Villanova men's soccer is two games into the 2026 season and hasn't conceded a goal.

Junior forward Fynn Lahrsen stole the ball from Saint Peter's freshman goalkeeper Sebastian Heredia-Randan inside the 18-yard box in the 12th minute Monday, Aug. 24, then finished inside the left post to give the Wildcats a 1-0 win at the Higgins Soccer Complex. It was Villanova's second consecutive shutout to open the year, following a 1-0 defeat of Temple on Thursday, Aug. 20.

The goal came straight from the coaching staff's game plan. Head coach Mark Fetrow had instructed his forwards to press opposing goalkeepers even when a turnover seemed unlikely. Lahrsen said the staff had identified Heredia-Randan's tendency to play with his feet, and he adjusted his run accordingly.

"We watched a lot of film. Coach pointed out that the goalkeeper likes to use his feet," Lahrsen said. "As I was in my sprint, I was thinking maybe I should slow down a little bit and see what he does. He tried to pull it behind his heel and I read it well … I took it with me and scored."

Fetrow said the play involved some luck but credited Lahrsen's effort: "I think we got a bit lucky on the play, but it doesn't happen if Fynn doesn't work hard."

The Wildcats dominated possession and put 11 of their 19 shots on target. Heredia-Randan kept Saint Peter's in the match with 10 saves. The Peacocks nearly equalized in the second half when two shots struck the left post but stayed out.

On the other end, junior goalkeeper Alex Yagudayev made five saves to post his second straight clean sheet. The BIG EAST named Yagudayev Goalkeeper of the Week on Aug. 24 for his four-save shutout performance in the Temple opener. He carried that form into the Saint Peter's match, making several key first-half stops as the Peacocks pushed in transition.

"We've played for 180 minutes, and we didn't give up a goal," Fetrow said. "… We want to be known as a great defensive team."

Villanova (2-0) was picked sixth in the BIG EAST East Division preseason coaches' poll. The Wildcats, who finished 7-6-5 in 2025 and returned 21 players, are outperforming that projection early.

Saint Peter's fell to 0-1-1.

Villanova travels to Princeton on Friday, Aug. 28, for a 7 p.m. kickoff.