His goal in Villanova's stirring 4-0 victory at St. John's last Friday night was among other things, a tone-setter. It came after the Wildcats had spent the first 20 plus minutes at Belson Stadium on their heels, fending off pressure from the Red Storm.
When senior
Gray Ricca found the back of the net at 23:09, it ignited the Wildcats, launching them to a win in their BIG EAST road opener.
"We were on our back foot before Gray's goal," noted Villanova head coach
Tom Carlin. "That goal changed everything."
Indeed, Villanova added two goals before halftime and another in the second half to improve to 3-2-2 overall, 1-0-1 BIG EAST. In addition to his goal, Ricca's sound defense helped limit the Red Storm to a total of seven shots on the night.
"It was a good road win against St. John's," said Ricca. "To get a 4-0 win against a good team like St. John's was big for us. And now we're hoping to carry that momentum into Penn State. That's a quality team that won the Big 10 last year. This will be a good test for us."
Ricca and his fellow Wildcats will host the Nittany Lions (4-2-2 overall, 1-0-1 Big Ten) Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the Higgins Soccer Complex. Both teams will step out of conference play for an intriguing non-conference matchup that will be streamed on the Villanova Sports Network on FloSports.
Villanova is 2-0-1 this season at home, scoring eight goals while surrendering just one.
"It's a much more familiar environment for us than we find on the road," stated Ricca. "We're an experienced team that has been playing here for three and four years in most cases. We practice here every day.
"We've had great support this year at home. There have been a lot of people at our games against Northwestern and Providence. That really helps out, too. It's something that doesn't go unnoticed. We really appreciate it."
Wednesday's match will also highlight the role of Team Impact as both sides will be joined by honorary captains from Team Impact. Penn State will be led by Levi Haines. For the Wildcats, that representative is
Elwood Westhoff. Team Impact matches children facing serious illnesses and disabilities with college athletics teams, creating a long-term, life-altering experience for everyone involved.
"Elwood is just a massive part of our team now," states Ricca. "You look back to last year and wonder how we did it without him. He's just a positive light on our team. We see him out at practice and know that things may be going kind of tough in his life. But he boosts our mood instantly.
"As a team, we're really grateful to have him and couldn't imagine doing it without him."
A native of Belle Meade, N.J., Ricca first latched on to soccer while tagging along to watch his older sister Jordan practice (he also has another older sister Ryan).
"I was too young," says Ricca, "but I was standing off to the side dribbling while my sister practiced. My mom (Gina) called my Dad (Mark) to tell him 'I think he's going to be a soccer player.'"
The youngest Ricca charted a path to make his mother's forecast a reality. By middle school he was locked in exclusively on soccer and it wasn't long before he attracted the attention of noted club teams, including Red Bulls Academy and PDA. There, he established himself as a skilled midfielder, capable of handling a wide range of duties.
When it came time to consider colleges, Ricca had a plan.
"A big thing for me was finding that mix between athletics and academics," Ricca stated. "I toured a lot of great schools, but none had that combination the way Villanova did. I feel like I've been able to thrive in both areas since I've been here."
Ricca is a Cognitive and Behavioral Science major at Villanova. He ultimately hopes to attend medical school after utilizing his fifth year of soccer eligibility in 2023.
On the field, Ricca is a seasoned veteran. He earned a spot in the starting lineup as a freshman in 2019 and has remained there ever since. One of his strengths is a versality that has allowed Carlin and his staff to use him in a variety of roles.
"I think the area I've grown the most is in being adaptable," says Ricca. "I came in mostly as a box-to-box midfielder. Now, you can put me right back, center back, even forward. I haven't played goalie yet but if they really need me to, I'll be ready.
"People ask me how can you switch positions so easily? At the end of the day, it's just soccer. If it's a new spot, I can get used to it."
Smarts, skill, and versatility have been Ricca's trademarks at Villanova. They'll be on display Wednesday afternoon in a pivotal match on West Campus.
