Sept. 8, 2004

Final Stats

Philadelphia, PA - The Villanova Wildcats (2-0-1) used a pair of second half goals to down the La Salle Explorers on a rainy afternoon Wednesday. Sophomore Marcelo Rodriguez and senior Jonathan Lopuski each scored his first goal of the campaign to set the stage for the triumph.

The Explorers took the lead in the first period when junior Dusan Vujovic (Belgrade/Yugoslavia) crossed the ball and found fellow junior Scott Golden (Tampa, FL/Jesuit) to put La Salle up 1-0.

La Salle held on to that lead throughout the remainder of the first half and just about ten minutes into the second half when Villanova junior Patrick Gallagher (Harrisburg, PA/Middletown) booted the ball from midfield to the right hand corner to find sophomore Marcelo Rodriguez (West Orange, NJ/West Orange) and tie the game 1-1 with just under 35 minutes remaining in regulation.

The two teams continued to battle the rain and one another until Villanova junior Matt Marino (Brooklyn, NY/Poly Prep) fired a shot at La Salle senior goalie Stash Graham (Tampa, FL/Jesuit). Graham blocked the shot, but senior Jonathan Lopuski (Montville, NJ/Montville Township) was there for the rebound and scored the game winner with five minutes remaining in regulation.

Graham finished the game with eight saves, while Villanova who played two goalies managed to tally five saves off the Explorers eight shots. Villanova finished the game doubling La Salle's shots with 16.

The Wildcats travel to Providence College on Saturday where they will meet the Friars at 1:00 p.m. in their Big East Conference opener.