Big East lacrosse has certainly taken a hit in 2025. Denver, coming off a Memorial Day Weekend appearance, didn’t even qualify for the Big East lacrosse tournament. Georgetown, which has been the front-runner of the conference for nearly a decade, has been very inconsistent this year. While this is disappointing for NCAA tournament seeding, the landscape has opened up for other competitors to step in and potentially win the Big East. Honestly, this is the tournament I’m probably most excited for, as it seems like any team could win if given the opportunity.
#1 Georgetown vs #4 Marquette
(Thursday, May 1st @ 6:00pm)
The Big East is as competitive as ever, with each of the four teams making a semifinal appearance having a shot to go the distance. Georgetown has absolutely dominated the Big East for nearly a decade now, but if there’s a year they don’t come out on top, it’s this year. The Hoyas currently hold a 9-4 record with losses to Johns Hopkins, Notre Dame, Richmond, and Denver. Georgetown is not as dominant this year as they have been in years past, with most of their games being nail-biters.
Marquette probably just feels grateful to have this opportunity. Their current 7-6 record was kickstarted by a 1-14 loss to Michigan, yikes. The team followed that up with back-and-forth wins that brought them to their roughly .500 record. They ended the regular season with a 2-3 conference record, and everything in the Big East lacrosse landscape lined up perfectly for them to make the tournament, including their huge win over Denver to close out the regular season.
The first time these two teams met in the regular season was a close affair, with Georgetown coming out on top 13-11. The double-overtime game was pure cinema from start to finish. Georgetown shot the ball a whopping 53 times compared to Marquette’s 36, but Marquette led the save battle, 17-11. Turnovers were fairly minimal, with both teams combining for 23 turnovers. Face-offs were a different story, as Georgetown went 16 for 24 at the faceoff dot. Big East lacrosse has been interesting all season long, as you never know how a team will show up to a specific game. There has been no real consistency among any of the teams, meaning anyone can beat any other team on any given day. On Saturday, April 5th, it just happened to be Georgetown’s day.
Despite Georgetown being the number one seed, Marquette is really going to give them a run for their money. When it comes to offense, they’re nearly identical, with both teams averaging close to 12 goals per game. Either offense could get hot at any moment, but they’ve both been fairly consistent this year, not having a quarter or two where they slip into a slump. On the defensive side, the Hoyas have the edge, only allowing nine goals per game compared to Marquette’s 12. This is a huge difference, as at the end of the day, the old saying rings true: defense wins championships. It’ll be interesting to see if Georgetown can dominate the face-off battle again, as both teams are around a similar mark this season.
This game has the potential to be one of two things: either Georgetown shows up with more playoff experience and dominates in commanding fashion, or Marquette does the unthinkable. For some reason, in my gut, I’m going to lean towards Marquette doing the unthinkable and upsetting the Georgetown Hoyas in a high-scoring affair.
Prediction: Marquette 17 – Georgetown 15
#2 Villanova vs #3 Providence
(Thursday, May 1st @ 9:00pm)
In this game, seeding doesn’t matter. Villanova currently maintains a 7-6 record, with five of their losses coming against out-of-conference opponents. When it comes to Big East games, the team has performed when it’s mattered most, kicking off Big East play on a four-game winning streak before Georgetown absolutely pummeled them in the final game of the regular season, securing the number one seed. Providence currently holds a 7-7 record and finished the year 3-2 in conference play. Their notable out-of-conference losses came against tough opponents, including Harvard, Duke, and St. Joseph’s. They opened up Big East lacrosse play with a one-goal loss to Georgetown and a loss to Villanova. The Friars then handled business down the stretch and went on a three-game winning streak to close out the regular season.
Villanova came out on top in their first matchup against Providence, winning 11-8. The deciding factor was Villanova limiting their errors and capitalizing on their opportunities. The Wildcats shot the ball more, turned it over less, and cleared better than the Friars. At the end of the day, this is really all you need to find a pathway to success. Face-offs and saves were pretty even between both teams. If I’m Bobby Benson with the Providence Friars, though, I’m not too thrilled about going 0-for-5 on man-up opportunities.
This is definitely a matchup where, if you play it out 10 times, each team wins five. Both teams put up interesting numbers when it comes to their production. Providence has a clear edge on the offensive side, averaging 11.5 goals per game compared to Villanova’s 9.6. Defensively, both teams are pretty even, but not particularly elite. The Wildcats are averaging 11 goals against them per game compared to Providence’s 10.5. The face-off battle in their first meeting was dead even. However, on the year, Villanova holds the edge, winning 58% of their draws compared to Providence’s 53%.
Something that will be very important to consider as these two face off again is how each team handles their current momentum. Villanova was very close to securing the one seed but got demoralized in their last game against Georgetown. Providence, on the other hand, knows they didn’t play their best game against Villanova the first time around and are currently riding a three-game winning streak. Sometimes, tough losses really cultivate culture and bring teams up from the ashes. However, other times, it can be detrimental to a season, especially in May. Providence, on the other hand, can feel very good about their winning streak, but it’s a tough ride ahead, as it could either lead to confidence or complacency.
This game really feels like a coin toss at the end of the day, but I love what Bobby Benson is building at Providence, and I think the team’s current momentum will carry them to a Big East lacrosse championship appearance.
Prediction: Providence 13 – Villanova 10
