NEWARK, Del.– The University of Delaware men’s soccer team looks to bounce back from a 3-13-2 showing last season as it begins the 2008 season Friday night versus Rutgers University at 7 p.m. at Yurcak Field.

Head Coach Ian Hennessy enters his third year at UD with a young but experienced group. The sophomore class comprises nearly half the squad; however, they have all played against the likes of seven NCAA Tournament schools, including two Atlantic Coast Conference schools (Duke and North Carolina State).

Last year, the Blue Hens were shut out 3-0 by the Scarlet Knights, and did not fare much better against Duke or North Carolina State, but Hennessy insists these games were good learning experiences.

“Despite our record last year, I saw some very strong growth from many of the younger players, and I believe that this year, their experience will continue to add to our program moving forward in a positive direction,” Hennessy said.

The direction the team is taking might not be clear right at the start of the season though, according to Hennessy.

“The first portion of the season is always an interesting time, because most teams in the country are still trying to find their feet and figure out which players, system, etc. works best for them,” Hennessy said. “If we can manage to get some positive results in this part of the year, then it sets us up quite nicely for our conference games.”

The Blue Hens will try to find their feet against a Big East team that went 7-12 in 2007 and has gone 1-1 in the pre-season. The Scarlet Knights fell 2-1 to Long Island and then beat Hartwick 2-1.

Meanwhile, the Blue Hens have been game-tested as well, having scrimmaged College Soccer News Top-30 team, Loyola. Delaware allowed just one early goal before shutting down the Greyhounds en-route to 1-0 loss.

The Hens’ inability to score that night was reminiscent of last year when the team managed just nine goals all season. Still, it is an area the team has worked on, and Hennessy expects to have increased production from captain Paul Danaher (at right), junior Darren Christie, sophomore Ben Rodkey and sophomore transfer Abdul Alhassan-Chibsah.

Delaware opens the season with seven straight non-conference games before it begins the Colonial Athletic Association schedule with Old Dominion on Sept. 26. The CAA typically sends two to four teams to the NCAA Tournament each year, but Hennessy said this year’s team should compete within the league.

“There’s a very strong spirit in the group and a sense this year and next we will see the emergence of the University of Delaware [men’s soccer] program into the upper ranks of the CAA,” Hennessy said.