2016-17 Non-Conference Schedule
RIVERDALE, NY – Three teams that qualified for the postseason last year highlight the 2016 Manhattan College women's basketball non-conference schedule, which was unveiled by Head Coach Heather Vulin on Monday. The Jaspers will play teams from six different leagues, with four of those contests taking place at Draddy Gymnasium.
After hosting Nyack in an exhibition game on Nov. 4, the Heather Vulin Era will officially begin a week later when Manhattan welcomes Holy Cross to Draddy Gymnasium. This marks the sixth consecutive season in which the Jaspers will face the Crusaders, although the squads haven't met in Riverdale since Dec. 1, 2013. On Nov. 15, Yale visits Draddy Gymnasium for the first time in 31 years. Last season, the Jaspers and Bulldogs met in Connecticut to renew a series that had been dormant since the 1987-88 campaign.
“We are very excited to kick off the 2016-17 season with two games at home in Draddy Gymnasium,” Vulin said. “We can't wait to share with Jasper Nation an exciting, up-tempo style of play.”
Manhattan hits the road for the first time on Nov. 19, when the Jaspers will take on defending Mid-American Conference (MAC) champion Buffalo. The two-game road trip continues at Brown on Nov. 22 before Manhattan returns home on Nov. 26 for a matchup with a Stony Brook team that took part in the 2016 Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI).
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play then begins with a pair of games in the first weekend of December. The Jaspers return to non-conference play on Dec. 7 with the first of three straight in the road. Manhattan makes the short trip to St. Francis Brooklyn looking to improve on its 15-1 all-time record against the Terriers.
Following a 10-day break for exams, the Jaspers head across town for the annual “Battle of the Bronx” against Fordham. The all-time series between the rivals, which started in 1978-79 (Manhattan's first varsity season), is currently deadlocked at 24-24.
On Dec. 20, Manhattan's road trip concludes with a contest at Bucknell. The Bison are coming off a 25-8 season where they reached the second round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). The Jaspers wrap up non-conference play by hosting New Hampshire on Dec. 28. Manhattan last hosted the Wildcats on Dec. 3, 2011.
“This year's non-conference schedule will be tough,” Vulin said. “We're playing some well-coached teams that are perennial postseason contenders. We are excited for the challenge and look forward to representing Manhattan College.”
The remainder of the 20-game MAAC schedule will take place after the New Year. The conference slate will be announced in a few weeks. The 2017 MAAC Tournament returns to the Times Union Center in Albany from March 2-6.
