After a record-breaking season, Villanova now chases down the Big East title in women’s lacrosse

After a record-breaking women’s lacrosse season for Villanova, the Wildcats will have the chance to play for a championship — on their home turf.

Villanova (10-6, 4-2 Big East) will compete in the conference semifinals against the University of Connecticut (11-5, 4-2) on Thursday at Villanova Stadium (4 p.m., FloSports).

With a win, the Wildcats would face the winner between fourth-seeded Georgetown and top-seeded Denver for the Big East crown on Saturday (6 p.m., FS2).

Villanova earned the conference’s No. 2 seed for the first time. Coincidentally, it’s Villanova’s turn to host the Big East championship, a first under head coach Jill Batcheller.

“This year’s team reset the standard,” Batcheller said. “Earning second [in the Big East] is another huge accomplishment. It really shows the growth in our team and the potential that this team has.”

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Villanova’s previous meeting with UConn was memorable. The Wildcats opened the Big East schedule with an 11-7 upset of the then-No. 25 Huskies, their first win over the conference rival since 2021.

“It was just such an awesome game and a great feeling starting the Big East with such a big win,” senior attacker and leading scorer Sydney Pappas said. “It gave us so much confidence going into the rest of the Big East.”

The Wildcats anticipate another battle, this time under playoff pressure.

While Batcheller says the team has developed more options for its defensive formation throughout the season, keeping the Huskies away from the net will be a challenge.

Offensive momentum from the first whistle will be key for the Wildcats.

“Every game is hard against [UConn], and they are a really gritty team,” said Sami Carey, a senior attack. “When the ball is on the ground, for the last three years, it’s usually been UConn all around it. This year, we refused to lose to them, and that showed on the field. We’re ready to finally take advantage of knowing how good we are.”

Villanova’s experienced roster, featuring 12 seniors, will be a valuable asset heading into the playoffs.

It will be the final Big East tournament game for Pappas and Carey, the team’s duo of offensive leaders. Pappas holds the program record in career goals with 174, including 41 this season, and Carey is the school’s career assists record-holder with 114 (47 this season).

“Our seniors have been such a driving force in our team this year,” Batcheller said. “They’ve impacted the team both on and off the field, created so much energy, and changed the culture. We’re really relying on them this weekend to set the tone.”

The home-game atmosphere will be an advantage as the Wildcats fight for a trip to the championship game, according to Batcheller. She already expects a large showing from alumni and fans heading to the game at Villanova Stadium on Thursday.

“The last time we played UConn, we had our alumni game and a huge crowd, and it was so special to have so many people cheering us on,” Batcheller said. “It really felt like the community was behind that win. That’s going to be really important for us again in this next game, so we would love to have a lot of support from our Philly lacrosse community.”

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