Villanova men's soccer returns to the Higgins Soccer Complex on Saturday, Oct. 3, looking to snap a two-game BIG EAST losing streak when it hosts UConn at 3:05 p.m.
The Wildcats (4-4-1 overall, 0-2-0 BIG EAST) dropped road matches at St. John's, 2-1, and at Xavier, 2-0, in their first two conference games. UConn (4-4-1, 0-1 BIG EAST) lost its league opener to Seton Hall but has gone 4-1-2 over its last seven matches. Both teams enter with identical overall records.
Head coach Mark Fetrow said the week's training has focused on the defensive identity that carried Villanova early in the season.
"We always want to defend our home field," Fetrow said in the team's preview release. "We have played well at Higgins, and we will need to continue to do that as we enter the Big East portion of our home schedule."
The Wildcats have won four of six non-conference games at Higgins, including a 4-2 comeback win over Drexel on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
Redshirt junior Luke Martelli leads the attack. The Kinzers, Pa., native paces the Wildcats with seven points this season and was named Philly Soccer Six Player of the Week on Sept. 28 after scoring the go-ahead goal and adding an assist in the Drexel win. Martelli missed much of the previous two seasons with knee injuries, according to the Villanova award announcement.
In a late-August preview before the season opener, Martelli spoke about the squad's collective confidence. "We have a lot of belief," he said. "The group is strong defensively and have a belief in one another."
Junior goalkeeper Alex Yagudayev has been a steadying presence. He carries a 1.00 goals-against average across eight starts and 55 saves on the season. In the 2-0 loss at Xavier, Yagudayev made 11 saves, including a sprawling stop in the 61st minute. Xavier outshot Villanova 25-7 across 90 minutes.
After that loss, Fetrow pointed to foul trouble and set-piece defense as areas to correct.
Senior forward Javon Daniels moved into the starting lineup for the first time at Xavier after a strong showing against Drexel. Senior forward Sam Nyenka also scored his first goal of the season in the Drexel win.
Saturday's match is the first of three straight home games at Higgins. The stakes are clear. The top four teams in the BIG EAST standings advance to the conference tournament, and Villanova has six league games remaining, four at home.
The Wildcats host New Haven on Tuesday, Oct. 6, then welcome Providence on Oct. 10 and nationally ranked Georgetown on Oct. 24. The game streams on ESPN+.
