Field Hockey
The UD field hockey team has clearly established itself as one of the top programs in the Colonial Athletic Association and the nation, and last year's 14-7 season that saw the Blue Hens advance to the league title game certainly backs up that claim.
This year, with 12 letter-winners and nine starters returning to the lineup, including All-Americans Erica LaBar and Jessi Balmer, the Hens hope to take the next step.
Head coach Carol Miller, who will enter her 12th season at the helm of her alma mater this fall, is optimistic that this year's squad is capable of big things. She has led her squad to three straight winning seasons, consistent top 20 national recognition and an impressive string of seven straight years in which the team has advanced to the league semifinals. The Hens advanced to the conference title game twice in the last three years, falling both times to national power Old Dominion.
Leading the returnees are veterans LaBar and Balmer. LaBar, a 2002 All-American, earned All-Region and All-CAA honors a year ago when she led the team in scoring with 11 goals and 12 assists. Balmer, a third-team All-American a year ago and a two-time All-Region selection, was right behind with 12 goals and three assists from her midfield position.
Other top returnees include senior defender Leah Geib, the 2003 CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year who also earned All-Region honors; sophomore forward and returning All-Region selection Katie Evans (8 goals, 5 assists); junior forward Lauren Carr (6 goals, 3 assists); and sophomore goalkeeper Megan Allen, who had a stellar rookie season a year ago when she posted a 1.84 goals-allowed average, a .689 save percentage and recorded five shutouts while being named CAA Rookie of the Week three times.
The Blue Hens, who opened the season Aug. 28-29 at the Michigan State University Tournament, will host nationally ranked teams from North Carolina, Maryland, William & Mary and Old Dominion at Rullo Stadium this fall.
Women's Cross Country
The Blue Hen women's cross country team will look for continued improvement in the Colonial Athletic Association standings this fall under 22nd-year head coach Sue McGrath-Powell as a balanced lineup looks to better last year's sixth-place conference finish.
Despite the loss of two-year standout Erin Gemmill, who led the team in virtually every racing during her tenure, the Blue Hens will count on a balanced attack led by senior Kate Klim, juniors Jenn Kutney and Renee Gresh and sophomore Toni Riggi.
Gresh was the team's second-leading finisher at the CAA meet a year ago with a 37th place finish, while Kutney was 44th, Klim was 46th and Riggi placed 60th. This year's CAA meet will be held Oct. 30 at James Madison.
The Blue Hens host two home meets this fall at White Clay Creek State Park, with Delaware Invitationals Sept. 18 and Oct. 16.
Men's Cross Country
If the University of Delaware men's cross country team hopes to continue its streak of three straight top-three finishes at the conference meet this fall, the Blue Hens will have to do so without one of the team's all-time great runners.
Patrick Riley, a four-year standout, graduated last spring after a stellar career that saw him lead the Blue Hens in every race he ran over the last three years, including garnering a second-place finish at last year's Colonial Athletic Association race. Also gone is Mike Sadowsky, who completed an outstanding career with a 13th-place finish at the CAA meet a year ago.
But, head coach Jim Fischer, now entering his 23rd season at the helm, consistently fields competitive teams, and this year should be no different.
Junior Kevin DuPrey leads the charge after a breakout season in 2003 that saw him place 18th at the CAA meet and post consistent top finishes. Also back to lead a host of balanced Blue Hens runners are sophomore Matt Bryden (30th place) and sophomore P.J. Meany (36th place).
This year's CAA meet will be held Oct. 30 at James Madison.
The Blue Hens host two home meets this fall at White Clay Creek State Park, with Delaware Invitationals Sept. 18 and Oct. 16.
Volleyball
Now in her third season at the helm of the Blue Hen women's volleyball squad, head coach Bonnie Kenny is confident that 2004 is the year Delaware regains its winning ways and becomes a factor in the Colonial Athletic Association race.
The Blue Hens return nine letter-winners, including five starters, from last year's squad that posted a mark of 11-17 and narrowly missed out on a CAA playoff berth with a fifth-place finish (5-9) in the league standings. This season, the Hens will be looking to post its first winning season since 1997.
