Villanova men's soccer hosts Philly Soccer Six rival Drexel at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, at the Higgins Soccer Complex. Head coach Mark Fetrow faces the program he led just three years ago.

Fetrow spent one season as Drexel's head coach in 2023, guiding the Dragons to a 9-2-5 record. That .719 winning percentage was Drexel's best since 1990, according to Villanova athletics. He returned to Villanova in November 2023 to succeed his former boss, Tom Carlin, after serving as the Wildcats' associate head coach from 2019 through 2023.

Tuesday's match is Fetrow's second meeting with Drexel as Villanova's coach. The two sides played to a 1-1 draw on Oct. 29, 2024, at the same complex.

The Wildcats (3-3-1) need a spark. Villanova opened 3-0-1 before dropping three straight one-goal games: 1-0 to FDU, 3-2 to George Washington and 2-1 in its BIG EAST opener at St. John's on Friday, Sept. 18.

Injuries have thinned the roster. Junior captain Lorenzo Avalos, a center back, has missed the last two games with a leg injury. Midfielder Luca Mazzola has sat out three straight contests, and Matthew Klann has missed two.

Senior Josh Oladele offers a bright spot. After missing the first four matches of the season, Oladele made his debut against FDU and has been repositioned from forward to outside back. His shot in the closing minutes at St. John's bounced off the crossbar, nearly tying the match at two.

"We feel confident," Fetrow said. "Some of our guys who weren't getting many minutes early have stepped up … Now, we are back at home, where we have played well."

Junior Karson Vazquez and senior Sam Nyenka, a Lower Merion native, combined on the early goal at St. John's. Vazquez scored and Nyenka earned the assist. In goal, junior Alex Yagudayev made seven saves against the Red Storm. Through six starts in 2026, the Brooklyn native carries a 0.67 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage.

Drexel (5-2-1) arrives on a three-game winning streak, having beaten Northeastern, La Salle and Stony Brook while scoring nine goals in those three matches.

Before kickoff, captain Luke Martelli, a Kinzers, Pa., native, will be recognized as the winner of the Sister Cribben Award. Villanova Athletics has given the honor annually since 1985 to a student-athlete who leads and motivates teammates. The ceremony is part of the team's UNITAS community enrichment celebration.

The match streams live on ESPN+.