VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova closes out the non-conference portion of its 2019 regular season schedule on Tuesday night, when it heads cross town to meet La Salle (6-6-1 overall, 2-3-0 Atlantic Ten) in a Philly Soccer Six clash.
Kickoff at McCarthy Stadium is set for 7 p.m.
Villanova is looking to rebound after a tough second half in its most recent action, Saturday night at St. John's. The No. 10 Red Storm scored three times in the final 45 minutes to register a 4-0 win at Belson Stadium.
Prior to Saturday night, Villanova had allowed only three goals in 10 games. Even after Saturday's match, the Wildcats still are tied for third in the nation in percentage of shutouts recorded (eight in 12 games, .667). The 'Cats also rank ninth in the country in goals allowed.
Wildcats goalkeeper Carson Williams has already eclipsed the single season mark for shutouts in a season for a Nova goalkeeper (eight).
La Salle dropped a 2-0 decision at home on Saturday to Saint Louis. The Explorers and Wildcats have one common opponent. La Salle dropped a 2-1 overtime decision to the Rams in the Bronx, N.Y. last month while the Wildcats earned a 1-0 triumph over the same team at the Higgins Soccer Complex on Sept. 10.
"I think we've learned from (St. John's) and we've moved on," stated Villanova head coach Tom Carlin. "We have the belief and now all our attention is on La Salle. It's always a battle when you play a Soccer Six opponent and we know what we're in for on the road."
Last season, Villanova edged the Explorers 3-2 at the Higgins Soccer Complex. In that one, the Wildcats jumped out to a 2-0 lead and held off repeated bids from La Salle to generate an equalizer. La Salle leads the all-time series 13-11-3, though the Wildcats have won the last five meetings dating to 2012.
Later in the week, the Wildcats begin the home stretch of the BIG EAST regular season. Marquette (5-6-1 overall, 1-3-0 BIG EAST) will be at the Higgins Soccer Complex for a match that gets underway at 1 p.m. (Nova Nation All-Access). This is the first of five conference matches to close out the 2019 regular season.
