Photo by Mark Campbell

RICHMOND, Va. -- The University of Delaware placed a league high four players on the all-conference team and were picked to finish third in the league standings in Colonial Athletic Association Pre-Season Men's Lacrosse Coaches Poll announced Wednesday.

Along with the No. 3 ranking, Delaware placed senior attackman Curtis Dickson (at right), senior midfielder Martin Cahill, senior faceoff specialist Tommy Lee, and junior defenseman Pat Dowling on the pre-season 13-player all-conference squad.

The new look six-team CAA will feature two new teams this spring with the addition of the perennial powerful University of Massachusetts and Penn State University and the departure of defending champion Villanova, Sacred Heart, and Robert Morris to other leagues.

Hofstra, which won the regular season title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament a year ago, was the pre-season pick to capture the league title as the Pride received five first place votes and 25 points overall. Massachusetts, which went 9-6 a year ago as members of the ECAC and advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament, picked up one first place vote and 21 points overall and was ranked second.

Delaware was third with 17 points followed by Towson, Penn State, and Drexel. The Blue Hens will be looking to rebound from last year’s 5-10 mark and will be looking to capture their first league crown since 2007 when Delaware advanced all the way to the NCAA Final Four.

Lee, a senior from Victor, N.Y. (Hand HS), earned second team All-CAA honors a year ago when he led the CAA and ranked third in the nation in faceoff pct. with a success rate of 59.8 percent. He also ranked No. 12 in the nation in groundballs with 6.0 per game.

Dickson, a senior from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia (Riverside HS), is a two-time first team All-CAA pick and 2008 All-American who returns as one of the top offensive forces in the nation. A candidate for the Tewaaraton Trophy as the top player in college lacrosse, Dickson tallied 45 points a year ago when he scored 33 goals and dished out 12 assists. He led the CAA and ranked No. 23 in the nation in goals per game last season and enters the 2010 season having scored a goal in a UD record 30 straight games.

Cahill, a senior midfielder from Malden, Mass. (The Governor’s Academy), is a two-time All-CAA selection who anchors the Blue Hen midfield unit. He was Delaware’s second leading scorer a year ago with 20 goals and four assists and owns 58 career goals.

Dowling, a junior defender from Fairfield, Conn. (Fairfield Ludlowe HS), earned first team All-CAA honors a year ago when he set a school record for caused turnovers in a season (22) and career (40). He also recorded 29 groundballs for the Blue Hens.

In addition to the four Blue Hen players named to the team, also selected were midfielder Bob Hayes, longstick midfielder Casey Rahn, and defenseman Diogo Godoi of Massachusetts, attackman Jay Card and defenseman Christian Scuderi of Hofstra, attackman Colin Ambler and goalkeeper Mark Manos of Drexel, midfielder Will Harrington of Towson, and midfielder Chris Hogan of Penn State.

Delaware will open the season Feb. 6 at the Saint Joseph’s University at 1 p.m. and will embark on a seven-game home schedule that includes six contests on the new FieldTurf surface at Delaware Stadium. The home opener is set for Feb. 13 vs. Presbyterian.

AGATE:

2010 Colonial Athletic Association Pre-Season Coaches Poll: 1. Hofstra, 25 points (5 first place votes); 2. Massachusetts, 21 (1); 3. Delaware, 17; 4. Towson, 12; 5. Penn State, 9; 6. Drexel, 6.

2010 CAA Pre-Season Coaches All-Conference Team: Attack - Colin Ambler (Drexel), Jay Card (Hofstra), Curtis Dickson (Delaware); Midfield - Martin Cahill (Delaware), Will Harrington (Towson), Bob Hayes (UMass); Chris Hogan (Penn State); Longstick Midfield - Casey Rahn (UMass); Faceoff - Tommy Lee (Delaware); Defense - Pat Dowling (Delaware), Diogo Godoi (UMass), Christian Scuderi (Hofstra); Goalkeeper - Mark Manos (Drexel); Pre-Season Player of the Year: Jay Card (Hofstra)