NEW YORK – Men's Lacrosse had five athletes earn All-BIG EAST honors for their performances in the 2025 season, the conference announced Wednesday. Jake Melchionni received BIG EAST Co-Specialist of the Year. Melchionni, Matt Licata, and Jack Shoemaker were named to the All-BIG EAST First Team, while Beau Kemler and Colin Michener earned All-BIG EAST Second Team nods.
Melchionni, Shoemaker, and Kemler all earned their first career all-conference nods.
This is the 15th consecutive season that Villanova has had at least five players earn postseason awards from the BIG EAST and the 16th overall, dating back to when the 'Cats were members of the then Colonial Athletic Association.
Melchionni, a sophomore long-stick midfielder, received BIG EAST Co-Specialist of the Year honors, as well as being named to the All-BIG EAST First Team. He is the first Wildcat to earn this honor in program history.
He shares the Specialist of the Year award with Georgetown FOS Ross Prince, who hails from the Main Line community of Penn Valley, Pa. During the regular season, Melchionni set the record for goals by a defender in a season with seven, while causing 19 turnovers and scooping up 43 ground balls.
The New Jersey native had four games where he picked up at least six ground balls and earned two BIG EAST Weekly awards, as well as being named to the USILA Team of the Week for the week of April 14 after causing three turnovers and grabbing seven ground balls. Melchionni tallied 1.58 caused turnovers per game at the end of the regular season, tied for 10th in program history for a single season.
Shoemaker, a defender who has appeared in all 44 games since getting to Villanova by way of California, was unanimously selected to the All-BIG EAST First Team.
He was one of nine unanimous selections, as he caused 15 turnovers and picked up 17 ground balls while primarily guarding the main attackman of opponents.
The junior averaged 1.15 caused turnovers per game in the regular season, good for eighth in the conference.
Licata rounds out his collegiate career alongside receiving his second career All-BIG EAST First Team nomination.
He tied for the lead on the Wildcats in goals and was second on the squad in assists, totaling 23 and nine, respectively. Licata had seven multi-goal games, including a four-score game against then No. 9 Yale and a career-high five goals in his final game at Villanova Stadium in a comeback victory over Marquette.
The New Hampshire native's 132 points entering his final BIG EAST Tournament rank 12th in team history, while his 2.62 points per game in his career place him in eighth.
The latter two were selected to the preseason All-BIG EAST team, as voted on by coaches before the season.
After stepping into a key role at the end of the 2024 season due to injuries, Kemler solidified his place as one of the most prominent close defenders in the conference, earning All-BIG EAST Second Team honors.
Kemler caused 18 turnovers and grabbed 48 ground balls during the season. During Villanova's five-game winning streak as they entered conference play, the sophomore forced 13 turnovers and picked up 29 ground balls.
He finished the regular season tied for 16th nationally of all non-faceoff-involved players in ground balls.
Michener received his second consecutive All-BIG EAST Second Team selection after scoring 23 goals and dishing out 13 assists, the former tying Licata for the team lead and the latter leading the 'Cats.
The Plymouth Meeting, Pa., native closed out the season with seven consecutive games with three or more points, including four goals against Brown and Providence and a five-point game in VU's upset over Denver.
Michener led the team in man-up goals with five, while he and Licata closed out the regular season in the top 10 in the BIG EAST in goals per game with 1.77.
2025 All-BIG EAST Teams and Regular Season Awards
BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year
Aidan Carroll, A, Georgetown
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Ty Banks, D, Georgetown
BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year
Anderson Moore, GK, Georgetown *
BIG EAST Co-Specialist of the Year
Ross Prince, FOS, Georgetown
Jake Melchionni, LSM, Villanova
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Ross Prince, FOS, Georgetown
BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
Marquette
All-BIG EAST First Team
Jimmy Freehill, D, Denver *
Mic Kelly, M, Denver *
Noah Manning, A, Denver
Casey Wilson, SSDM, Denver *
Ty Banks, D, Georgetown *
Aidan Carroll, A, Georgetown *
Anderson Moore, GK, Georgetown *
Bobby O'Grady, A, Marquette *
Ryan Bell, A, Providence *
Richie Joseph, A, Providence
Matt Licata, A, Villanova
Jake Melchionni, LSM, Villanova
Jack Shoemaker, D, Villanova *
All-BIG EAST Second Team ^
Cody Malawsky, A, Denver
Robert Plath, D, Georgetown
Ross Prince, FOS, Georgetown
Jack Ransom, A, Georgetown
Matt Caputo, M, Marquette
Peter Detwiler, SSDM, Marquette
Will Foster, M, Marquette
Nolan Rappis, A, Marquette
Dan Donahue, G, Providence
Jack Horrigan, A, Providence
Quinn McConnaughey, FOS, Providence
Brian Kelly, A, St. John's
Bobby Seel, M, St. John's
Beau Kemler, D, Villanova
Colin Michener, A, Villanova
*Unanimous selections
^15 Players on the second team due to a tie in the voting
UP NEXT
Villanova will play the Providence Friars in the BIG EAST Semifinal on Thursday, May 1, in Denver, Colo., at 9:07 P.M. EST.
SOCIAL
For all the latest updates surrounding the program, follow @novalacrosse on Instagram and X.
