The Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens women’s lacrosse season was a strong start to the foreseeable future, opening its first season in the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) as the top seed, going undefeated against the division.

The Blue Hens took home a haul of awards, including Morgan Gore as the Midfielder of the Year and Kennedy Radziul as the Defensive Player of the Year. Along with those awards, head coach Amy Altig was named the unanimous Coach of the Year along with the unanimously named Offensive Player of the Year, senior Ella Rishko. 

Altig reflected on the regular season and the proudest moment of the year before the championship series.

“I think for us it is probably overcoming the start that we had at 1-4 and really establishing ourselves as a program who’s just persistent and relentless in our pursuit of excellence and what excellence is for us,” Altig said.

She went on to mention that the team could have given up when it had a losing record, but through persistence and drive, it found solutions that led to success. Despite that, Altig acknowledged that there is much more work to be done.

Rishko spoke of her role as a leader going into the championship.

“There’s definitely a lot of nerves, but like many people say, nerves are the same as excitement,” Rishko said. “We’re turning all of our anxiousness into excitement and hard work, using all that energy that may rattle a lot of people and working on helping our younger girls change their perspectives on the big stage. We use that energy to fuel them through all of the difficulties of being on an 11-game win streak.”

However, after a stellar season, their efforts in pursuit of the trophy they worked for all year fell short after being defeated 16-11 by the second-seeded Jacksonville University Dolphins in the ASUN Women’s Lacrosse Championship Final. A heartbreaking loss after a 12-game winning streak to close out the regular season.

Altig opened up about the first year in the ASUN, and the difficult adjustments that had to be made against a new set of opponents.

“This group’s mentality has really been all year long about adjusting, and sudden change is the one constant that we faced,” Altig said. 

She explained that the team had to adjust to the different playing styles and weather conditions that came with facing new opponents, but they rose to the occasion and lived in the space of change very well.

Despite the hopes of winning the championship, Altig looks to the future with a positive and hungry mentality for the new class ahead.

“In the past, it was really different,” Altig said. “We were the ones who were on the hunt, fighting for a fourth seed just to get into the conference tournament. Now, we are the hunted.

“I think there’s an intensity to this group that this senior class has instituted this year where we don’t just sit back. I give this senior class and these leaders a ton of credit for their leadership styles and how they’ve all come together.”

With Rishko’s departure this year, she reflects on her highlight moments at the university after originally transferring from Virginia Tech.

“Being able to work with all the girls who work on the draw circle these past two years has been so much fun,” Rishko said. “We put in so much work that no one else sees. We’re out at practice every day but we have to do individuals, film, all the extra work and it’s been translating this year into our game.

“I think you can really see that and I’m so lucky to have a draw team and staff that puts a strong emphasis on that aspect of the game.”

Many players are set to graduate following this season, leaving Altig and the coaching staff behind to recruit the future of the university’s team.

“We have an incoming class,” Altig said. “But will they fill every shoe right away? I don’t know.”

The jury’s still out on the incoming recruits — but there are certainly shoes to fill. 

The transfer portal will remain an option, but the team intentionally built its young core with the understanding that players such as Morgan Gore, Jaclyn Marszal, McKenzie Didio and Ella Rishko would eventually graduate.

The Blue Hens may be losing core pieces in the upcoming year, but they look to defend their top seed and championship mindset going into the 2026-2027 season.