Delaware
Delaware women’s lacrosse run ends with ASUN title game loss
Delaware’s lengthy quest to return to the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Tournament was thwarted on May 2 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Jacksonville topped the Blue Hens 16-11 in the Atlantic Sun Conference title game, earning an automatic NCAA berth, at the rainy Rock Lacrosse Center.
The 29-team NCAA tourney bracket will be unveiled at 9 p.m. May 3 on ESPNU. Delaware was 33rd and Jacksonville 35th in the latest RPI, meaning the Blue Hens are likely a long shot for one of the 14 at-large berths.
Regular-season ASUN champ and top-seeded Delaware (13-5) had won a school record 12 in a row, including nipping Jacksonville 14-13 on March 26 at Delaware Stadium, where the Hens rallied from a four-goal third-period deficit.
In the title game, Delaware trailed 4-2 after the first quarter, 8-5 at halftime and 13-7 after the third period and couldn’t complete another comeback against the Dolphins (13-5).
Maggie Porter had three goals and Sophia Muscolino scored twice for the Blue Hens. An 18-11 edge in draw controls keyed the Dolphins.
Delaware was once a women’s lacrosse national powerhouse under coach Janet Smith. It won AIAW Division II national titles in 1981 and 1982. With the NCAA taking over women’s sports, Delaware was 1983 Division I champion and then finished third in the 1984 tourney.
But the Blue Hens have made just one NCAA Tournament appearance since. That was in 2000 as an America East member, and the Blue Hens lost a first-round game against Loyola.
After a subsequent move to the Colonial Athletic Association, Delaware reached just one conference title game over 24 seasons, losing in 2009 to William & Mary.
Delaware left the CAA this year because of a move to Conference USA, which does not sponsor women’s lacrosse. Several sports landed in the Atlantic Sun, including women’s lacrosse, and gave Delaware better opportunities for success. The Hens’ regular-season conference title was their first since 1999.
Cape Henlopen High graduate Ella Rishko was the Atlantic Sun’s offensive player of the year for Delaware, which is led by seventh-year coach Amy Altig.
Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.