University of Delaware Athletics
JP Ward Named Co-Preseason POTY as Men's Lacrosse is Picked to Finish Atop the CAA
1/30/2024 2:02:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
RICHMOND, Va. – It was only eight months ago that the University of Delaware men's lacrosse team celebrated its second consecutive CAA championship in Delaware Stadium and the Blue Hens are poised to do it again as UD was picked to finish atop the CAA for the second year in a row, the conference office announced Tuesday afternoon.
Delaware received six of the eight first place votes with the remaining two votes going to Stony Brook.
In addition to being the preseason favorite, senior JP Ward was named the Preseason Co-Offensive Player of the year while three other Blue Hens were named Preseason All-CAA as Mike Robinson, Cam Acchione, and Reed Kurtz each got the nod.
Ward, an Owings Mills, Md. native is a two-time First Team All-CAA performer and was a 2024 USA Lacrosse Preseason All-America honorable mention selection. Last season, Ward led the Blue Hens in assists (43) and was second in goals (42). His 43 assists led the CAA and was second in the conference in points per game with 4.72. Ward helped Delaware to be the No. 8-ranked scoring offense in all of NCAA Division I as the Blue Hens totaled 265 goals a season ago.
Robinson,a Peterborough, Ontario native, is now a three-time Preseason All-CAA selection garnering the honor in both 2022 and 2023. Like Ward, Robinson was named a USA Lacrosse Preseason All-America honorable mention. In 2023, Robinson tallied 32 goals with 16 assists totaling 48 points. He was eighth in the CAA in goals scored and seventh in points per game. Robinson has 145-career goals and is 36 away from surpassing Tye Kurtz to become Delaware's all-time leader in goals scored. Robinson was also selected 28th overall by the Halifax Thunderbirds in September's NLL draft.
Acchione, a senior midfielder, is now a two-time Preseason All-CAA selection, earning the honor ahead of last season. In 2023, he was tied for fourth on the Hens in goals scored with 23. Among the top-five goal scorers from a season ago, the Barrie, Ont. native led the Hens in shot on goal percentage with a .750 clip. He had eight multi-goal games last season including hat tricks against The Mount and Marist.
Kurtz, a graduate student short-stick defensive midfielder, appeared in all 18 games for the Hens in 2023, marking the second season in a row that the Puslinch, Ont. native appeared in every game for UD. Kurtz helped the Blue & Gold be the No. 4-ranked scoring defense in the nation as the Hens allowed an average of 9.44 goals per game. Like Robinson, Kurtz was also selected in the 2023 NLL Draft as he was taken 33rd overall by the N.Y. Riptide.
Delaware, the No.16-ranked team in both the Inside Lacrosse and USA Lacrosse Preseason Polls, opens play on Saturday, Feb. 10 as the Blue Hens host Lafayette at noon.
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