Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

BALTIMORE -- The University of Delaware men’s lacrosse team, which improved to 4-0 for the third straight year with a 10-8 win over nationally-ranked Rutgers Saturday on the road, earned its highest coaches poll ranking this decade and moved up in two weekly Top 20 polls announced Monday.

The Blue Hens improved three spots to No. 9 in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Coaches poll, improved two spots to No. 10 in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll, and remained at No. 7 in the LAXNews poll.

Delaware’s No. 9 ranking by the USILA, the official Top 20 poll, is the team’s highest ranking since being picked No. 6 in the final regular season poll during the 1999 season.

Delaware will look to improve to 5-0 for the third straight season this Saturday when the Blue Hens return home to Rullo Stadium to take on Albany at 1 p.m. Winless Albany (0-2) is ranked No. 16 by the USILA this week but has suffered its losses at the hands of top-ranked Johns Hopkins (10-5) Feb. 23 and now No. 5 Notre Dame (7-6) this past Saturday.

The Hens defeated Rutgers 10-8 Saturday behind a solid defensive effort, three goals each from Vincent Giordano and Martin Cahill, and two assists from J.J. Moran (at right).

Johns Hopkins (2-0) remained at No. 1 in the USILA poll with seven first place votes and 253 overall points, narrowly beating No. 2 Duke (3-0), which earned six first place votes and 249 points. Virginia (4-0) was at No. 3 followed by North Carolina (3-0), Notre Dame (3-0), Maryland (2-1), Syracuse (2-1), Cornell (1-1), Delaware (4-0), and Navy (3-1) in the top 10. Princeton (1-1) was at No. 11 followed by Georgetown (1-1), Loyola (2-1), Drexel (3-1), Bucknell (2-1), Albany (0-2), Army (2-1), Towson (1-1), Rutgers (1-1), and Fairfield (2-0). Massachusetts, Hofstra, UMBC, Ohio State, Lehigh, Holy Cross, Brown, Penn, Yale, and Quinnipiac also received votes.

In the Nike/Inside Lacrosse poll, Johns Hopkins was at No.1 with 14 first place votes and 318 points followed by Duke with two first place votes and 305 points. Virginia was at No. 3 followed by North Carolina, Syracuse, Maryland, Notre Dame, Cornell, Georgetown, and Delaware in the top 10. Princeton was at No. 11 followed by Navy, Loyola, Albany, Drexel, Army, Bucknell, Towson, Rutgers, and Denver. Among those also receiving votes were UMBC, Ohio State, Fairfield, Hofstra, Harvard, Massachusetts, and Yale.

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