Leading a talented contingent is senior middle hitter Valerie Murphy. The 6-0 native of Round Hill, Va., looks to cap an outstanding career after earning second-team All-CAA honors in 2003 when she ranked among the league leaders with 3.67 kills per game, 0.86 blocks per game and a .284 hitting percentage while playing in all 103 games. She failed to reach double figures in kills just six times in 28 matches. The Academic All-American candidate also was named to the All-Tournament teams at New Mexico and the College of Charleston during the season.
Adding solid support to the lineup is senior libero Taylor Govaars, who led the team with 4.31 digs per game as a junior; junior Niecy Taylor, a powerful force who was second on the team with 2.86 kills per game; and versatile senior Sarah Engle, who posted 2.59 kills per game and also filled in at setter, notching 2.7 assists per game a year ago.
Six newcomers will be added to the mix, including Anuhea Friel, a 6-0 middle hitter and the first-ever Blue Hen recruit from Hawaii.
The Blue Hens opened the season Sept. 3-4 at the Cal-State Fullerton Tournament before returning home to host the Delaware Invitational Sept. 10-11 vs. New Mexico, George Washington and Albany at Barbara Viera Court.
Men's Soccer
Head coach Marc Samonisky is hoping that the 2004 edition of the Blue Hen men's soccer team is ready to break out of the struggles that have befallen the team in the recent past.
The Blue Hens return 18 letter-winners and nine starters from last year's squad that posted a 4-11-5 overall record and placed 10th in the always-challenging CAA with a league mark of 1-6-2. Last year's record included four one-goal losses, and over the past three seasons, the Hens have lost 14 games by just one goal. The Blue Hens will be looking to post their first winning season since 1996.
Delaware is fortunate to have back one of the CAA's top goalkeepers in senior Kyle Haynes. The Academic All-American candidate has enjoyed an outstanding career for the Hens and ranks fifth all-time at UD with 258 saves. Last season, he posted a 1.41 goals-allowed average, a .757 save percentage and five shutouts, upping his career shutout total to 12.
Haynes will share co-captain duties this fall with sophomore defender Matt Haney. Haney enjoyed a solid rookie season in 2003 as he ranked among the CAA's top newcomers while scoring three goals and adding an assist.
Delaware managed just 16 goals a year ago but returns its top four goal scorers in senior David Egosi (four goals), senior midfielder Adam Flanigan (two goals, three assists), Haney and junior Justin Arpan (two goals, one assist).
Other players who started at least half of the Blue Hens' games last season include Kyle Peters, Richard Zeller, Anthony Pezza and Anthony Molinaro.
Women's Soccer
The 2003 season was one of the best in school history for the Delaware women's soccer team and head coach Scott Grzenda.
The senior-laden squad posted a record of 10-6-2, the fourth straight winning season for the Blue Hens, and placed third in the CAA standings with a 5-3-2 mark before falling in the league quarterfinals. The third-place finish was the best for the Hens in conference play since 1996.
The stars of that team, All-CAA performers Caryn Blood, Maria Pollaro and Ginna Lewing, as well as high-scoring forward Francesca Termini, all have graduated, leaving Grzenda with a rebuilding project.
But the team has prospered in this situation before, and Grzenda is confident that with his list of 16 returning letter-winners, including seven starters, and a group of exciting newcomers, Delaware will remain a force to be reckoned with in the CAA.
Since the team's top six scorers, who accounted for 22 of its 30 goals, have moved on, the Hens will be looking for several players to step up on the offensive end. Senior midfielder Christine Wrightson and junior midfielder Shannon Alger are among the top candidates.
However, the defense looks strong, with the return of three full-time starters in senior Shelby Lawrence, junior Melissa Kunisky and junior goalkeeper Lindsay Shover. Shover started 11 games a year ago, posting an .811 save percentage and building on her career total of nine shutouts.
Among the top newcomers is midfielder Kendall Lytwynec, a standout at nearby Newark High School who was the Delaware state Player of the Year this past spring.
Delaware took part in two in-season tournaments this fall, traveling to the University of Wyoming Tournament Sept. 3-5 and the U.S. Naval Academy Tournament Sept. 10-12.