Box Score

INDIANAPOLIS - In the final game of the 2017 regular season, the Villanova Wildcats dominated play on both sides of the field in a 22-5 victory over new BIG EAST opponent Butler at Varsity Field on Saturday.

In her last game as a Wildcat, senior Catherine Bendinelli found the back of the net a career-high four times, while freshmen Katie Comerford, Carlin Isaacson, Maggie Jennings, Liz Trojan, and sophomore Christine Graziano all netted hat tricks in the win over the Bulldogs.

Comerford added three assists for a total of six points. Jennings added two assists on the day for a game high five-point performance. Senior Dana Bouwman, Grainger Rosati, and Devon Brown each added a score on the day.

Villanova outshot Butler 36-12, earned 18 of 31 groundballs, held the draw control advantage 16-11, and nearly went perfect on clear attempts (13-14).

The Wildcats never trailed in the contest, as Trojan opened scoring with a goal at 28:42 mark. Butler answered just a shy over a minute later, but Comerford fired a shot past the Bulldog goalkeeper as Villanova took the lead with 27:37 left.

Less than 30 seconds later, Butler tied the game at 2-2, but the Wildcats ensued on an impressive 19-0 run late into the second half to put the game out of reach.

Butler added three goals in the final seven minutes of the second half to make the score 21-5. With just 33 seconds left in her collegiate lacrosse career, senior defender Dana Bouwman tallied her second career goal on a pass from Devon Brown as Villanova earned the 22-5 win over Butler.

Bendinelli, Bouwman, Carolyn Dottino, Cassidy Luidens, and Sam Scarfogliero all played in their final game donning a Villanova uniform. Scarfogliero finished her career with a program record 69 total caused turnovers, 27 more than the previous record holder.

Junior goalkeeper Julia Michaels earned her fourth win of the season, making three saves in the first half. She finished the season with 111 saves, and enters her senior year in 2018 with the fifth-most saves in program history with 249.

Comerford finished her stellar freshman campaign with 56 points (40g, 16a), tied with Erica Rybinski for the eighth most points in a single season in Villanova women's lacrosse history.

The Wildcats' 22 goals are the most in a single game in the Julie Young era, and the most since April 25, 2009 when Villanova defeated Bryant 23-16. Five goals allowed by Villanova is the fewest since Wildcats only allowed five against Cincinnati last season. The 17-goal differential is the largest margin of victory for Villanova in 20 seasons, when the Wildcats defeated Duquesne 23-2 on March 12, 1997.

Villanova finishes the 2017 season with a 4-12, (2-7 BIG EAST) record, while Butler ends its inaugural season as a varsity sponsored team with a 1-16 (0-9 BIG EAST) record.