Villanova men's soccer scored three goals Tuesday, Oct. 6, after two straight shutout losses, beating New Haven 3-1 at the Higgins Soccer Complex.
Junior forward Fynn Lahrsen recorded a goal and an assist as the Wildcats (5-5-1 overall, 0-3-0 BIG EAST) ended a drought that stretched through losses to Xavier and UConn. Sophomore Luca Mazzola, in his second game back from injury, opened the scoring at 9:20 when he fired a shot into the lower right corner off a sequence started by Jasper Zulman on the right side and threaded through Lahrsen.
Seven minutes later, Lahrsen pounced on a miscue by New Haven goalkeeper Garrett Smith inside the 18-yard box and pushed the ball into an open net to make it 2-0.
"I think the goals were just a byproduct of us trying to be more forward thinking," head coach Mark Fetrow said, according to Villanova athletics. Fetrow said the scouting report identified service into the box as an area where New Haven had struggled, and the early chances followed once Villanova started delivering those crosses.
New Haven's Vinicius Lemke headed in a corner kick at 30:22 to cut the lead to 2-1. The Chargers kept pressing. Junior goalkeeper Alex Yagudayev made a series of saves to protect the advantage.
Fetrow said his team struggled to win second balls during that stretch but credited his back line for settling down as the half wore on.
Redshirt junior midfielder Luke Martelli sealed the result at 81:02. Senior Sam Nyenka threaded a through ball that Martelli collected in stride with the New Haven defense scrambling back in transition. He converted the semi-breakaway for his third goal of the season.
Fetrow praised Martelli's work rate after the match, saying his GPS tracking numbers were exceptional.
Martelli, a Kinzers, Pa., native who earned the Philly Soccer Six Player of the Week award after Villanova's 4-2 win over Drexel on Sept. 22, said the early goals gave the team energy after the scoreless stretch.
"We've been trying to get on the scoresheet," Martelli said. "Overall, a win is a win."
The Wildcats host BIG EAST rival Providence (5-4-1, 0-2-0 BIG EAST) on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 1 p.m. at the Higgins Soccer Complex. The match airs on ESPN+ and wraps up a three-game homestand. Villanova's conference record remains 0-3-0 heading into that game.
