NEWARK, DE -- Meetings with 2006 NCAA Tournament participants Virginia, Old Dominion, and William & Mary and a first-ever trip to the state of Texas highlight the 2007 University of Delaware women’s soccer schedule announced Wednesday.

Head coach Scott Grzenda, who will enter his 18th season at the helm of the Blue Hens this fall, welcomes back nine of the top 10 scorers, 18 letterwinners, and eight starters from last year’s team that went 8-8-3 and finished ninth in the Colonial Athletic Association standings with a mark of 3-7-1. The Hens have posted a .500 or better record each of the last seven seasons. Junior Kasie Shover (at right) is the Hens’ top returning scorer after posting five goals and two assists a year ago.

After pre-season scrimmages against Lehigh and 2006 NCAA Tournament participant Penn State, the Blue Hens will open the 2007 regular season Aug. 31 at national power University of Virginia, a team that went 16-4-3 and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament last fall. The Cavaliers won the Atlantic Coast Conference title in 2004 and was runner-up in 2005. Delaware last met Virginia during the 1996 season.

Delaware will also take part in non-league games vs. Saint Joseph’s (home opener Sept. 2), Marshall, Seton Hall, Georgetown, Texas-San Antonio, and Baylor. The Hens, who have travelled to North Carolina, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Indiana over the last several years, will add the state of Texas to the list as they take on 2006 Southland Conference runner-up Texas-San Antonio Sept. 21 and travel to Waco, TX to take on Baylor Sept. 23.

The Blue Hens will be tested early in their CAA schedule as they travel to defending conference tournament champion Old Dominion Sept. 28 and defending regular season champion William & Mary Sept. 30 in Williamsburg, VA in the first two league games of the season. Both teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament a year ago. Delaware will also play CAA road games at George Mason, Towson, and Northeastern.

Delaware will open its home CAA schedule Oct. 5 vs. Virginia Commonwealth and will also host CAA foes James Madison, UNC Wilmington, Georgia State, Hofstra, and Drexel. The six-team CAA Tournament will be held Nov. 6-11.

AGATE:

2007 University of Delaware Women’s Soccer Schedule

August 22, at Lehigh (Scrimmage), 5 p.m.; 25, at Penn State (Scrimmage), 4 p.m.; 31, at Virginia, 5 p.m.

September 2, vs. Saint Joseph’s 1 p.m.; 7, vs. Marshall, 7 p.m.; 9, at Seton Hall, 1 p.m.; 16, at Georgetown, 1 p.m.; 21, at Texas-San Antonio, 7 p.m.; 23, at Baylor, 1 p.m.; 28, at *Old Dominion, 7 p.m.; 30, at *William & Mary, 1 p.m.

October 5, vs. *Virginia Commonwealth, 7 p.m.; 7, vs. *James Madison, 1 p.m.; 12, at *George Mason, 7 p.m.; 14, at *Towson, 1 p.m.; 19, vs. *UNC Wilmington, 7 p.m.; 21, vs. *Georgia State, 1 p.m.; 26, at *Northeastern, 6 p.m.; 28, vs. *Hofstra, 1 p.m.

November 1, vs. *Drexel, 7 p.m.; 6, Colonial Athletic Association Quarterfinals, tba; 9, Colonial Athletic Association Semifinals, tba; 11, Colonial Athletic Association Championship, tba

*=Colonial Athletic Association Games