On Saturday March 28, Villanova men’s lacrosse will open Big East Conference play, taking on St. John’s in Queens, NY.
During the team’s last meeting, Villanova defeated the Red Storm, 10-7. Looking to bounce back from a three-game loss streak, a win against St. John’s is critical in getting off to a strong Big East start.
Following the matchup against St. Johns, the Wildcats will take on five teams that comprise the conference over the course of the next four weeks. The teams include St. Johns, Denver, Providence, Georgetown and Marquette.
Last year, the ‘Cats went 4-1 in conference play. Heading into the Big East Tournament last May, the team entered the competition as the No. 2 seed. Villanova ultimately advanced to the championship game, where they fell,16-8, to No. 1 seed Georgetown.
Senior captain Colin Miecher reflected on takeaways from the Georgetown game last Spring.
“We’ve consistently gotten to this point where we can play in the championship game, but we haven’t got over that hump,” Miecher said. “We really have to dig deeper into ourselves and see what we have to do to get over that hump.”
Senior captain Luke Raymond added to the reflection.
“That game, especially all the championship games, have been very special because we’ve had some ups and downs,” Raymond said. “We’ve had some tough losses and some close ones too,” “Trying to stay even keeled through the ups and downs is something that we’re really prioritizing, so we can not get too high and not get too low and just finish out those games.”
So far, the Wildcats have collected a 3-5 record during the non-conference 2026 season. Although the ‘Cats are 0-3 at home, the team has succeeded on the road with a 3-2 record.
The remaining Big East teams enter conference play with the following records; St. John’s: (2-7); Denver: (4-4); Providence: (4-6); Georgetown: (3-4); Marquette: (4-4).
In his second year as captain and first year in a new positional role, graduate attackman Luke Raymond leads the ‘Cats offense with 18 goals and three assists.
“This is my first year playing attack, so it’s a new experience for me, and I’m learning a lot, as well as with the other guys,” Raymond said. “It’s an honor [to serve as captain]. It’s fun to lead by example. I’m not the biggest rah rah and yell at guys, so I like to do the right thing when no one’s watching.”
Senior attackman Colin Michener joins Raymond as one of four captains for the 2026 season. Michener follows Raymond in points with 11 goals and three assists.
“We played a lot of tough opponents,” Michener said about the non-conference season. “I think we’ve kind of learned who we are, and we’ve been harping peaking in May during conference play.”
Senior captain Jack Shoemaker is a strong presence for Villanova, serving as one of the pillars of the Wildcat defense.
“What I love about defense is that it’s not really a one person position,” Shoemaker said. “It kind of takes all six guys down low working together, making plays and having each other’s back.”
Sophomore goalie Denis Fargione is one of three in front of the net.
This season Fargione has saved 63 of 273 total shots faced, averaging a save percentage of 0.453.
“There’s a bunch of ups and downs to the position,” Fargione said. “Just having everyone look around you to rally with you and keep pushing you through week in and week out definitely helps.”
The Wildcat’s Big East Conference season will officially commence this Saturday, March 28, at 1:00 p.m. Streaming will be available on ESPN+ as the ‘Cats take on St. John’s.
