March 12, 2005

Final Stats

EASTON, Pa. - Playing in cold and windy conditions in front of just 78 fans, Villanova (3-1) built a seven-goal lead in the first half and cruised to a 9-3 victory over Lafayette (0-4) on Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats led 7-0 late in the first half before the Leopards got on the board, and went on to their third straight victory.

Junior midfielder Matt Starker opened the scoring with his team-high seventh goal of the season just 6:28 into the game, and the Wildcats added two more goals just 50 seconds apart later in the period to forge a 3-0 advantage by the end of the first period. Starker added his second goal of the game just 11 seconds into the second quarter, and Villanova never looked back after that.

The Wildcats outshot their hosts 33-19 for the game, including a dominating 24-5 margin in the first half. In the decisive first two quarters, Villanova controlled 8-of-10 faceoffs and was 9-of-10 on clear attempts.

Senior attack Marc Creegan led the team with three goals, while senior midfielder Dan Fanelli tallied two goals and two assists. Junior attack Brendan O'Donnell contributed one goal and one assist, and freshman Matt Panneton scored his first career goal 1:14 into the third quarter. Junior goalie Joe Canuso played 55:07 in the net, making four saves while allowing just one goal to score.

Lafayette scored its first goal with just 32 seconds remaining before intermission, as Andrew Horton converted on an unassisted goal. Jon Paulson scored with 2:24 left in the fourth quarter for the Leopards, and Sean Burek netted the final score with just 17 seconds showing.

Villanova controlled 10-of-15 faceoffs in the game and was successful on 16-of-20 clear attempts.

The Wildcats return home on Tuesday evening when they host St. Joseph's in a 7 p.m. contest at Villanova Stadium.