Utes Set to Open 2026 Season at Delaware

Saturday, January 31

Newark, Del.

10:00 AM

University of Utah

Delaware

1/29/2026 9:30 AM | Lacrosse

Game Notes (PDF)

Lacrosse faces the Blue Hens at 10 a.m. MT Saturday

SALT LAKE CITY – The University of Utah lacrosse team is set to open the 2026 season this weekend, traveling cross-country to face the Delaware Blue Hens on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 10 a.m. MT inside Delaware Stadium.

Opponent: Delaware (0-0, 0-0 A-10)
Location: Delaware Stadium | Newark, Del.
Date: Saturday, Jan. 31
Time: 12 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. MT
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast

UTAH LACROSSE: NEED TO KNOWS
Utah is entering its eighth year as a Division I program, holding a 52-42 overall record.

Head coach Andrew McMinn is in his fifth season with the Utes and is the all-time wins leader at Utah with a record of 40-23.
The Utes are in their fifth season in the ASUN conference, coming off four consecutive ASUN regular season titles (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) and two ASUN Championships in the last three seasons (2023, 2024).
Senior Nikko DiPonio was named the 2025 ASUN Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-America Honorable Mention status by USA Lacrosse, USILA and Inside Lacrosse. He was named a USA Lacrosse Preseason All-America Honorable Mention in 2026.
DiPonio was unanimously selected as the Preseason ASUN Defensive Player of the Year while Ryan Stines was unanimously voted the league's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year last week. The two were joined by Cade Faulkner and Tyler Kloeckl, the Preseason Specialist of the Year, on the Preseason All-ASUN Team.
Utah earned the top spot in the preseason ASUN Coaches Poll, the fifth straight year that Utah has been voted at least tied for No. 1 preseason ranking in the league.
Per LacrosseReference, Utah returns 98% of its production in goal, 96% from the stripe, 81% on defense and 78% on offense.
Under Coach McMinn, Utah has set more than 70 program records.
Utah received in the KANE Division I Preseason Media Poll.

OH CAPTAINS, MY CAPTAINS
Utah will be led by a trio of seniors in 2026 - Ryan Stines, Nikko DiPonio and Will Overly.

Stines, the 2024 ASUN Player of the Year and 2023 ASUN Freshman of the Year, will look to again pace Utah's offensive attack.
He enters the season ranked third in career points (162) and goals (103) and holds the program records for assists (40) and points (67) in a single season.
Stines has led the Utes in points each of the last two seasons and has started all 49 games during his three seasons at Utah.
DiPonio was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year and was selected as a USILA, Inside Lacrosse and USA Lacrosse All-America honorable mention in 2025, as well as earning All-ASUN First Team honors each of the last two years.
He led the ASUN and ranked 12th nationally with 6.85 ground balls per game, while his 96 total ground balls ranked third in single-season program history.
Overly played in 15 games in the midfield a season ago, tallying 24 points on 14 goals and 10 assists while also recording seven ground balls and a caused turnover - all of which marked career bests.

LAST TIME AGAINST THE HENS
Six different Utes scored in Utah's 2025 home opener against Delaware, dropping a 13-12 contest at Rice-Eccles Stadium in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

Utah held a 7-5 edge at the half, but Delaware scored eight over the last two quarters to win the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
Cade Faulkner logged his first-career hat track, his first of four on the season.
Ryan Stines tallied five assists, his first of three games with five-plus helpers.
Nikko DiPonio led the Utah defense with eight ground balls and three caused turnovers. 15 Utes nabbed a ground ball and six caused at least one turnover.
Utah outshot the Blue Hens, 47-39, but won just 10 faceoffs compared to 17 by the visitors.

SCOUTING DELAWARE
The Blue Hens are embarking on their first season in the Atlantic-10 Conference in 2026.

Head coach Ben DeLuca is in his ninth season at the helm of the Blue Hens, sporting a 72-40 career record.
UD finished 7-6 overall in 2025, going 3-4 in its final season in the CAA.
Delaware received votes in the KANE Division I Preseason Media Poll, ranking two spots behind the Utes.
Five Blue Hens – Brendan Powers, Bennett Parmer, Jason Kolar, John McCurry and Hank D'Ambrogi – scored 25 or more points a season ago, and all five return in 2026.
Powers led Delaware in goals (37) and points (53) and finished second on the team in assists (16) last year en route to a First Team All-CAA selection.
Parmer and Liam Powell both earned CAA All-Rookie Team recognition a season ago.
Two freshmen were ranked in the final 20205 class rankings – Matt Triolo came in at No. 25 and Greyson Dunn checked in at No. 56.

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can follow along on social media (X: @UTAHLacrosse | Instagram: @utahlacrosse), and the official mobile app of Utah Athletics, Utah360 -- download here.