Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

BALTIMORE -- The University of Delaware men’s lacrosse team, fresh off a thrilling 8-7 triple overtime victory over Albany Saturday afternoon, continued to rise in the national top 20 polls announced Monday.

The Blue Hens (5-0) moved up two spots to No. 7 in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association poll, two spots to No. 8 in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll, and remained at No. 7 in the LAXnews.com poll. The No. 7 ranking is the highest for the Blue Hens since being picked No. 6 in the final regular season USILA poll in 1999.

Head coach Bob Shillinglaw picked up career win No. 269 Saturday as his Blue Hens battled to the win over then No. 16 Albany, finally taking the victory on Martin Cahill’s goal with 2:12 left in the third extra session. The winning goal took place just moments after torrential rains and heavy winds hit Rullo Stadium.

The Hens will look to improve to 6-0 for the second time in three seasons this week as they travel to Washington, DC to take on No. 12 Georgetown (1-2) Wednesday, March 12 at 3:30 p.m. The Hens will return home to host Stony Brook Saturday, March 15 at 5 p.m. at Rullo Stadium.

A shakeup took place in the top spot of the USILA poll top-ranked and defending national champion Johns Hopkins was upset by Hofstra 8-7 Saturday in Hempstead, NY. Hopkins dropped to No. 4 with Duke moving into the top spot.

Duke (5-0) earned 10 first place votes and 216 points in the USILA poll to take the top spot while Virginia (6-0) earned one first place vote and 208 points to move in at No. 2. North Carolina (4-0) was at No. 3 followed by Johns Hopkins (3-1), Syracuse (4-1), Maryland (4-1), Delaware (5-0), Notre Dame (4-1), Cornell (2-1), and Hofstra (2-1) in the top 10. Navy (4-1) was at No. 11 followed by Georgetown (1-2), Princeton (1-2), Drexel (4-1), Bucknell (3-1), Fairfield (3-0), Loyola (2-2), Army (2-2), Ohio State (2-2), and UMBC (1-3). Albany, Denver, Harvard, Siena, Towson, Massachusetts, Colgate, Bellaramine, Sacred Heart, and Quinnipiac also earned votes.

Delaware, Duke, Virginia, North Carolina, Fairfield, Quinnipiac (3-0), and Sacred Heart (3-0) are the only unbeaten teams remaining at the NCAA Division I level.

Duke also moved into the top spot in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse poll with 16 first place votes and 339 points while Virginia was No. 2 with one first place vote and 320 points. North Carolina was third followed by Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, Maryland, Notre Dame, Delaware, Cornell, and Navy in the top 10. Georgetown was at No. 11 followed by Princeton, Hofstra, Drexel, Army, Bucknell, Loyola, Albany, UMBC, Fairfield, and Ohio State. Harvard, Towson, Denver, Stony Brook, and Hobart also received votes.

In the LAXNews.com poll, Duke was at No. 1 followed by North Carolina, Virginia, Johns Hopkins, Maryland, Cornell, Delaware, Syracuse, Notre Dame, and Hofstra in the top 10. Georgetown was No. 11 followed by Princeton, Navy, Bucknell, Loyola, Drexel, Ohio State, Army, Towson, and Massachusetts.

Delaware's defense, spearheaded by senior All-American candidate Evan Crowther-Washburn (at right), has allowed just 7.36 goals per game this season.