St. John’s men’s lacrosse team will begin its conference schedule by hosting Villanova in the BIG EAST opener at Cox Family Field at Belson Stadium, with face-off scheduled for 1 p.m. on March 27.
The start of conference play comes after St. John’s recent loss to Brown, where the Red Storm fell 13-8 despite a strong fourth-quarter rally led by Chase Huggard, who scored five goals. Goalkeeper Matt Nelson made 14 saves in the game, marking his eighth double-digit save performance this season.
The Red Storm have shown strength defensively this year and are currently tied for ninth nationally in man-down defense, holding opponents to a .778 conversion rate and allowing only six goals on 27 extra-man opportunities so far this season. Nelson has been key to that effort, recording a total of 111 saves on 392 shots faced and maintaining a goals-against average of 12.81.
Villanova enters the matchup with a record of three wins and five losses after dropping its last three games but began the season with an away win over then-No.7 Penn State. The Wildcats feature three preseason All-BIG EAST selections including attackman Colin Michener, who has recorded eleven goals and three assists this year; defender Jake Melchionni, who is both an All-America Honorable Mention and Co-BIG EAST Specialist of the Year; and Jack Shoemaker, another returning first-team honoree.
The history between St. John’s and Villanova dates back to 1985, with Villanova leading the all-time series twenty wins to seven. St. John’s last defeated Villanova in overtime in 2014 by a score of eleven to ten.
After Saturday’s game against Villanova, St. John’s will continue conference play against Marquette on April fourth at Cox Family Field.
