Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. –The No. 11 ranked University of Delaware field hockey team will open the NCAA Tournament with a first round match-up against No. 6 Michigan State on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the University of Virginia.

Delaware (14-5) earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004 after capturing the Colonial Athletic Association championship on Sunday. The squad will face the Spartans, who advanced to the tournament after winning the Big 10 Title.

“It’s just so exciting,” said head coach Carol Miller. “It’s so rewarding seeing all of the hard work paying off. It’s not just what our players are doing on the field and what my new coaching staff is doing on and off the field. It’s also what our players have done off the field. They’ve really made sure that field hockey has filtered into every aspect of their life. That’s really exciting to see. It’s a coach’s dream.”

The 16-team field was announced live on NCAASports.com. Maryland (20-0), the reigning National Champion, earned the No. 1 seed.

Along with the Hens and Spartans, the host and No. 2 seeded Virginia Cavaliers will take on Richmond in the other first round action at the complex on Saturday.

Delaware’s first round contest will be a rematch from the team’s season-opener. In that game, the squad fell to Michigan State, 7-2. Despite the outcome, the Blue Hens have grown tremendously since that setback.

“We’ve played them once and they beat us, but that was our first game of the year,” said Miller. “We were just getting to know one another. It was the first game for Noelle Diana to start as our goalkeeper. We’ve come a long way since then. We’re just an entirely different team. There’s irony in the fact that they pushed us. Their game pushed us to get going. After we got back from that trip, this group just changed their focus. In some ways, you could say that that game inspired us.”

Since their first two losses of the season, the Blue Hens have captured 14 of their last 17 games. Their previous two victories came in the CAA playoffs after ousting James Madison, 2-1, in the first round before shutting out Drexel, 1-0, in the championship bout.

Delaware is led by captain Casey Howard who has pieced together a sensational senior season. She currently ranks seventh in the nation with a 1.16 goals-per-game average, while she stands ninth with a 2.68 points-per-game mark. Entering the NCAA Tournament, she has already surpassed the school’s single-season record for goals (22) and points (51).

Howard’s offensive exploits are aided by an outstanding defensive unit. Junior backs Michelle Drummonds and Missy Woodie both earned first-team All-Conference honors for their defensive prowess. Noelle Diana also led the CAA with four shutouts, including the one against Drexel in the title game.

The Spartans have been led by seniors Floor Rijpma and Jeamie Deacon. Rijpma was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year after recording a team-high 44 points on 20 goals and four assists in the regular season. Deacon also earned first-team All-Big 10 honors after recording 26 points on 10 goals and six assists.

Delaware was one of two CAA teams to make the Tournament. Drexel also earned an at-large spot and will face UConn at Maryland on Saturday.

Tickets for the NCAA games at Virginia are available at the gate for $5 for adults and $3 for students and youth. Parking will be available for $5 in the Cage Lot adjacent to the Turf Field.