University of Delaware Athletics
Delaware Sweeps Weekly CAA Men’s Lacrosse Awards; Hirschmann, DeLuca Honored
3/27/2017 8:38:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
RICHMOND, Va. -- Thanks to a pair of outstanding efforts in the University of Delaware's historic men's lacrosse victory over top-ranked Rutgers Saturday, the Blue Hens have swept the weekly Colonial Athletic Association player and rookie of the week awards.
Senior co-captain and midfielder Will Hirschmann, who notched his first career hat trick in the 13-9 win over No. 1 Rutgers Saturday at Delaware Stadium, and freshman goalkeeper Matt DeLuca, who registered a career-high 19 saves, were named the CAA Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week respectively. The win over Rutgers was Delaware's first-ever victory over a No. 1 ranked team in seven tries in school history.
Delaware (7-3), winners in six of its last seven outings, has now been honored by the CAA seven times this season. Hirschmann won his first career award while DeLuca was honored for the second time this season. Delaware student-athletes have earned the CAA Rookie of the Week award four times in seven weeks this season.
Hirschmann, a midfielder from Edgewater, Md. (Archbishop Spaulding HS), was a key catalyst for Delaware as he notched first career hat trick with three goals on nine shots. He scored what proved to be the game-winning goal on a tally with 12:29 left to play that began a four-goal run by Delaware after Rutgers had cut the lead to 9-8. He scored twice in the opening quarter as Delaware jumped out to a 6-1 lead after the first frame.
DeLuca, a goalkeeper from Farmingdale, N.Y. (Farmingdale HS), was brilliant in the nets once again for the Blue Hens and played a key part in the upset. He turned back a career-high 19 shots against the Scarlets Knights, the highest save total by a UD netminder since Tommy Scherr had 19 vs. Lehigh in 2008. He also had a groundball in the win.
He set the tone with six saves in the first quarter and finished with five saves in the final stanza when UD held the Scarlet Knights to just two goals. The Hens have now won six of their last seven games and DeLuca is 6-1 during that span since taking over the starting spot.
Delaware will return to action this Saturday when the Hens travel to Amherst, Mass. to take on host Massachusetts in the CAA opener at 1 p.m.
MEDIA INFORMATION: Contact Scott Selheimer | selheime@udel.edu | Office: 302-831-8007 | Cell: 302-562-5129
