VILLANOVA, Pa. — Mike Corrado and his team are ready for the start of the 2024 season. With two former All-Americans Matt Campbell and Chet Comizio completing their decorated careers last season, this team will look very different. The Wildcats have acquired three key transfers and return many veteran players ready to make a positive impact.
The team loses 40 percent of its goal scoring without Campbell and fellow graduate Patrick Daly. At attack, senior Matt Licata returns to the lineup after a standout junior season where he started all 13 games he appeared in, scoring 24 goals and racking up 15 assists. Holy Cross transfer Thomas McIntire will join Licata in attack. He led the Crusaders with 35 goals last season and racked up 12 assists for 47 points with a shot on goal percentage of 71.3%. The Mattapoisett, Mass, native appeared in 21 games for Holy Cross over the last two seasons. Other notable attackers Corrado mentioned include redshirt freshman Colin Michener, who was sidelined all of last season due to injury, Lucas Newton, Luke Raymond and Dan Martin.
The defense includes two transfers, defender Stephen Zupicich and goalkeeper Garrett FitzSimons. Zupicich makes his way to the Main Line after a four-year stint at Ohio State where he was a veteran of 32 games for the Buckeyes, recording 65 ground balls and 22 caused turnovers. FitzSimons spent his undergrad years at Bates College in New York where he recorded 168 career saves in 19 games played. Zupicich and FitzSimons join an already talented defensive group led by Preseason All-BIG EAST selection and USA Lacrosse Preseason All-American Reid Colwell. Junior Tripp Robinson is back after finishing second on the team in 2023 with 17 caused turnovers. Senior Kieth Carra and sophomore David Evanchick will also play key roles on defense.
In the midfield the Wildcats have depth, experience and athleticism. Fifth year returners Stevie Jones, Mason Reale, and Sam Parkinson will lead the midfield alongside top face off specialist Justin Coppola. This foursome has 174 combined games played for the Wildcats and has racked up 430 ground balls and 63 points in that span. Coppola holds the program record for ground balls with 342 with another season to play. The former All-BIG EAST Second Team member has a career face off percentage of 54.3%. The Wildcats return 10 other midfielders who saw significant time last season including seniors Tucker Goodelle, Will Wheeler, Jack Cerza, Jack Neill and Lucas Kopecky.
Corrado and his staff are pleased to welcome 11 freshmen to the team including Jake Melchionni and Nick Lucchesi who Inside Lacrosse ranked in its Power 100 freshman rankings.
Villanova was picked fourth in the BIG EAST Coaches Poll, its lowest preseason ranking since 2019. Although they are without their familiar faces that excelled in previous seasons the culture and expectations remain the same for Corrado.
“Finding those new guys who will replace that experience will be really important these first couple of games and kind of developing our own identity,” said Corrado. “Guys are going from no role to role players to starting roles and its really exciting as a coach it has been fun to watch their progression each day.”
This unknown group will have a chance to make headlines right away as the ‘Cats begin the 2024 season with two ranked matchups at No. 4 Penn State on February 10th and No. 10 Yale a week later. Five Wildcat opponents are ranked in the Inside Lacrosse preseason top 20 with Villanova receiving votes in all three major polls.
