June 21, 2010
HENS SLATE
Delaware announces women’s schedule

NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware women’s soccer team will play a competitive non-conference schedule highlighted by two first-time meetings, and will face a pair of 2009 NCAA Tournament qualifiers in Maryland and UNC Wilmington as the Blue Hen’s 2010 schedule was released Monday.

Led by 21-year head coach Scott Grzenda, the Blue Hens will open the season at Delaware State on Aug. 22 in a 2 p.m. match. The Hens and Hornets with match-up for the second consecutive year as UD took the inaugural match, 7-0.

UD will open its home schedule at Delaware Mini-Stadium on Aug. 28 when the Blue Hens face the Army Black Knights in the team’s first-ever meeting at 7 p.m. before taking to the road for four consecutive contests.

Delaware first travels to Cornell, another inaugural meeting for the teams involved, on Sept. 3 for a 7 p.m. kick-off then takes on Binghamton on Sept. 5 at 1 p.m. The Bearcats and Hens will face one another for the second straight season as UD claimed a 3-0 victory over Binghamton to open its 2009 campaign.

On Sept. 8 Delaware will renew a long-time rivalry with UMBC. At 5 p.m. the teams will face each other for the first time since the 2004 season after having played annually for eight years.

A trip to Maryland on Sept. 11 will close out the Hens’ road stretch before returning home to host the Blue Hen Classic. Delaware will face the 2009 NCAA Tournament third-round qualifying Terps at 7 p.m. with hopes of vying for a victory after falling to Maryland in the 1991 and 1992 seasons.

The Hens will host CAA counterpart Drexel and Atlantic10 member schools George Washington and La Salle the weekend of Sept. 17 for the Blue Hen Classic. Delaware will take on the Explorers on Friday at 7:30 p.m. following the 5 p.m. meeting of Drexel and GWU. On Sept. 19, La Salle and Drexel will play the 12 p.m. game before UD and GWU meet at 2:30 p.m.

CAA action will tip-off at 7 p.m. on Sept. 24 as the Hens travel to defending CAA champions and NCAA Tournament qualifying UNC Wilmington. Two days later, UD will face Georgia State in Atlanta at 1 p.m.

Returning to Newark, Delaware will play three of its next four on home turf. The Hens will host Northeastern at 7 p.m. on Sept. 30 before hitting the road to Hofstra on Oct. 3 for a 1 p.m. game. Old Dominion and William & Mary will each visit campus for contests on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 10 at 1 p.m., respectively.

On Oct. 15 the Hens will travel to Richmond to face Virginia Commonwealth at 7 p.m. before a Sunday, Oct. 17 match at James Madison scheduled for 1 p.m.

Back-to-back home games on Oct. 22 and 24 will be played against George Mason and Towson, respectfully. UD will face GMU on Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. before matching-up with the Tigers on Oct. 24 at 1 p.m. to close out the Hens’ regular-season home schedule. A trip to Philadelphia to battle local CAA rival Drexel will end the Hens’ regular season in an Oct. 30, 7 p.m. contest.

CAA Championships are scheduled for Nov. 5-7 at a site to be determined.

Delaware finished the 2009 season tied with Old Dominion University for a seventh-place finish in the CAA. The pair of teams each went 3-4-4 this season in league play. Finishing the season at .500, 6-6-5 overall, the Blue Hens’ four CAA ties are the most conference deadlocks tallied in program history, while the five overall ties also rank as the most in Blue Hen history.

AGATE: Aug. 22 at Delaware State, 2 p.m.; Aug. 28 vs. Army, 7 p.m.; Sept. 3 at Cornell, 7 p.m.; Sept. 5 at Binghamton, 1 p.m.; Sept. 8 at UMBC, 5 p.m.; Sept. 11 at Maryland, 7 p.m.; Sept. 17 vs. LaSalle (Blue Hen Classic), 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 19 vs. George Washington (Blue Hen Classic), 2:30 p.m.; Sept. 24 at *UNC Wilmington, 7 p.m.; Sept. 26 at *Georgia State, 1 p.m.; Sept. 30 vs. *Northeastern, 7 p.m.; Oct. 3 at *Hofstra, 1 p.m.; Oct. 8 vs. *Old Dominion, 7 p.m.; Oct. 10 vs. *William & Mary, 1 p.m.; Oct. 15 at *Virginia Commonwealth, 7 p.m.; Oct. 17 at *James Madison, 1 p.m.; Oct. 22 vs. *George Mason, 7 p.m.; Oct. 24 vs. *Towson, 1 p.m.; Oct. 30 at *Drexel, 7 p.m.; Nov. 5-7 at Colonial Athletic Association Championships, TBD.