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University of Delaware athletics takes a weekly look back at some of the important dates in Blue Hen history.
May 19, 1977
Blue Hen Men's Lacrosse Captures Fourth Straight East Coast Conference Title
NEWARK, Del. (May 19, 2002) – The Delaware men's lacrosse “dynasty” continued to hold its lock on the East Coast Conference as the Hens captured their fourth straight ECC title with a perfect 4-0 mark on route to a No. 15 national ranking.
For the Hens, the No. 15 ranking equaled their previous high rating from 1976 and was received in large part because of their nine straight wins that closed the year. Delaware finished the year with a 9-4 record.
Delaware started the season poorly, suffering four straight losses to powerhouses UMBC, Navy, Towson State, and Salisbury State. The Towson game showed that the Hens were capable of playing solid lacrosse, but it wasn’t until the Hens 17-10 thrashing of Penn State that head coach Jim Grube’s team got rolling. The nine straight wins equals the Delaware record for most consecutive wins in a single season.
Two other areas of the team play also were noted by Grube as he mentioned the Hens’ success in the faceoff circle with Tom Capallo (Bel Air, Md.) capturing 57 percent of the draws. Blue Hen goalie Chip Strickler (Abington, Pa.) also was commended for his fine play which saw him finish the season with a s 64.6 percent save ratio, which ranked 12th in the nation.
Compiled by the Emily Nassi and Sean Rader, UD Athletics Media Relations Student Staff
