Men’s Lacrosse Off to Best Start in Program History

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Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

Men’s Lacrosse Off to Best Start in Program History

Kevin Gamgort

 With March Madness around the corner, the majority of Villanova faithful are putting their attention towards basketball. However, there’s another team on campus that’s building momentum, in a season just getting started. 

The Villanova Men’s Lacrosse team is off to a 5-0 start, the best in program history. Their campaign got off to a quick start with a matchup against No. 12 Penn State. Entering the game, the ‘Cats were unranked and it was unknown how they would fair against such a highly accomplished opponent. After being down five heading into the fourth, Villanova forced OT and defeated the Nittany Lions, 17-16.  

Following this matchup, Villanova knew that they needed another strong performance to validate their first win. In the second game of the season, the ‘Cats faced off against No. 5 Yale, a top tier program in lacrosse. In similar fashion to their first game, the Wildcats won in overtime, 10-9.

After beating two top ranked teams in the country to start the season, the ‘Cats have shown no signs of slowing down. Wins against Hofsta, Drexel and Delaware ensued to place them at the 5-0 record they possess today. Villanova is now ranked No. 4 in the country, which is their best ranking in program history.

Throughout these past few weeks, the ‘Cats have been led by standout senior Christian Cuccinello, who leads Villanova with 19 goals through five games. After his last effort against Delaware, in which he set a league high for goals in a contest with seven, Cuccinello was named Big East Attack Player of the Week.

Villanova has been on fire so far this season and looks forward to building upon this strong start. The team’s continuity and strong senior leadership could prove beneficial in the long haul, especially in the development of their younger players.

The ‘Cats are back in action this Tuesday at 4 pm, as they host Brown at Villanova Stadium.