PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The Villanova University field hockey team will open its 2026 season on the road in a neutral site game against Delaware on Friday (Aug. 28) at 4 p.m. ET from Buckley Field in Philadelphia, Pa. The Wildcats will then stay on the road to face La Salle on Sunday (Aug. 30) at noon from the Proving Grounds in Conshohocken, Pa.

The 'Cats are coming off a season where the team went 5-13, however, the team still snuck into the BIG EAST playoffs but fell in the semifinals to Liberty, 3-1. The team, led by head coach Joanie Milhous, returns 16 out of its 25 players from last season including its top five point-scorers in Colleen Finnan, Gemma Lysaght, Addie Froehlich, Erin Mitchall and recently voted BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Ava Borkowski.

Villanova will meet the Blue Hens for the fourth straight season, however, this marks the first regular season contest since 2023. The Wildcats fell in the last match up, 8-0, and look to grab their first win against Delaware in their two sides' history.

Delaware is coming off a season where they went 7-11, with a win over UC Davis in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship. The team returns four out of its top five point scorers from last season as well as goalkeeper Gabby Prentice.

As for the Explorers, the two teams have matched up a total of 48 times with Sunday marking the 49th. The Wildcats enter with a 39-8-1 overall record against LaSalle and currently hold a two game win streak over their opponent, including its most recent face off last season in a 3-0 win for the 'Cats.

LaSalle enters 2026 after a 7-11 record last season that left them short of the Atlantic 10 playoffs. The Explorers do return a vast amount of experience including their goalkeeper Abby Boggs, who started every game for LaSalle in 2025, in addition to three of its double-digit point scorers. 

Friday's game will be streamed on Youtube while Sunday's game will be on ESPN+.