Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

BALTIMORE -- The University of Delaware men’s lacrosse team dropped out of the top 20 for the first time this season, but still received votes in the two major polls announced Monday.

The Blue Hens (7-4), who suffered their second straight loss in a 10-7 setback at Towson Saturday, received votes in both the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association and Nike/Inside Lacrosse polls but not enough to appear in the top 20. Delaware dropped out of the top 20 for the first time since the 2006 season, snapping a streak of 20 straight weeks in the Top 20 polls.

Delaware faces two tough tests this week as the CAA playoff race heats up. The defending CAA champion Blue Hens will host No. 10 Drexel (9-2, 2-0 CAA) Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Rullo Stadium and will travel to No. 20 Hofstra (4-4, 2-1 CAA) Saturday at 1 p.m.

In the USILA poll, Syracuse (8-1) remained at the top spot for the second straight week with six first place votes and 213 points, edging No. 2 Duke (11-1), which earned five first place votes and 208 points. Virginia (10-1) was at No. 3 followed by Georgetown (7-2), Cornell (8-1), Navy (9-2), Maryland (7-3), North Carolina (7-3), UMBC (7-3), and Drexel (9-2) in the top 10. Bucknell (8-2) was at No. 11 followed by Notre Dame (7-2), Johns Hopkins (3-5), Denver (7-4), Princeton (4-4), Brown (7-2), Army (7-3), Loyola (5-4), Ohio State (6-3), and Hofstra (4-4). Delaware was the top team receiving votes among others and was joined by Penn, Albany, Stony Brook, and Towson.

In the Nike/Inside Lacrosse poll, Duke took over the top spot from Syracuse with 11 first place votes and 350 points. Syracuse was at No. 2 with seven first place votes followed by Virginia, Georgetown, Cornell, Navy, Maryland, North Carolina, Notre Dame, and Bucknell in the top 10. UMBC was at No. 11 followed by Drexel, Army, Brown, Johns Hopkins, Ohio State, Princeton, Denver, Loyola, and Hofstra. Albany, Delaware, Towson, Stony Brook, Canisius, Penn, and Providence also received votes.

In the Laxnews.com poll, Duke was picked No. 1 followed by Syracuse, Virginia, Georgetown, Cornell, Navy, Maryland, North Carolina, Bucknell, Drexel, Notre Dame, Princeton, Johns Hopkins, Hofstra, Loyola, Brown, UMBC, Ohio State, Army, and Denver.

Senior defensive midfielder Brett Manney (at right) scored his first goal of the season vs. Towson Saturday.