ANNAPOLIS, MD -- The University of Delaware men’s lacrosse team, which completed the finest season in school history this spring with a trip to the NCAA semifinals, will be honored with the 2007 Henry Ciccarone Award this evening in a ceremony at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy.

Delaware head coach Bob Shillinglaw and members of the squad were hand to receive the prestigious award, which is presented by the Touchdown Club of Annapolis each season to the collegiate men’s lacrosse team of the year. The award was presented at the club’s annual lacrosse cookout held in the Class of 1953 Pavilion in the stadium.

The award is named in honor of late Henry Ciccarone, the legendary Johns Hopkins University coach who is a member of the United States Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Ciccarone, who died in 1988, led Johns Hopkins to three consecutive national championships in 1978-80 and posted a nine-year record of 105-16.

Shillinglaw’s team enjoyed its finest season in school history in 2007 as the Blue Hens posted a 13-6 record, captured its first Colonial Athletic Association championship, and advanced to the NCAA Final Four before falling to eventual national champion Johns Hopkins in the national semifinals.

All-time NCAA faceoff leader Alex Smith and Jordan Hall each received All-American honors during the season while Smith, Hall, Rob Smith, Adam Zuder-Havens, and Dan Deckelbaum were all first team All-CAA selections. Smith, Hall, and Deckelbaum were also selected in the recent Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft and are currently playing professionally.