NEWARK, Del. - The University of Delaware field hockey team will open up its 2008 campaign this weekend when the Blue Hens compete in the Champions Challenge hosted by Louisville at Trager Stadium.

At the Tournament, Delaware will be joined by some of the top teams in the country. On Saturday, the Hens will face off with #10 Michigan State at 2 p.m. before taking on either #17 Louisville or #12 Duke on Sunday.

The following weekend, Delaware will serve as the host for the Blue Hen Classic at the newly-refurbished Rullo Stadium. The squad will open with Ohio State at 11:30 a.m. on September 6 before battling Boston University at 2 p.m. on September 7.

Delaware will be led into action by co-captains Casey Howard and Florence Sijbrandij. Howard, a two-time first-team All-Region selection, enters her senior season coming off a brilliant junior campaign. In 2007, she earned MVP honors after leading the team with 13 goals and 29 points.

Sijbrandij, the first sophomore captain in team history, got her collegiate career off to a great start last season. A starter in 14 games, she helped lead a staunch defense that allowed two goals or less in all but five contests.

Along with the two captains, Delaware returns a strong corps of players from last year's squad. Senior goalie Nikki Rhoades and junior back Rae Everson will help anchor the defense, while Amy Brewer (at right), Tori Karsten, Kimmy Schlezes, and Michelle Drummonds round out a potent offensive attack.

The Hens are coming off a 2007 season that saw the team go 10-9 and narrowly miss the Colonial Athletic Association tournament following a series of tiebreakers.

In this year's preseason coaches' poll, Delaware was picked sixth in the conference, while the Hens were the third highest-ranked team from the CAA in the STX/National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll released this week.