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Delaware Lacrosse News |
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1-09-08
University of Delaware Men’s Lacrosse Squad Named 2007
Delaware Sportswriters & Broadcasters Team of the Year
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NEWARK, DE -- The University of Delaware men’s lacrosse squad, which
posted its finest season in school history in 2007 when the Blue Hens
advanced all the way to the national semifinals, has been selected the
2007 Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association Team of the Year.
The award, selected by sportswriters, broadcasters, and sports
publicists throughout the state of Delaware, will be presented at the
59th annual DSBA Banquet on Sunday, January 27 at 6 p.m. at the Chase
Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington, DE. Tickets are $50 each and
can be purchased in advance at B&B Tickettown (656-9797) or online at
http://delsports.org/.
The Blue Hen lacrosse team (13-6), which will begin its 2008 season Feb.
9 vs. Saint Joseph’s for 30th-year head coach Bob Shillinglaw, captured
the attention of the state and the nation in 2007 as Delaware advanced
all the way to the NCAA Division I national semifinals for the first
time in school history before falling to eventual national champion
Johns Hopkins 8-3 before a crowd of 52,000 at M&T Bank Stadium in
Baltimore. The game was also televised nationally on ESPN.
After opening the season with five straight wins, the Blue Hens
struggled and were just 6-5 in mid-April before rallying in the final
quarter to defeat Colonial Athletic Association foe Villanova 19-18 on
the road April 14. That win ignited the Blue Hens, who went on to win
seven straight games before the national semifinal loss. The Blue Hens
swept through the CAA Tournament, defeating nationally-ranked Drexel
11-7 in the semifinals and Towson 10-7 in the championship game, both on
the road, to earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
Once in the tournament, the Hens pulled a shocker in the first round,
soundly defeating defending national champion and No. 2 ranked Virginia
14-8 in Charlottesville, VA. Delaware then moved on with a 10-6 win over
UMBC in the national quarterfinals at Navy to earn a spot in the Final
Four.
The Blue Hens were led by a strong senior class that included
All-American midfielders Alex Smith and Jordan Hall and All-CAA
selections in attackman Adam Zuder-Havens, midfielder Dan Deckelbaum,
and defenseman Rob Smith. Alex Smith, a three-time All-American, set
every NCAA faceoff record during his stellar career and was also named
the CAA Player of the Year.
Philadelphia Eagles radio play by play broadcaster Merrill Reese will
serve as the toastmaster for the DSBA event. Other awards that will be
presented during the annual banquet are the John J. Brady Award for
Outstanding Athlete of 2007, the Tubby Raymond Award as the state’s
Coach of the Year, and the Herm Reitzes Award for public service. In
addition, high school All-State selections from the 2007 fall sports
season are also recognized. The event will also include celebrity guests
from Delaware, Philadelphia, and Baltimore area high school, college,
and professional sports teams.
The Team of the Year, which was first selected in 1999, honors a team at
the youth, high school, college, or professional level for outstanding
accomplishments during the year. Past winners have been Stanton-Newport
Senior softball (1999), St. Mark’s High School boy’s soccer (2000),
Delmar High School football (2001), Salesianum School swimming & diving
(2002), University of Delaware football and Naamans Little League
(2003), Salesianum School soccer (2004), Wesley College football (2005),
and Tatnall School girl’s cross country (2006).
Source: University of Delaware Sports Information Dept.
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