University of Delaware Athletics
Blue Hens Travel to Bucknell Friday; Host Fordham Sunday to Kick Off 2016 Campaign
8/25/2016 12:27:00 PM | Men's Soccer
The University of Delaware men's soccer team looks to continue its winning ways as the Blue Hens open the 2016 campaign the weekend at Bucknell before hosting Fordham at Stuart & Suzanne Grant Stadium.
Delaware (0-0, 0-0 CAA) at Bucknell (0-0, 0-0 Patriot League)
📅 DATE: Friday, August 26, 2016
🕖 TIME: 7 p.m. Eastern
📍 LOCATION: Emmitt Field – Lewisburg, Pa.
🖥 ONLINE: 🎥 Patriot League Network (free) | 📊 Live Stats | 
Facebook 
Twitter
Delaware (0-0, 0-0 CAA) vs. Fordham (0-0, 0-0 Atlantic-10)
📅 DATE: Sunday, August 28, 2016
🕖 TIME: Noon Eastern
📍 LOCATION: Stuart & Suzanne Grant Stadium - Newark, Del.
🖥 ONLINE: 🎥 n/a | 📊 Live Stats | Facebook Twitter
HEN SCRATCHINGS 🐔
· The 2016 campaign marks the 91st season in program history dating to its inception in 1926. In the previous 90 years, Delaware has compiled a record of 431-654-105 (.406) with four 10-plus-win seasons in the last five years and four trips to the CAA Championship match in five seasons.
· Last season, Delaware finished the year by going 10-7-4 overall and finished third in the CAA with a mark of 5-2-1 before falling to Hofstra, 2-0, in the CAA Tournament Final.
· The Blue Hens were predicted to finish second in the CAA Preseason Poll.
· Delaware returns 12 letter winners, including 10 starters, from last year's squad and add five newcomers to the mix.
· UD features a total of nine international players on the roster.
· Guillermo Delgado, Thomas de Villardi and Thibault Philippe garnered Preseason All-CAA accolades.
· Guillermo Delgado, a three-time All-American, was one of 28 men nationally named MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List.
· Guillermo Delgado, Thibault Philippe and Ben Sampson once again serve as the team's captains in 2016.
· Guillermo Delgado is currently second all-time in program history with 85 points on 37 goals (second) and 11 assists (t-11th).
· Jaime Martinez is tied for 11th in the record books alongside Delgado with 11 career assists.
· The Blue Hens will play nine of their 18 games in the friendly confines of Stuart and Suzanne Grant Stadium this season.
SERIES INFORMATION ⚽️
· Former ECC and NAC foes, Bucknell leads the all-time series over the Blue Hens, 36-16-5.
· The two teams have not squared off since the 1995 campaign when the Bison defeated UD, 2-1, in overtime.
· Bucknell has won four straight and nine of the last 10 against Delaware.
· Fordham is 1-0-1 all-time versus UD with matchups coming in 2007 and 2008.
· The two teams came to a 0-0 tie in 2007 in Newark before the Rams picked up the 1-0 win over the Hens in 2008 in the Bronx.
· The architect of four Patriot League championship teams in the last nine years, Brendan Nash (Trenton State '94) returns for his 17th season as head coach and 20th season as a member of the Bucknell men's soccer program in 2016. Nash owns the highest winning percentage (.546) in program history and is second on the wins list with 153.
· Jim McElderry (Fairfield '93) begins his 14th season as the head coach at Fordham. During his tenure, the Rams have posted a mark of 95-107-36.
ABOUT BUCKNELL
The Bison are coming off a season in which they went 7-6-5 overall and 3-3-3 in Patriot League action. Bucknell earned a spot in the Patriot League Tournament for the fourth consecutive season, but was defeated by Lehigh, 2-0, in the quarterfinals. Predicted to finish sixth in the 2016 PL preseason poll, the Bison inject an abundance of youth into this season's roster with 10 incoming freshmen, who will need to battle for playing time this upcoming season. Bucknell returns several starters from a year ago, including defenders Peter Krebs, Zack Rockmore and midfielder Sebastiaan Blickman, who will all serve as tri-captains for the 2016 campaign. In addition to Rockmore and Blickman, the Bison return seven of the team's top-10 scorers from a season ago, including Andrew Leischner and Justin Galiani. Both of Bucknell's goalkeepers from last season graduated and the Bison will put four goalies with no collegiate playing experience in the net.
ABOUT FORDHAM
The Rams, who kick of 2016 with a Friday matchup at UMBC, look for their third consecutive trip to the Atlantic 10 Championship and second title in three seasons this year. In 2015, Fordham went 7-8-4 overall with a 4-3-1 mark in league play before falling in the A-10 semifinals to VCU. Janos Loebe, the 2015 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and an All-America All-Region selection, returns for his sophomore campaign after posting five goals and five assists for 15 points in his first year for the Rams. Jannik Loebe and Matt Lewis join Janos Loebe as 2016 Atlantic 10 Preseason honorees while incoming freshman Dantae Greer garnered Preseason All-Rookie team accolades for a Fordham squad that is predicted to tie for fifth in the league standings. Sophomore Rashid Nuhu started 16 games in the net for the Rams last season and registered 46 saves at a clip of .687 with 1.29 goals allowed per.
