SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (January 22, 2026) – The Western New England men's lacrosse team, guided by Head Coach John Klepacki in his 25^th season at the helm, has released its 2026 regular season schedule, featuring ten home games, six road contests, and a neutral site game in Florida to round out the upcoming season. 

The Golden Bears finished 2025 with a 9-10 record, going 5-3 overall in Conference of New England action. The Blue and Gold open their 2026 campaign with three straight home games at Golden Bear Stadium, starting with a game against St. Lawrence University on Thursday, February 19, at 4:00 PM. WNE then hosts Keene State College in a rivalry spanning the last 11 years, with Western New England taking the last seven meetings from the Owls. The two teams renew their rivalry on Tuesday, February 24, at 4:00 PM. The first weekend contest of the season will then take place on Saturday, February 28, at 1:00 PM when the Golden Bears welcome the Engineers of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The two teams are set to square off for the fourth straight season. 

The month of March will begin with Western New England's first road game of the season, heading to Babson Park to meet the Beavers of Babson College on Saturday, March 7, at 1:00 PM. This is also the fourth straight season the two teams will match up against one another. The Golden Bears will then meet Widener University in St. Leo, Florida, for a spring break contest at University Turf Stadium at St. Leo University. Western New England had the upper hand in last season's meeting with Widener on the road, coming away with a 13-6 victory in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. Western New England returns home for their only Sunday contest of the season, taking on Nazareth University on March 15 at 12:00 PM from Golden Bear Stadium. Non-conference action continues the following week with the final two games of the regular season out of Conference of New England (CNE) play, as the Golden Bears renew their historic rivalry with Springfield College, this season coming on the road, on Wednesday, March 18, at 7:00 PM at Stagg Field. The final non-conference game for Western New England will come on Saturday, March 21, at 1:00 PM when the Blue and Gold host the United States Merchant Marine Academy. 

CNE action will round out the rest of the regular season for the Golden Bears, who start conference play on the road with a meeting in Boston against the Leopards of Wentworth Institute of Technology on Wednesday, March 25, at 4:00 PM. WNE's first home CNE game comes the following Saturday, March 28, at 4:00 PM when the Golden Bears take on the University of New England. The month of March wraps up with a road contest for the Golden Bears at Gordon College on Tuesday, March 31, at 7:00 PM. Western New England men's lacrosse sees their next two games of their 2026 slate on home turf, welcoming Roger Williams University on Friday, April 3, at 7:00 PM, while then hosting the University of Hartford on Wednesday, April 8 at 7:00 PM. WNE makes a short drive to Nichols College on Saturday, April 11, at 1:00 PM for CNE action before returning home to face the newest member of the conference, Johnson & Wales University, meeting the Wildcats for the first time in program history. The two teams will battle on Tuesday, April 14, at 7:00 PM. The final road contest for the Golden Bears in CNE action during the regular season comes on Saturday, April 18, at 2:00 PM, traveling to Curry College. The final regular season game of the season comes at Golden Bear Stadium when Western New England hosts Endicott College on Wednesday, April 22, at 7:00 PM.

The Conference of New England tournament will begin on Saturday, April 25, for a pair of first-round games. The CNE semifinals take place on Wednesday, April 29, while the championship game will be that Saturday, May 2, hosted by the highest remaining seed. 

For full details on the 2026 Western New England men's lacrosse schedule, click here.