ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst University football team has announced its 2014 spring practice schedule, which will culminate with the program's annual spring game on Saturday, April 27, beginning at 12:00 p.m. from Tullio Field. The football program will also hold its annual postseason banquet following the conclusion of the spring contest.

The Lakers will take to the field for 15 spring practices, which are slated to begin this Sunday, March 30 at 6:30 p.m. All practices will be held at Tullio Field on Mercyhurst University's campus and are open to the public.

Mercyhurst has already begun off the field preparations, which includes weight training, running, and conditioning. Several team meetings, weight room testing, and combine testing will also be done during the next month.

The program finished the 2013 season with a 7-4 record, which marked the second consecutive season that the Lakers have had a winning record. It marked the first time under head coach Marty Schaetzle that Mercyhurst has had back-to-back winning seasons and it marked the first time since the 1991-92 seasons that Mercyhurst has accomplished that feat. With the Lakers finishing the season with a 7-4 record, it marks the second-best two-year stretch in program history. Over the last two seasons, Mercyhurst has gone 16-6 under Schaetzle. Only Tony DeMeo's 1984 and 1985 teams, that went a combined 16-3, had a better two-year stretch.

Mercyhurst started last season with a 1-3 overall record and an 0-2 mark in the PSAC West. The Lakers won six of its last seven games, including three straight victories against Edinboro, at California, and at East Stroudsburg to close out the campaign.

Redshirt sophomore Brandon Brown-Dukes finished the season with 1,008 rushing yards - his second consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season. He became the first player in school history to accomplish that feat. Included in his season total was a career-best 221 yards in a 51-21 win over Gannon, which was part of a program record 628 yards of total offense. In that contest, the Lakers piled up 407 rushing yards against the Golden Knights, the program's most since moving to Division II, and the third-highest total in school history.

During the campaign, the Lakers also established a new record by scoring at least 50 points in a game in three straight contests. Mercyhurst defeated Cheyney, 63-14, Seton Hill, 50-19, and Gannon, 51-21, from October 5 through October 17.

The 2014 football season is scheduled to begin on Saturday, September 6 with a road, non-conference game at Bentley. The two teams played for the first time last season, with the Falcons escaping with a 17-16 victory over the Lakers.

MERCYHURST FOOTBALL 2014 SPRING PRACTICE SCHEDULE (*subject to change)

Practice #1 - Sunday, March 30 - 6:30 p.m. (helmets)
Practice #2 - Tuesday, April 1 - 8:30 p.m. (helmets)
Practice #3 - Friday, April 4 - 6:30 p.m. (helmets/shoulder pads)
Practice #4 - Saturday, April 5 - 6:30 p.m. (helmets/shoulder pads)
Practice #5 - Sunday, April 6 - 6:30 p.m. (full pads)
Practice #6 - Tuesday, April 8 - 8:30 p.m. (helmets/shoulder pads)
Practice #7 - Friday, April 11 - 6:30 p.m. (full pads)
Practice #8 - Saturday, April 12 - 5:30 p.m. (helmets/shoulder pads)
Practice #9 - Sunday, April 13 - 2:00 p.m. (scrimmage)
Practice #10 - Tuesday, April 15 - 8:30 p.m. (helmets/shoulder pads)
Practice #11 - Monday, April 21 - 12:00 p.m. (full pads)
Practice #12 - Tuesday, April 22 - 8:30 p.m. (helmets/shoulder pads)
Practice #13 - Wednesday, April 23 - 8:30 p.m. (helmets/shoulder pads)
Practice #14 - Friday, April 25 - 6:30 p.m. (full pads)
Practice #15 - Saturday, April 26 - 4:00 p.m. (flex)

Sunday, April 27 - 12:00 p.m. (annual spring game)