February 26, 1999

High Marks: In his 17th season, head coach Randy Marks' 113 career victories places him 19th among active Division I coaches. The category is headed up by Army's Jack Kilmer who has 265 wins, while Maryland's Dick Edell has 249 wins.

Wildcats in season openers: Over the past eight seasons, Villanova has only been victorious once in their first game of the season, the Wildcats beat Michigan State 11-2 back in 1992. To their defense, the 'Cats have opened against national powerhouse Maryland the last five consecutive seasons.

Denver's season opener: On Thursday, the Pioneers dropped their first outing of the season 13-5 to last year's NCAA runner-up Maryland. Denver took an early 2-1 lead on Travis Taylor's second quarter goals, but the Terps fired back with seven straight goals to take a commanding 8-2 lead into the final period. Leading all scorers was Maryland's Brian Zeller who tallied two goals and two assists while junior Geoff Bieging led the Pioneers with two goals and Chad Wittman added one goal and one assist in the losing effort.

Series Info: This is second meeting between the Wildcats and the Pioneers. Last season, Villanova traveled to Colorado Springs and defeated Denver 19-11. The 'Cats set three season high in the contest by tallying 19 goals, 15 assists and 34 points.

'Cats Face another Touch Schedule: Head Coach Randy Marks has yet again put together a demanding schedule which features five teams that are ranked in the Face-Off Lacrosse Top 25 Preseason Poll. Villanova is slated to play #2 Johns Hopkins, #8 Georgetown, #16 Penn State, #22 Notre Dame and #25 Penn. Last season, Nova was 0-5 versus ranked opponents.

The Captains: Seniors Pat Buckley, Evan Clancy and Andy D'Amico will assume the duties as tri-captains for the Wildcats this season. Buckley and D'Amico will lead the midfielders, while Clancy will anchor the 'Cats defense.

A Glimpse at the 'Cats: Expectations are high this season for head coach Randy Marks and his Villanova Wildcats on the Main Line. Returning seven of his top eight scorers, Marks is eager to get the season under way. The Wildcats return with three upperclass attackmen. Chris Corr (Rosemont, Pa./ Archbishop Carroll H.S.), Tom Hourican (Lynbrook, N.Y./Lynbrook H.S.) and Andrew Bogle (Wilton, Conn./Wilton H.S.) who accounted for 36 points for the Wildcats last season.

Juniors Chuck Casano (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City H.S.) and Brendan Groarke (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City H.S.) will add experience and depth to the 'Nova attack. Looking to break into the line-up will be three talented freshmen Justin Marks (Glenmoore, Pa./ Downingtown H.S.), Pete Franchetti (Gwynedd Valley, Pa./Germantown Academy) and Andrew Driscoll (Rosemont, Pa./Harriton).

The midfield is anchored by senior, tri-captain Andy D'Amico (Harve de Grace, Md./Aberdeen H.S.) who finished fourth in points last season. Alongside D'Amico is junior Justin Loonie (Longmeadow, Mass./Longmeadow H.S.) and junior Eric Dauer (Woodbridge, Va./Bishop O'Connell H.S.) who accounted for 22 and 24 points respectively. Adding to the midfield is highly-touted freshman Randall Calvert (Ellicot City, Md./ Centennial) and classmates Scott Gegerson (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side H.S.) and Mike Holloway (Malvern, Pa./Malvern Prep). Senior, tri-captain Pat Buckley (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury H.S.) will lead the short-stick defensive midfielders. Buckley, a walk-on, has developed into an outstanding leader and valuable defensive stopper.

The defense should be the overall strength for the Wildcats in 1999 with the return of four players that saw significant time last season, including two starters. Leading the defense will be senior, tri-captain Evan Clancy (Sea Cliff, N.Y./North Shore H.S.), who is the vocal leader. Brian O'Hagan (Montclair, N.Y./ Montclair H.S.), 1998 Returning all three goalies, the Wildcats are looking for consistency between the pipes. Senior Brendan Keneally (Chester, N.J./Mt. Lakes H.S.) will lead the charge, while sophomores Mike Mullette (Montclair, N.J./Montclair H.S.) and Matt Wilk (Bound Brook, N.J./Bridgewater Raritan H.S.) will challenge each other for time.