Villanova women's soccer hosts Penn at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, at Higgins Soccer Complex in a rivalry match doubling as a mental health awareness celebration.
The Wildcats (3-0-1) are unbeaten and lead the nation in scoring at 5.5 goals per game, outscoring opponents 22-0 through four contests. Eighteen players have recorded at least one point, and 13 have scored a goal. That depth was on full display Sunday, Aug. 30, when Villanova routed Iona 11-0, tying the second-highest single-game goal total in program history.
Sophomore forward Avrie Nelsen, the reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, has been the catalyst. Nelsen scored four goals across wins over Columbia and Iona in the week ending Sunday, Aug. 30, earning BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and a TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week selection. Her hat trick against Iona included a goal just 1:43 into the match, the fastest of the season for Villanova.
On the other end, fifth-year graduate goalkeeper Hannah Dickinson has anchored a defense that has not conceded a goal in 457 minutes and 52 seconds of play stretching back to last season. The Preseason BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year owns a 3-0-1 record with two shutouts. Junior defender Meredith Palmer earned BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week for the same stretch.
Penn (1-2-1) arrives looking for its first road win after losses at George Mason and Stony Brook. Quakers goalkeeper Megan Graves has played every minute, recording 12 saves and a .750 save percentage with one shutout, according to Penn Athletics.
Thursday's contest is the 22nd meeting in a series dating to 1983. Villanova leads 15-3-3 and is unbeaten in the last four matchups, including a 3-1 win at Penn on Sept. 14, 2025, powered by a Nelsen brace, according to Villanova Athletics.
The game also marks UNITAS Day, honoring Villanova's Every Mind Matters initiative, a student-athlete program focused on mental health awareness and advocacy within the athletic department. Fans are encouraged to wear green.
The match streams live on ESPN+.
