PROVIDENCE, R.I.  – A goal in the 88^th minute by Balthi Saunders lifted Villanova to a 4-3 victory over Providence in a back-and-forth BIG EAST Conference battle here Saturday night. Graduate student Marcus Brenes scored two goals for the 'Cats, including the score that pulled Villanova back to level at three in the 77^th minute.
 
"We are learning perseverance, that's for sure," stated Villanova head coach Tom Carlin following the victory. "We've all felt like this was coming over the last stretch of games. We've been playing better. But I'm happy for our group to see it come together like this because when you're down a goal with 20 minutes left on the road, it can be easy to wonder if it's happening again.
 
"We fought past that, though, and it's a credit to the guys."
 
An early set piece got Villanova (1-3-3 overall, 1-1-0 BIG EAST) off on the right foot. This one came in the second minute, courtesy of a Dominic Cyriacks service that found Brenes in the box. The fifth-year Wildcat buried the opportunity just 1:46 into the match.
 
The Wildcats kept the heat on too, sending the next three shots towards goal over the next six minutes as Petrera and Balthi Saunders led the attack. Villanova also was bolstered by the return to the lineup of co-captain Jack Bonas, who missed the previous two outings with an injury.
 
"I thought the guys were loose before the game and we carried that over into the game," noted Carlin. "We were aggressive in the first half and it helped us against a good team."
 
The heavy rain that covered much of the northeast on Saturday began falling in the 11^th minute. After a Villanova throw-in, the Friars' Diego Battista came up with a steal and sent a feed from near the sideline into the right side of the 18-yard box. Nathan Messer re-directed the pass with his head past Dickey to level the match at one.
 
But it didn't take very long for Villanova to reclaim the advantage. After entering the game when Tommy Johnson was helped off the pitch, Cousins collected a pass from Saunders and used a nifty left footed move to sneak a shot past Friars' goalkeeper Lukas Burns to push the 'Cats back on top, 2-1.
 
Providence answered in the 26^th minute. The Friars' second goal developed from a steady buildup and possession along the right side. Brendan McSorely put the finishing touch past Dickey at 25:56.
 
Freshman Belmar Joseph nearly put the Wildcats back on top later in the period, firing a shot from the right side that Burns managed to knock away. A rebound was available in the box but the Friars' defender disrupted the bid for a put-back resulting in a Providence goal kick in the 38^th minute.
 
The contest remained level at halftime. Both teams recorded eight shots over the first 45 minutes. Providence held the edge in corner kicks, 5-1.
 
A Petrera header early in the second half just missed the right post as Villanova bid to regain the lead in the 57^th minute. Yet Carlin was uneasy as he watched the second half unfold.
 
"I thought we were a little more passive than we had been earlier," said Carlin, "and Providence made us pay."
 
In the 69^th minute Providence claimed the lead for the first time. Pearse O'Brien tucked a shot just inside the left post to give the Friars the one goal edge with just more than 20 minutes to play.
 
"After they scored," Carlin said, "I thought we became aggressive again and were able to get back on the front foot."
 
The Wildcats also inserted freshman Luke Martelli into the match, a substitution that paid immediate dividends. Martelli made two key plays to set up the equalizer. His run down the left side created a corner kick opportunity on that side. Then, he received a short corner pass and sent it to the far side of the 18-yard box where Brenes re-directed the ball with his head into the left side of the net at 76:29.
 
"When you sub a guy in, you're hoping he can make an impact on the game," Carlin said. "Luke did an incredible job in his time tonight."
 
Villanova kept the pressure on and went back in front at 87:03 off a creative dribble move on the right side by Saunders. The junior dribbled through a pair of Friars' defenders and then pushed a deft left-footed shot past Burns to push the 'Cats back on top.
 
"That's what Balthi can do," stated Carlin. "He made a great play to get us a decisive goal. (Brenes) getting two goals for us was huge too."
 
Dickey made one final save on a long shot attempt by the Friars with 57 seconds on the clock to effectively put the finishing touch on this one.
 
"After the game I told the guys, 'you can exhale now,'" said Carlin. "It's human nature to wonder when it's going to turn even if you know the signs are there that it's coming. We got a Big East road win at a tough place to play. The guys persevered and were rewarded."
 
This was the first of consecutive road BIG EAST matches for Villanova. Following this contest, the 'Cats will have a full week to prepare for another New England stop, this one on Sept. 30 at Connecticut.