Morristown Native Manning the Net at Villanova

When Villanova traveled to Princeton for a men’s lacrosse contest on March 15, it turned into a Delbarton party. The Villanova University goaltender was more than happy to lead the celebration.

Billy Hurley was one of nine Delbarton High School graduates on the field that night as Villanova defeated Princeton, 10-9. Hurley made 10 saves in the victory as a host of Delbarton players and fans looked on from the stands.

“I didn’t know it was going to be like that going into it,” Hurley said.  “I knew about the guys that would be out there, but I didn’t know there would be so many Delbarton people in the stands. I was pleasantly surprised to see all the green out there.”

It was another impressive night for the sophomore goalie as he led the 15th-ranked Wildcats to their sixth victory of the season. Hurley has emerged as one of the top goaltenders in the Big East in a year in which Villanova has emerged as a national power.

Hurley has been spectacular throughout the first half of the 2011 campaign. He has played in all seven games for the Wildcats and has been on the field for all but 3:43 seconds of the season. Hurley has a goals against of 8.46 and a save percentage of .512. While Hurley has received plenty of support from his teammates, his timely saves have helped Villanova win four of their games by a single goal.

“I think we’re just working hard,” Hurley said. “We didn’t lose much on defense.  On offense, we lost some key players, but we’ve become closer as a team.”

Villanova was on the rise last season, but the Wildcats coaching staff decided to let a group of young players gain valuable experience. Hurley started 10 games as a freshman and went 7-3 in 2010.

 “It definitely helps your confidence more than anything,” Hurley said. “The big difference going from high school to college is the speed of the game. Getting 10 games under my belt helped me adjust to the speed and how good the players are.”

Hurley was a huge part of Delbarton’s success during his days with the Green Wave. He was the team captain for the 2009 squad which captured the state non-public championship. 

“It was awesome,” Hurley said.  “I love all of the kids that I played with and they are still my best friends. I still talk to all of those guys. We’ve been playing together since sixth or seventh grade, so I’ve known them forever.” 

Hurley played lacrosse and football at Delbarton. The Morristown resident realized he had to make a choice if he wanted to continue with athletics on the college level.

“I’ve loved lacrosse since I started playing in seventh grade,” said Hurley. “I love football, too, but I realized both would be tough. With how recruiting works with lacrosse, you have to be there for it for more than just the spring.”

Hurley’s strong play in goal at Delbarton attracted the attention of several colleges.  Hurley found Villanova to be a perfect fit for both academics and lacrosse.

 “Villanova is just perfect,” said Hurley.  “It was the perfect distance.  It’s great school academically.  The business school is ranked seventh in the country.  It’s just the right amount of kids.  I just felt like I fit in the most here.”

Hurley is hoping to do his part to help lead the Wildcats to an NCAA Tournament birth.  However, many challenges lie ahead for Villanova before the end of the season. There are showdowns with top-ranked Syracuse and highly-touted Notre Dame. Hurley and his teammates are trying not to look too far ahead.

“We try to focus on the next game on our schedule,” Hurley said.  That’s the game we have to win.  We’re still not at our best and we still have a lot of potential left in us.”