VILLANOVA, PA. The Villanova Field Hockey team is just days away from starting its 2019 season campaign and its quest for a Big East title. The Wildcats will open its schedule at home against Sacred Heart on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 12 p.m.
 
This season will be head coach Joanie Milhous 25th year with the Wildcats. Her coaching staff includes Karlie Heistand who is in her second year with the team, and newcomer Carrera Lucas who joined the team earlier this year.
 
Lucas brings with her experience from the University of Virginia, where she was one of the Cavaliers' primary goalkeepers during her five years with the team. She also served as the team's captain during her final season in 2018.
 
Milhous will return 20 players this season, after losing five seniors and a graduate student to graduation. She will also have some new fresh faces, with the addition of the five freshmen who joined the squad during the offseason.
 
Forwards
The Wildcats will depend on its three experienced senior forwards to help carry the team this season: Lydia Sydnor, Megan Vermeil and Abby Siana.
 
Syndor has appeared in every game for the Wildcats the last two seasons. She finished her junior year tied for first on the team in goals (8) and points (20).
 
Vermeil has appeared in every game since she joined the team her freshman year. She ended the 2018 season with eight goals and four assists for 20 points, tied for first on the team in points and goals.
 
Last season, Siana appeared in all 19 games for the Wildcats and made 18 starts. She ended the season with seven goals, ranking third on the team, three assists and second on the team in points with 17. Siana was also named to the All-Tournament team.
 
In addition, the Wildcats will also rely on contributions from their junior class.
 
Lexi DiGennaro appeared in all 19 games for the Wildcats as a sophomore. Last season, she scored a goal in the 3-2 OT win against Indiana.
 
Her classmate, Emily Clarke, finished last season with four goals and three assists for 11 points and had a consistent presence on the field for the Wildcats.
 
Midfielders
In the midfield, the Wildcats are returning a cast of experienced athletes, including Emma McLaughlin, Riley Dolan and Christen Pennington, who all started in every game last season.
 
Team co-captain Dolan is poised to have a strong junior season with her strong offensive and defensive presence. She earned the honors of All-BIG EAST Second Team and the Longstreth/NFHCA Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team in her sophomore year. Last week she was voted to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.
The other co-captain,Pennington, scored four goals last season and was also named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team.
 
Junior Ashley Thomas will also be an option for Villanova in the midfield. She recorded the assist that led to the game winning goal in the last years overtime contest against Columbia.
 
The Wildcats will be adding an experienced freshman, Margaret Mick, into the mix who knows how to score. Mick played both field hockey and soccer in at Lake Forest High School in Lake Forest, Ill. In 2018, she tallied a total of 13 goals for the season and in 2017 she scored 16 goals.
 
Fellow freshman Shannon Drakeley also had a successful four-year varsity career at Bayard Rustin High. In her senior year, she was voted team captain again, was selected for the Senior All-Star Game and was a National Indoor Tournament Gold Medalist.
 
They also have a freshman who has traveled all the way from South Africa to be part of this team.
 
Caitlin van Goeverden, from Newton Park, South Africa, earned first team honors and earned an award for her performance in sports and academics in high school.
 
Goalkeepers
The team's two goalkeepers are both underclassmen, but they will get the opportunity to build in-game experience this season.
 
Returning is sophomore Jordan McGinley who appeared in one game last season.
 
Joining the team is freshman Claire Borman. During her time at Kennett High School in West Chester, Pa., Borman was team captain, received the Booster Club Excellence Award and was named MVP all in her senior year. She was also given the Best Defensive Player award in 2017.
 
Looking Ahead
Villanova Field Hockey will begin their 2019 season with a three-game homestand starting Sep. 1^st against Sacred Heart University, continuing against Monmouth University on Sep. 8^th and finishing up against Wagner College on Sept. 13.

The team then hit the road for two games, playing a Sep. 15 game at the University of Pennsylvania before traveling to Washington, D.C. to open their Big East conference schedule with a matchup at Georgetown University.

Villanova then comes home for one game against Rider University on Sep. 22, before hitting the road again for two more games. The first game is at Liberty University, another Big East opponent, on Sep. 27, and the second is at Penn State University on Sep. 29.

The Wildcats then host Big East rival Providence on Oct. 4, followed by a game versus Bucknell University on Oct. 6. The team then travels to Quinnipiac University on Oct. 11.
After their matchup with the Bobcats, Villanova then has three home games in a row. The first is versus La Salle University on Oct. 13, the second is against Big East opponent University of Connecticut on Oct. 18 and the last is versus Fairfield University on Oct. 20.

The last regular season away game is against Big East opponent Temple University on Oct. 25.

Villanova finishes its regular season with two home games, one against Davidson College on Oct. 27 and their final regular-season Big East matchup against Old Dominion University on Nov. 1.

All Villanova Field Hockey home games are played at the Proving Grounds in Conshohocken, Pa.
 
Hear from the Wildcats:
"We are really optimistic about this season. We have fantastic leadership and a lot of experience on the field. We are looking forward to seeing this talent and experience come through in every game. Our captains, Christen Pennington and Riley Dolan are going to have a big impact on our season. They will set the tone and lead by example. They are the epitome of hard work and passion. We are excited to see our goalkeepers get into action as they are being led by our new assistant coach Carrera Lucas. There is a lot of talent in goal and we can't wait to show it."- Head coach Joanie Milhous
 
"I'm super excited for this upcoming season and the whole team is really looking forward to where we left off last season. The whole team has been working very hard and we are all committed to getting back to the Big East Tournament."- Senior co-captain Christen Pennington