Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

NEWARK, Del. -- The first regular season meeting with perennial national power Johns Hopkins since 1983, a second straight trip to the Big City Classic at Giants Stadium, and matchups with new Colonial Athletic Association foes Penn State and Massachusetts highlight a challenging 2010 schedule announced by the University of Delaware men’s lacrosse team Wednesday.

The 15-game schedule includes 10 opponents who posted winning records a year ago, including five squads that advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2009. Delaware will host seven games at Rullo Stadium this spring beginning with a Feb. 13 meeting with first-time opponent Presbyterian College.

The Blue Hens annually face one of the nation’s toughest schedules and this spring will be no different as the slate includes games vs. 2009 NCAA Tournament participants Johns Hopkins (10-5), UMBC (12-4), Massachusetts (9-6), Villanova (11-6), and Hofstra (11-3) as well as against CAA runner-up Towson (7-10) and America East runner-up Stony Brook (9-6). Other opponents Albany (8-6), Georgetown (7-7), Penn State (7-5), and Drexel (8-7) also posted .500 or better records a year ago.

The CAA will feature one fewer team this season with the loss of Villanova, Robert Morris, and Sacred Heart to other conferences. However, the CAA has added perennial NCAA contenders Massachusetts and Penn State to the league to strengthen what was already one of the top NCAA Division I conferences. Delaware will host Massachusetts Apr. 17 and Drexel Apr. 24 while traveling to Towson Apr. 3 and Penn State May 1. The Hens will meet league foe Hofstra for the second straight year at the Big City Classic Apr. 10 at Giants Stadium in Rutherford, N.J. The four-team CAA Tournament will be held May 5-7 at the site of the regular season champion.

The non-league schedule is highlighted by a rare regular season meeting at Johns Hopkins Feb. 23 in Baltimore. The Blue Jays advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals a year ago and captured the national title in 2007. The Hens have met Johns Hopkins twice in the post-season, falling in the NCAA Tournament in both 1984 and 2007. The teams met during the regular season four times in 1980-83.

Other non-league action includes home games vs. Albany on March 6, Stony Brook on March 12, Villanova on March 20, and Vermont on March 27. Other non-league road games will put the Hens vs. Saint Joseph’s on Feb. 6, at UMBC Feb. 20, at Hartford on Feb. 27, and at Georgetown on March 24.

Delaware, led by 31st year head coach Bob Shillinglaw, will be looking to bounce back from last year’s tough 5-10 season that saw the Hens drop seven games by three goals or less. The Hens will welcome the return of leading scorer and All-American attackman Curtis Dickson as well as All-CAA selections Martin Cahill, Pat Dowling, Tommy Lee, and Kevin Kaminski.

AGATE:

2010 University of Delaware Men’s Lacrosse Schedule:

October 17, Delaware Fall Scrimmage (Delaware, Princeton, Loyola, Bucknell), 12 noon.

January 30, vs. Colgate (Scrimmage), 1 p.m.

February 6, at Saint Joseph’s, 1 p.m.; 13, vs. Presbyterian, 1 p.m.; 20, at UMBC, 1 p.m.; 23, at Johns Hopkins, tba; 27, at Hartford, 1 p.m.

March 6, vs. Albany, 12 noon; 12, vs. Stony Brook, 3 p.m.; 20, vs. Villanova, 1 p.m.; 24, at Georgetown, 7 p.m.; 27, vs. Vermont, 1 p.m.

April 3, at *Towson, tba; 10 vs. *Hofstra (Big City Classic Tripleheader at Giants Stadium), tba; 17, vs. *Massachusetts, 1 p.m.; 24, vs. *Drexel, 1 p.m.

May 1, at *Penn State, tba; 5, CAA Semifinals at Higher Seed; 7, CAA Championship at Higher Seed

*=Colonial Athletic Association Opponents