter. That weekend, Haverford heads to the Lycoming Tournament with a game against Western Connecticut for the first time in program history. The Fords will also see a new foe as the meeting with either Penn State Schuylkill or Lycoming on Saturday will be a first in the team's history.
Haverford's home opener is also the first game of the Centennial Conference schedule as Ursinus comes to the Gooding '84 Arena on November 22. The month of November comes to a close with trips to Bryn Athyn and Elizabethtown. Haverford has never met Bryn Athyn and will be playing Elizabethtown for the first time since 2004.
Before heading home after finals, the Fords will play three crucial conference games during the month of December. That span includes home dates with defending Centennial Conference Champion Franklin & Marshall (Dec. 3) and Muhlenberg (Dec. 7). A trip to Washington College on December 10 finalizes the 2016 portion of the team's schedule.
Another first in program history awaits as the team begins 2017 by hosting Sarah Lawrence on January 4. The Fords will play 10 of their 25 regular season games during the month of January. The only other non-conference meeting during that month will be a home date against Rutgers-Camden (Jan. 16). The teams have meet just twice since 1959 with the last meeting being a Haverford win in 2009. The Fords are 6-0 all-time against Rutgers-Camden. Also in the month of January are home dates against Gettysburg (Jan. 10), Johns Hopkins (Jan. 14) and Dickinson (Jan. 28). Road trips will be taken to Dickinson (Jan. 7), McDaniel (Jan. 12), Swarthmore (Jan. 18), Franklin & Marshall (Jan. 21), and Ursinus (Jan. 26).
The month of February will be evenly split with three home and three road contests. The home dates include visits from Washington College (Feb. 1), McDaniel (Feb. 11), and Swarthmore (Feb. 15). Haverford will travel to Gettysburg (Feb. 4) and Muhlenberg (Feb. 7) before ultimately closing out the month with the regular season finale at Johns Hopkins (Feb. 18).
Head coach Michael Mucci will be entering 22nd year leading the Fords. The all-time winningest coach in program history will look to build on a year in which the Fords had seven then-freshmen gain valuable minutes. That class includes the 2016 Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year Joe Scibelli. Matt Sherman, a 2015 honorable mention All-CC pick, will also be back after missing the majority of last season with an injury as he needs just 296 points to become the 16th member of the 1,000-point club for the men's basketball team.