The University of Delaware men’s lacrosse team will play nine home games, including a matchup with 2016 NCAA tournament quarterfinalist Navy, in 2017.

The schedule was announced this week by UD head coach Bob Shillinglaw.

The Blue Hens, who finished 5-10 overall and 2-3 in Colonial Athletic Association play last year, kick off the campaign on Saturday, Feb. 4, with a home game against Bucknell.

Following the first road game of the year at Mount St. Mary’s a week later, UD returns home to host the Midshipmen on Feb. 18. Navy upset fourth-seeded Yale in the first round of last year’s NCAA tournament, and fell one goal short of a Final Four berth after falling to Brown, 11-10, in the quarterfinals.

The Blue Hens then welcome Monmouth to Delaware Stadium on Feb. 25, before playing road games at VMI on Feb. 28 and Villanova on March 4.

The rest of the month features a four-game homestand as UD will host Manhattan on March 7, Binghamton on March 11, Saint Joseph’s on March 18, and Rutgers on March 25.]

UD then opens its conference slate on Saturday, April 1, with a contest at Massachusetts, prior to playing its final two home games against league rivals Hofstra (April 8) and Towson (April 15).

Following a road game at Drexel on April 22, the regular season concludes with a CAA contest at Fairfield on April 28.

The four-team conference tournament will be held on May 4-6 on the campus of the regular season champion.

For the second time in four years the NCAA tournament quarterfinals return to Delaware Stadium, featuring a doubleheader on Sunday, May 21. Following the first round on May 13-14, four of the remaining eight teams will battle at Delaware Stadium with a pair of Final Four berths on the line.