The Delaware Blue Hens men’s lacrosse 2026 season is officially over. The team will not head to Virginia to compete in the Atlantic 10 (A-10) Conference tournament, and will end the year 5-8 overall. 

Despite the tough aches of the season, the team has learned more from each other than from its losses. The men’s lacrosse team embarked on a new chapter in its program’s history, leaving the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) and heading to the A-10 Conference. The team marked the end of its 23 seasons in the conference, finishing with two regular-season titles, as well as five CAA conference tournament titles.

This was one of the most anticipated and competitive seasons in program history. The Blue Hens faced off against many of the top 25 teams in either offense, defense, or both. 

Delaware had started its 2026 season against Utah on the road in Wilmington due to weather complications in the Newark area. It proved to be a testament to a season of new challenges with unexpected twists and turns.

The team picked up its first win of the season on the road against the St. John’s Red Storm in a close 12-11 victory, but then lost its next five games. It struggled to secure a win at home until finally breaking the streak with a 9-4 victory over Binghamton University. 

Head coach Ben DeLuca, in his eighth season with the Blue Hens, said he is proud of how far his team has come this year. 

“Adversity reveals character, for sure,” DeLuca said. “We hit a lot of adversity, a lot of challenges throughout the year, most of which were unexpected, and that’s kind of the way it happens.”

The home win against Binghamton marked the beginning of the run that Delaware had desperately been looking for, as they went on to earn their first conference win of the season with a 12–6 victory over Hobart and William Smith College.

The third straight win during this streak, against the University of Massachusetts Minutemen, was the first victory for Delaware in Amherst since 2015. The confidence that Delaware had gained continued into the fourth straight win against St. Bonaventure University, with a 19-16 victory on senior day. The team would end its season with a 3-3 record in conference play.

Delaware was able to rally towards the end of the season, winning four straight games before heading into the last game of the season against a fierce opponent, Saint Joseph’s University (SJU). Delaware knows the Hawks all too well, having won 17 of the last 22 games against them. 

Unfortunately, the Blue Hens’ efforts came up short in the last game of the season, losing to SJU 15-5. The game was a win-and-in situation for Delaware, as they would have clinched a spot in the A-10 Conference tournament.

Jason Kolar, a graduate student midfielder in his second season as one of the team’s captains, understands his role and the impact he has on his teammates.

“You’re always looking out for other guys, and making sure they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing, and they’re being held to the same standard that you’re holding yourself to,” Kolar said.

The team understands the importance of sticking together through the hardships, injuries and losses. Players have all been able to hold the standard of community and professionalism both on and off the field.

“If I didn’t show up in practice one day and it looked like I started to quit, like I started to give up, then everyone else is gonna feel that way,” Kolar said. “So, it begins with us.”

The culture and community that Deluca, his staff, Kolar and the rest of the team have built is the key to the team’s success heading into their 2027 campaign. The Delaware program has turned hardships into valuable motivational lessons. 

With the highly anticipated 2027 season ahead, DeLuca expects his team to carry the momentum from this season and use it as fuel to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2023.