2023 Men's Top 30: How Delaware Fared vs. Projections

Before USA Lacrosse Magazine looks ahead to what’s to come in 2024, our team of staff and contributors decided it was worth taking one last look at 2023.

After all, you have to look at the most recent results before making projections for what’s to come. To do that, we’re taking a journey through the top 30 teams in men’s and women’s lacrosse — what went right, what went wrong and what we should all think of that team’s season.

Was it a success? A failure? A mixture of both? You’ll find out our thoughts over the next month or so.

DELAWARE MEN’S LACROSSE

Nike/USA Lacrosse Preseason/Final Top 20 Ranking: 14/15
2023 record: 13-5 (6-1 CAA)

WHAT WENT RIGHT

Owen Grant was one of the country’s top defensemen. Tye Kurtz (58 G, 30 A) and JP Ward (42 G, 43 A) finished second and third, respectively, nationally in points and were one of two sets of teammates in Division I to both deliver 80 points (Virginia’s Connor Shellenberger and Xander Dickson was the other pair). The Blue Hens plowed through the CAA for the second year in a row (a loss to Towson in late April notwithstanding) and tied for the second-most goals ever scored in an NCAA tournament game when they drubbed Marist 25-10 in the opening round.

WHAT WENT WRONG

Delaware didn’t pick off a prominent team in non-conference play, losing by a goal to Villanova and by two at Johns Hopkins. That effectively put the Blue Hens in AQ-or-bust territory by mid-March and didn’t help with NCAA tournament seeding once the postseason arrived. After a stellar first half in the first round at Duke, the Blue Hens faded while playing their fourth game in 11 days and fell 12-11 to an eventual national finalist.

SEASON HIGHLIGHT

As a team, winning the CAA tournament to lock up a second consecutive postseason trip. On an individual basis, Kurtz breaking the program’s career records for goals and assists April 8 against Fairfield warrants a nod.

VERDICT

Even though it didn’t wind up with a tournament upset like 2022’s first-round stunner at Georgetown, this Delaware team was arguably better — more consistent from start to finish, more efficient on offense, more capable of bottling up opponents. That bodes well for the trajectory of a program built on a slick, selfless offense and rugged defense, which is hardly a surprise given coach Ben DeLuca’s extensive Cornell roots.