Luke Martelli started at left outside back in Villanova's season opener five days ago. That alone was the story.

The Wildcats captain missed nearly two full seasons after tearing his ACL in the 2024 preseason, then suffered another major knee injury just seven games into his 2025 return. On Aug. 20, against Temple, he started the first half, rested to begin the second and returned in the 69th minute. His run down the left side created the sequence that produced the game-winning goal in a 1-0 Villanova victory.

"To be in the shape he's in, coming back from two major knee injuries is so impressive," head coach Mark Fetrow said in a Villanova athletics preview of the next match. "We're so happy to have him back. He's a big part of everything we do."

Martelli and the Wildcats (1-0) host St. Peter's at 4:05 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, at the Higgins Soccer Complex on Villanova's West Campus. The match will stream live on ESPN+.

How the opener unfolded

Temple had the better early chances, recording the first five shots. Junior goalkeeper Alex Yagudayev tipped a Carlos Rojas shot over the crossbar in the third minute to keep the game scoreless.

Villanova's breakthrough came at 74:09. Martelli re-entered alongside roommates Luca Mazzola and Joseph Margita at the 68:13 mark. Martelli dribbled in from the left and crossed to Margita near the end line; Margita found Mazzola in the 18-yard box, and the sophomore buried it past Temple goalkeeper Gavin Atkinson.

"Those are two of my roommates," Mazzola said after the Aug. 20 win. "We'll call it a room goal."

The Wildcats nearly had to survive a late scare. Referee Gregory DeMello went to video review twice in the final 15 minutes to assess potential Villanova fouls inside the penalty area. Both times, the original no-call stood.

Fetrow, in his third season leading the program, said after the Temple match that his team controlled possession for most of the 90 minutes but needed to sharpen its finishing in the final third.

Scouting St. Peter's

The Peacocks opened with a 0-0 draw against FDU on Friday after their scheduled Thursday opener was postponed. Villanova leads the all-time series 1-0-2; the teams' most recent meeting, in August 2024, ended 2-2 at Higgins. Mikhail Zaretser, Karson Vazquez and Jasper Zulman are the only current Wildcats who played in that match.

What's ahead

Martelli shares the captain's armband with junior Lorenzo Avalos as Villanova tries to build on last year's 7-6-5 record with 21 returning players and a defense that cut goals allowed from 38 in 2024 to 24 in 2025.

After Tuesday's match, the Wildcats host FDU on Sept. 1.