Growing up five minutes away from women’s lacrosse powerhouse Boston College, junior midfielder Emma Verhoest realized she could have a bright future in the sport, no matter what jersey she dawned.

  Last week, Verhoest was named the Big East Midfielder of the Week for the second time in her Wildcat career after making significant contributions to spring break victories over Siena College and the University of Vermont. During the two games, Verhoest totaled 28 draw controls, setting the program record for the most draw controls earned by a Wildcat in a single game with 19 against UVM on March 6.

  “I’ve grown a lot in terms of my lacrosse IQ and just like doing all the film sessions,” Verhoest said reflecting on her growth as a collegiate player. “I think there was a time that if things weren’t going well, myself and then the other girls in my year included would have a different reaction than we would now.”

As soon as she walked through Villanova’s campus with her father Patrick, the Massachusetts native realized her number one choice. Per NCAA rules, lacrosse athletes are not allowed to commit to a college until their junior year. Once September 2021 hit, Verhoest signed all the paperwork to be a part of Nova Nation. Thus, her Wildcat journey began.

  Born and raised in Newton, MA, Verhoest started playing lacrosse in the second grade. Recognizing her skillset and adoration for the sport, Verhoest’s parents signed her up for Revolution Lacrosse, a distinguished all-girls club in Boston.

  Verhoest attended Dexter Southfield High School and played on the varsity lacrosse team all four years. With the lacrosse season taking place during a portion of the winter and the entirety of the spring, Verhoest looked for a way to stay in shape during the fall.

  Verhoest extended her athletic ability to the fall, picking up field hockey. What began as a slight interest transformed into her playing four seasons of high school field hockey during lacrosse’s offseason.

When Verhoest does anything, she likes to give it her all. Her interest in field hockey didn’t stop as a mere off-season filler. Naturally, Verhoest signed up for a club field hockey team, making her part of two high school teams and two club teams during her four years of high school.

With middle school experience in ice hockey, Verhoest would have taken on a third sport, were it not for the limits in her schedule with her other two sports.

  While at Revolution Lacrosse, which Verhoest affectionately nicknamed “Rev,” the Villanova junior learned how to carry independence and confidence in her daily life.

  “I think that was  a very transformational part of my childhood, not just as a lacrosse player, but as a person,” Verhoest said. We were emailing [the coaches]  by ourselves in second grade if we couldn’t go to practice, and they were very helpful throughout my growth process as a lacrosse player too.”

  At Rev, Verhoest played under the mentorship of her longtime coach Meg Reddy. What Verhoest did not realize when she began playing for Reddy and “Rev” was that her coach’s close friendship with current Villanova head coach Jill Batcheller would become an integral part of her lacrosse career. 

Verhoest’s club team got her recognized, even if it meant spending every weekend in a different state.

Most competitions were held on the East Coast. Verhoest spent the majority of her time in Maryland, New York, and even Philadelphia. The summer after her sophomore year at Dexter Southfield, Verhoest was encapsulated by the beauty of Villanova’s campus and personal connections to its lacrosse program.

“She is somebody that works incredibly hard on her craft, a lot of extra work and has constantly been getting better,” Batcheller said. “I think the biggest improvement that I’ve seen in her is her confidence and her ability to troubleshoot in games…to be able to make adjustments based on what the other team is doing while still remaining really true to herself and her draws.”

Now in the middle of her third season with the Wildcats, Verhoest reflected on Villanova’s impact on her development. She never pictured being anywhere else and owes a great deal of gratitude to Reddy and Batcheller.