No. 5 Seed Villanova (11-6-1, 5-4-1 BE) at No. 1 Seed Georgetown (14-2, 8-2 BE)
2021 BIG EAST Semifinal Presented by Jeep
Thursday, Nov. 11, 11 a.m.
Shaw Field
Washington, D.C.
Live Stream: BIG EAST Digital Network Presented by Flo Sports
Winner advances to title game Sunday, Nov. 14 at noon
 
After being picked to finish 11^th in the preseason BIG EAST Coaches poll, the Wildcats combined their best start ever in league play (4-0) with a finishing 3-0-1 kick, including Saturday night's come from behind 2-1 victory over No. 4 seed Creighton.
 
Villanova in the BIG EAST Tournament (4-12-3):
1991 Semifinals: #1 Seton Hall 4, #4 Villanova 0
1993 Semifinals: #1 St. John's 6, #4 Villanova 4
1997 Quarterfinals: #3 Rutgers 2, #6 Villanova 0
2003 Quarterfinals: #1 St. John's 2, #8 Villanova 1 (Overtime)
2004 Quarterfinals: #5 Georgetown 1, #4 Villanova 1* Georgetown advances on PK's
2005 Opening Round: #4 Blue Georgetown 2, #3 Red Villanova 2* Georgetown advances
2007 Opening Round: #2 Blue West Virginia 2, #4 Red Villanova 0
2008 Opening Round: #3 Blue Providence 2, #6 Red Villanova 1
2009 Opening Round: #5 Blue Providence 2, #4 Red Villanova 1
2010 Opening Round: #5 Blue Providence 3, #4 Red Villanova 0
2011 Opening Round: # 5 Red Villanova 1, #4 Blue Notre Dame 0
2011 Quarterfinal: #5 Red Villanova 1, #1 Red USF 0
2011 Semifinal: #2 Red St. John's 2, #5 Red Villanova 0
2012 Opening Round: #4 Red Villanova 3, #5 Blue Seton Hall 1
2012 Quarterfinal: #1 Blue Connecticut 1, #4 Red Villanova 0
2014 Opening Round: #4 Providence 2, #5 Villanova 1
2016 Opening Round: #4 Villanova 0, #5 DePaul 0 (2 OT) *Villanova advances
2016 Semifinals: #2 Butler 1, #4 Villanova 0 (2 OT)
2021 Opening Round: No. 5 Villanova 2, #4 Creighton 1
 
The 11 victories recorded this season mark the sixth time in program history that the Wildcats have reached double digits in wins in the BIG EAST era (1991, 2003, 2007, 2012, 2016). The single season program record for victories is 12, established by the 1980 Wildcats (12-4) and matched by the 2012 edition (12-6-2).
 
This is just the third all-time meeting between these two programs in the BIG EAST Tournament. Both of the prior two encounters took place at Villanova's West Campus facility, then known as the Villanova Soccer Stadium (it was renamed the Higgins Soccer Complex in 2013). In consecutive seasons, 2004 and 2005, the two sides played to a draw across 110 minutes. Georgetown advanced on kicks in both instances.
 
Villanova's 5-4-1 mark in BIG EAST action is its best since 2016, when the Wildcats ended the campaign at 5-3-1. That team hosted DePaul as the No. 4 seed in the opening round of the BIG EAST Tournament and played a scoreless draw. Villanova advanced to the semifinals on penalty kicks.
 
The Creighton victory was Tom Carlin's 115^th as head coach, pushing him past his predecessor Larry Sullivan (114) as the program's all-time coaching wins leader. Carlin, who began his career as the head coach at Arcadia University, enters this matchup with a career mark of 234-138-33. His Villanova record is 115-115-24. This is the ninth time in 14 seasons that he has guided Nova to the BIG EAST postseason and the 2016 Wildcats earned the program's first NCAA College Cup appearance in 2016.
 
On the heels of the win at Creighton, Villanova climbed to No. 26 in the NCAA RPI report issued on Sunday. The Wildcats have six victories over teams ranked in the Top 77 of the national RPI and four of its losses have come to sides in the RPI Top 25, including Georgetown (No. 3), Creighton (No. 23), Penn State (No. 25) and St. John's (No. 29).
 
Junior Lyam MacKinnon (Lausanne, Switzerland) leads Villanova in scoring with seven goals and five assist (19 points) and was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team in voting announced Monday. With one more goal, MacKinnon would become the first Wildcat since Sean Sheridan in 2015 to score eight goals in a single season.
 
Earlier in the season senior goalkeeper Carson Williams became Villanova's all-time leader in shutouts (20). His work early in the second half helped the Wildcats remain within striking distance at Creighton, where he finished with five saves. The Plano, Tex., native enters the BIG EAST semifinal with a 1.15 goals against average and was a second team All-BIG EAST selection.
 
Freshman Balthi Saunders (Brooklyn, N.Y.) enjoyed a strong rookie season, posting four goals and an assist for nine points. He came off the bench in Saturday night's match at Creighton, logging 16 minutes.
 
Villanova's October slump coincided with the absence of junior defensive midfielder Josh Belluz (Toronto, Ontario). Belluz was injured late in the first half of a 1-0 overtime win at Connecticut on Oct. 9. The injury sidelined Belluz for four games – he returned at Northwestern on Oct. 24. With Belluz in the lineup, Villanova is 11-2-1.
 
The Wildcats and Hoyas met at Shaw Field on Oct. 16. MacKinnon opened the scoring at the 5:51 mark but Georgetown reeled off three unanswered goals to post a 3-1 victory. Georgetown out-shot Nova 28-6.
 
            Junior Viktor Benediktsson and sophomore Jack Bonas have served as the heart of Villanova's stingy defense at center back during this fall campaign. Benediktsson was tabbed BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 4. The Wildcats conceded 20 goals across 17 games (1.12 goals against average). Eight of those goals came in a pair of losses, at Penn State (four) and vs. Creighton (four). In Villanova's other 16 outings, it posted a 0.75 goals against average with eight shutouts.
 
            During its current 3-0-1 unbeaten streak, the Wildcats have surrendered just one goal (0.25).
 
            The first goal of Anthony Cousins Jr.'s college career could not have been more timely. The outside back pressed forward in the 87^th minute to collect a rebound of a shot by sophomore Luke Pompliano and sent it into the net to propel the Wildcats into the postseason. Cousins Jr., is a native of Honolulu who spent time in the Philadelphia Union Academy. He transferred to Villanova after beginning his college career at Florida International University.
 
            Sophomore Luke Pompliano has played a key role in consecutive games off the bench. He assisted on Cousins' game-winner against Seton Hall and then add the game-winner Saturday night at Creighton. He has appeared in 12 games this season with two goals and an assist (five points).

            No. 2 seed Providence meets No.6 seed in the second semifinal Thursday at 1:30 p.m.