Blue Hens Add Five To Incoming Class
9/2/2020
NEWARK, Del. – With the start of the 2020-21 school year just a few weeks away, the University of Delaware men’s lacrosse team is excited to have five new additions to the incoming class of 12 that was formally introduced in January.
Nick Jessen (Chattanooga, Tenn./The McCallie School (Lafayettte)), Drew Lenkaitis (West Chester, Pa./Unionville (Vermont)), Jake Spaniak (West Chester, Pa./Bayard Rustin), Demetrius Stevenson (Dover, Del./Caeser Rodney (Rutgers)) and JP Ward (Owings Mills, Md./McDonogh School) will all be joining the Blue & Gold this upcoming year. The five newcomers include three transfers and two high school signees, comprised of three additions to the attack, one to the midfield and one to the faceoff unit.
“Our staff is excited to add these two freshmen three transfers to the 2021 Blue Hen Lacrosse team. We believe that each of these young men will make significant contributions to our program and the University of Delaware community,” head coach Ben DeLuca said.
Jessen, an attackman, comes to the Blue Hens after one season at Lafayette College. In the shortened 2020 season, he started five times for the Leopards, netting four goals and two assists, while picking up eight ground balls.
Prior to Lafayette, he was a four-time selection to the Tennessee Scholastic Lacrosse All-State team and two-time U.S. Lacrosse All-American, finishing his high school career with 159 goals and 137 assists.
Lenkaitis, another attackman, moves closer to his hometown of West Chester, Pa. after spending his freshman season at Vermont.
He tallied over 250 points during his high school career at Unionville, which saw him star in both basketball and lacrosse. He was a three-time captain in high school and an All-Conference selection.
Spaniak, a faceoff specialist, was a three-sport standout at Bayard Rustin, playing four years of lacrosse and wrestling, while also running cross country for three years and playing a year of football.
He will be joining high school teammates Collin Hurley and Matt Montgomery with the Blue Hens this fall.
Stevenson, a midfielder, is one of the more decorated high school lacrosse players in Delaware history and returns to his home state after spending two years at Rutgers. He took a redshirt year in 2019 and played in three games in 2020 for the Scarlet Knights.
At Caeser Rodney, Stevenson was a two-time US Lacrosse All-American and three-time all-state honoree. He was also an all-state swimmer and National Honor Roll Recipient.
Ward, an attackman, adds to the family lineage with the Blue Hens, joining his cousin, George, and uncle, Rusty as part of the program’s history. George is currently a rising junior on Delaware’s attack unit.
He was a two-year varsity starter at McDonogh, netting 27 points in just over a season and a half due to his senior year being cut short. During that shortened senior season, he netted five goals against then fifth-ranked Gonzaga to earn US Lacrosse Mid-Atlantic Player of the Week accolades.
