For the better part of four months, many of us watched some exciting college lacrosse, whether it was on TV, online, or in person. There were good games, which included all of Championship Weekend, and there were bad games, such as low scoring affairs and of course, the horrendous winter weather. I take a look back at all 69 Division I teams and how they fared this season and what to look forward to in 2016.
Check out previous recaps: NJIT Highlanders, UMass Lowell River Hawks, VMI Keydets, Manhattan Jaspers, Canisius Golden Griffins, Robert Morris Colonials, St. John’s Red Storm, Wagner Seahawks, Binghamton Bearcats, Bellarmine Knights, Jacksonville Dolphins, Furman Paladins, Lafayette Leopards, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers, Siena Saints, Delaware Blue Hens, UMBC Retrievers, Dartmouth Big Green, Providence Friars, Mercer Bears, Penn State Nittany Lions, Hofstra Pride, Michigan Wolverines, UMass Minutemen, Monmouth Hawks, Vermont Catamounts, Sacred Heart Pioneers, Holy Cross Crusaders, Penn Quakers
COMPARING 2014 AND 2015 IN NUMBERS
| 2014 Record | 6-10 |
| 2014 Conference Record | 3-3 (3rd in Big East) |
| 2014 Scoring Offense | 9.44 Goals Per Game (41st in DI) |
| 2014 Scoring Defense | 10.25 Goals Against Per Game (32nd in DI) |
| 2014 Goals Leader | #6 Kevin O’Neil – Senior (27 Gs) |
| 2014 Assists Leader | #19 Jack Curran – Sophomore (16 As) |
| 2014 Points Leader | #6 Kevin O’Neil – Senior (38 Pts) |
| 2014 Goaltending Leader | #2 Dan Willis – Freshman (.493 SV %) |
| 2014 Face-Off Leader | #45 Thomas Croonquist – Senior (.504 FO %) |
| 2014 Ground Balls Leader | #45 Thomas Croonquist – Senior (84 GBs) |
| 2014 Caused Turnovers Leader | #21 John LoCascio – Senior (36 CTs) |
| 2014 Quality Wins | Drexel (11-10 OT), Penn State (9-7) |
| 2014 Bad Losses | Lehigh (7-6 3OT), Providence (11-10 2OT) |
| 2015 Record | 6-8 |
| 2015 Conference Record | 1-4 (4th in Big East) |
| 2015 Scoring Offense | 9.36 Goals Per Game (45th in DI) |
| 2015 Scoring Defense | 10.36 Goals Against Per Game (37th in DI) |
| 2015 Goals Leader | #6 Danny Seibel – Freshman (27 Gs) |
| 2015 Assists Leader | #29 Sean Cerrone – Freshman (24 As) |
| 2015 Points Leader | #29 Sean Cerrone – Freshman (36 Pts) |
| 2015 Goaltending Leader | #2 Dan Willis – Sophomore (.529 SV %) |
| 2015 Face-Off Leader | #23 Luke Palmadesso – Freshman (.518 FO %) |
| 2015 Ground Balls Leader | #23 Luke Palmadesso – Freshman (51 GBs) |
| 2015 Caused Turnovers Leader | #24 John Moderski – Junior (14 CTs) |
| 2015 Quality Wins | Penn State (11-7), Penn (17-11) |
| 2015 Bad Losses | Maryland (11-2), Providence (6-5) |
YEAR IN REVIEW
The Wildcats got younger in 2015 with no real difference in results from 2014. Villanova also wasn’t that well experienced either, with freshmen leading in their offensive categories. Devin McNamara was not seen for the entire season but the Maryland game in mid-March, where he suffered a season ending injury. The team had a great beginning of the season, only to falter in the second half before losing to Denver in the Big East Semifinals.
The season began in a snowy scene against Johns Hopkins, which was a tight 13-10 loss. The following week, the Cats took care of the Nittany Lions in a battle of felines to start a five game winning streak. That steak consisted of wins from Drexel, Delaware, Penn, and Lehigh, many of them in dominant fashion. But after Lehigh, their season took a complete 180 and lost five straight and their last seven of eight games. After losses to Maryland and Fairfield, Villanova opened Big East play with a 9-8 loss to Marquette, where Blaine Fleming scored the eventual game-winner with 1:58 to play in the game. Followed that were two losses to ranked opponents Denver and Georgetown, before defeating St. John’s 21-11 for their first and lone Big East victory. Although a loss to Providence ended their regular season, the Wildcats qualified for the Big East Tournament thanks to having a better goal differential than St. John’s and Providence. Unfortunately, the Cats had to face top seeded Denver and lost 16-9 to end their season.
With a young offense and a defense that will also be back for another season, Villanova will have a chance to compete for the 3rd or 4th spot in the Big East. But with Denver, Georgetown, and Marquette ranked at some point in 2014, the Wildcats have to be flawless against St. John’s and Providence in order to qualify in 2016.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2016
| NAME | POSITION | HIGH SCHOOL |
| Brendan Black | Attack | Hun School (NJ) |
| Timmy Hardy | Attack | St. Mary’s (MD) |
| Fernando Delgado | Defense | St. Margaret’s (CA) |
| Nick Testa | Goalie | Niskayuna (NY) |
| T.J. Comizio | Midfield | Delbarton (NJ) |
| Kevin Kelly | Defense/LSM | Chaminade (NY) |
| Joey Frocarro | Midfield | Port Washington (NY) |
| Jake Frocarro | Midfield | Port Washington (NY)/Princeton (NJ) |
| Robert LoCascio | LSM | West Essex (NJ) |
| Andrew Gallahue | Attack | St. John’s Prep (MA) |
| Brendan Kenny | Midfield | Delbarton (NJ) |
| Ryan Russell | Midfield | Valor Christian (CO) |
Nova will replace seven departing players with 12 recruits. But none of them are as big as the Frocarro brothers. Joey was supposed to play at Princeton, but since Ivy League schools do not mandate players to sign National Letters of Intent, he could look around at other schools. So when brother Jake got a concussion and redshirted 2015, they both looked a Nova, where they know a lot of the players, and decided to go there. Joey is the 25th best senior according to Ty Xanders and is in the Under Armor All-American Game Friday night. Jake comes from Princeton as a preseason All-American and one of Princeton’s top scoring midfielders. Charlie Horning departs for Fairfield, leaving an open spot at attack, which could be suited for Brendan Black, Timmy Hardy, Andrew Gallahue, or a returning player. The addition of Devin McNamara back in the mix is a huge plus for Nova. I expect to see the Nova that played in the first half of 2015 for the entire 2016 season.
