University of Delaware Athletics
CAA Defending Champion Blue Hens Announce Challenging 2015 Schedule
6/25/2015 10:07:00 AM | Field Hockey
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware field hockey team will face four NCAA Tournament opponents during a challenging 19-game slate as the two-time defending Colonial Athletic Association champions announced their 2015 schedule on Thursday.
The slate includes 10 home games at Rullo Stadium and features four matchups against squads who ended the 2014 season ranked in the NFHCA Poll.
The Blue Hens, who finished 13-9 overall last season and 4-2 in the CAA before winning the league title and hosting an NCAA Tournament contest for the second consecutive year, open the campaign with a Midwest swing at MAC regular season champion Central Michigan on Aug. 28 and Big Ten foe Michigan State on Aug. 30.
Delaware remains on the road the following weekend, heading north to take on Fairfield on Sept. 4 and Cornell two days later.
Rolf van de KerkhofUD will face one of its toughest challenges on Sept. 25 when the Blue Hens head to national power Duke, which competed in the 2014 NCAA Tournament and finished the year ranked ninth in the NFHCA Poll. Delaware concludes the weekend swing on Sept. 27 with a road contest at Richmond, which also competed in the NCAA's after winning the Atlantic 10 conference title.
October marks the start of CAA play for the Blue Hens, who open the conference slate with home games against William & Mary on Oct. 2 and James Madison on Oct. 4. The contest vs. the Dukes will feature a rematch of the 2014 CAA Tournament Final, a 2-1 UD victory in Boston. Delaware then travels to Hofstra for an Oct. 9 contest with the Pride.
UD kicks off its second four-game homestand of the campaign on Oct. 11 against Liberty, which claimed the 2014 NorPac Tournament title to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. That contest will be a rematch of the 2013 NCAA Play-In game, when the Blue Hens shut out the Flames, 1-0, at Rullo Stadium. Delaware remains home the following Sunday, Oct. 18, to host perennial power Virginia. The Cavaliers have appeared in eight of the last nine NCAA Tournaments and claimed the 2014 ACC regular season crown.
Delaware then welcomes CAA rival Towson to Newark on Oct. 23, before wrapping up the home schedule with a non-league contest vs. Old Dominion two days later. The Blue Hens conclude the regular season at Drexel on Oct. 30 and at Northeastern on Nov. 1. The four-team CAA Tournament will be held Nov. 6-8 on the campus of the league's regular season champion.
“We will face an exciting and challenging game schedule in 2015,” van de Kerkhof said. “As a team we have become more consistent in our performance, and have increased our depth at all positions and with that our on-field technical and tactical play and understanding.
“The 2015 players group season goals are to compete for the 2015 CAA Championship and to punch a ticket to the 2015 NCAA Final Four. Based on where we are as a program these goals are realistic and exciting to talk about, prepare for and work towards. As the season is an ongoing process, we are looking forward to 'play & learn' and along the way further improve our individual and team performances.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Kevin Tritt at: ktritt@udel.edu (email) / 302-831-8715 (office) / 302-383-5005 (cell)
