#BIGEASTmlax Minute – Villanova Earns Third Playoff Spot
NEW YORK – Villanova and Denver both earned BIG EAST wins this weekend. Denver’s win guaranteed that this Saturday’s game against Marquette will be a battle for the regular season title, while Villanova’s victory mathematically guaranteed them a spot in the league championships.
BIG EAST Championship Field So Far
Denver, Marquette and Villanova have all clinched a spot in the 2016 BIG EAST Men’s Lacrosse Championship presented by Jeep, which will be played at Denver May 5 and 7. While Marquette and Denver will be playing for the No. 1 seed in the final regular season game coming up on April 30, Villanova becomes the only team in the BIG EAST to have qualified for every single league tournament since the postseason playoff began in the 2012 season.
Breaking Down the Math
At 2-2 in league play, Villanova can be either the No. 3 or No. 4 seed, which will be decided by this weekend’s results. The BIG EAST Conference tie-breaker procedure goes first by regular season head-to-head results. If there are more than two teams tied, then rules for a mini-conference are set as follows:
- A team or teams with the best combined record against the other teams in the mini-conference
- Each team’s record against the team occupying the highest position in the standings continuing down through the standings
- Each team’s mini-conference season goal differential with a maximum of seven goals per game.
The tie-breakers continue through eight total steps. Once one team gains advantage in the mini-conference, they are pulled out of the group and the procedures go back to the beginning (head to head results). The worst case scenario for Villanova would result in a three-team tie with Georgetown and Providence at 2-3. In the worst case scenario in the mini-conference, Providence would gain advantage first and be pulled out of the group (goal differential). Villanova would win the head-to-head over Georgetown.
Denver Back On Top
Denver moves back into the top spot in both the Inside Lacrosse Media and USILA Coaches polls on Monday. Denver spent six weeks of this year as the No. 1 team in at least one of the two major polls recognized by the NCAA. Marquette and Villanova are also represented in the polls – the Wildcats are No. 17 across both and the Golden Eagles are No. 19/18.
Weekend Recap
[2/2] Denver 17, Providence 7 (Box Score)
Denver never tailed and used an 11-2 second half to separate itself from Providence 17-7 on Saturday at the new Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium. Denver had 13 different players score its 17 goals. Alex Ready made 12 saves for the Pioneers (11-1, 4-0 BIG EAST), the fifth double-digit save total in Ready's young career. Connor Cannizzaro and Brendan Bomberry had four-point days for Denver with three goals for Bomberry and two goals from Cannizzaro. Providence (7-7, 1-3 BIG EAST) also had two players with a four-point game: Will Mazzone and Brendan Kearns. Mazzone had three goals, Kearns had two. At the end of the second period, Providence was down just one, 6-5, to visiting Denver.
[18/18] Villanova 18, St. John’s 13 (Box Score)
St. John’s led 5-2 at the end of the first quarter , but Villanova battled back with a seven-goal second to take a 9-7 halftime advantage. From there, St. John’s remained close but could not overcome as the Wildcats extended their lead for an 18-13 victory. Villanova improved to 8-4 on the season and 2-2 in league play. St. John’s fell to 1-12 overall, 0-4 in BIG EAST action. Eric DeJohn had game-best eight points for St. John’s off four goals and four assists. His teammate Jason DeBenedictis had five goals. Villanova’s Christian Cuccinello had four goals for the Wildcats, while Devin McNamara had seven points off three goals and four assist and Jake Froccaro had six points (two goals, four assists).
[13/16] Duke 15, [15/15] Marquette 1 (Box Score)
No. 13/16 Duke scored 15 unanswered goals to defeat No. 15 Marquette, 16-1, on Friday evening at Koskinen Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. Marquette junior attackman Kyran Clarke scored the lone goal for the Golden Eagles (9-3) midway through the first quarter and the Golden Eagles were held scoreless over the final 51:24 of regulation. Jack Bruckner scored a game-high four goals for the Blue Devils (9-6), while sophomore Justin Guterding had a hat trick and three assists.
Virginia 8, Georgetown 7 (Box Score)
Graduate student midfielder Joe Bucci tied a career-high with five goals on Senior Night, but it was not enough for the Georgetown University men’s lacrosse team (2-11, 1-3 BIG EAST) to overcome University of Virginia (7-7, 0-4 ACC) in an 8-7 loss in front of a sellout crowd at Cooper Field. Bucci, one of the Hoyas four graduating players honored prior to the game, paced the offense in his last career home game, as three of his five goals tied the score against a Cavalier team playing for an opportunity to make the postseason. It would not be enough, as the Blue & Gray ran out of time. Nick Marrocco made 15 saves and allowed just eight goals in the loss, while sophomore faceoff specialist Peter Tagliaferri went 7-for-14 at the faceoff X with four ground balls. The game was tied at 5-5 with a goal by Bucci to start the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers went up by two with four minutes left.
Weekend Results:
Friday, April 22
[13/16] Duke 15, [15/15] Marquette 1
Saturday, April 23
[2/2] DENVER 17, PROVIDENCE 7
[18/18] VILLANOVA 18, ST. JOHN’S 13
Virginia 8, GEORGETOWN 7
Upcoming
Saturday, April 30
GEORGETOWN at ST. JOHN’S at 1 p.m.
MARQUETTE at DENVER at 3 p.m. (CBSSN)
PROVIDENCE at VILLANOVA at 4 p.m.