VILLANOVA, Pa.
– The Villanova Wildcats certainly would prefer to be in a more comfortable circumstance in the BIG EAST standings. A 3-game losing skid in October has pushed them from near the top of the table to seventh place as the week begins, one spot below the last qualifying position for the conference postseason tournament.
Yet this is not unfamiliar territory for Villanova. In 2021, the Wildcats dropped three straight, including two at home at the Higgins Soccer Complex, in mid-October and yet rallied to reach the BIG EAST Tournament. They then knocked off Creighton to advance to the league semifinal and followed that up with the first NCAA Tournament victory in program history, 1-0 at Vermont.
"It was around this same time last year that we lost three in a row," stated head coach
Tom Carlin in the minutes after the Wildcats' bid for a second half rally against Georgetown fell short in a 3-2 defeat Saturday. "We responded to that. These guys were a part of that. They lived it.
"We've just got to have mental toughness to execute the details of what we need to do to get a home win against UConn."
The first appointment in this homestretch comes Wednesday at 3 p.m. as Connecticut (4-6-2 overall, 1-3-2 BIG EAST) comes to the Higgins Soccer Complex. The match will air on the BIG EAST Digital Network on Flo Sports. At halftime, Villanova will celebrate its 2022 BIG EAST President's Award and it's also Title IX Day on West Campus.
One good sign for the Wildcats on Saturday came with the two second-half goals generated against the Hoyas. Sophomore
Balthi Saunders played a role in both, scoring the first on a strike from outside the top of the box and earning an assist on the second, scored by
Branden Johns. Prior to that, Villanova (5-6-2 overall, 2-4-1 BIG EAST) had scored four goals in five games, including a 2-0 shutout last Wednesday evening at Butler.
The Huskies forged a 1-1 draw on Saturday night at Marquette. Earlier in the month they knocked off preseason conference favorite Providence 3-2. Last season, Nova downed UConn 1-0 in overtime in Storrs, Conn.
Entering play Wednesday, Georgetown, Seton Hall, and Xavier are deadlocked in a three-way tie for first with 13 points apiece. Butler sits in fourth place (10 points) while Providence (nine points) is in fifth place. Villanova is one point off the pace of sixth place St. John's.
The Wildcats visit Seton Hall Saturday at 7 p.m. (BIG EAST Digital Network on Flo Sports).
