VILLANOVA, Pa. – The Wildcats were back on I-95 Thursday, headed towards New England for the second time in less than a week. They are set to meet Connecticut Friday night in Storrs at 7 p.m. (BIG EAST Digital Network on Flo Sports).
 
Last Saturday night, Villanova fought back in the final 15 minutes to score two goals to grab a 4-3 win at Providence, leveling their BIG EAST record at 1-1 (1-3-3 overall). Graduate student Marcus Brenes (Wayne, N.J.) scored two goals and was named Philly Soccer Six Player of the Week on Tuesday. Luke Martelli, who assisted on the Brenes goal that tied the game, was the Philly Soccer Six Freshman of the Week.
 
"We've been trending in the right direction," stated head coach Tom Carlin, "but it was nice to see the perseverance pay off with a win against a good team."
 
Villanova will look to build on that momentum Friday night. The Huskies (5-3 overall, 1-1 BIG EAST) defeated St. John's 2-1 in their league opener at Joseph Marrone Stadium on Sept. 15 before dropping a 4-2 decision at Seton Hall last Saturday evening. All five of UConn's wins this season have come in Storrs (5-1 overall).

"We've had a good week or practice," stated Carlin. "Being able to build off a dramatic win like that is valuable. It's always nice to be able to learn from a win."

UConn will present a challenge.

"They're well-coached and balanced," stated Carlin. "They have two big forwards who are a handful to deal with and play very well at home."
 
The Wildcats earned a 1-0 overtime victory in their most recent visit to Connecticut in 2021. Lyam MacKinnon converted a penalty kick for Nova. Last season, the Huskies returned the favor, notching a goal in the 76^th minute that proved to be the difference in a 1-0 triumph at the Higgins Soccer Complex.

"Most of those guys are gone," noted Carlin of his side, "but there are some still with us. We did get three points when we were there last time and for those of us who were there, it's a good memory."
 
The Wildcats welcomed senior co-captain Jack Bonas back to the lineup at Providence. The center back missed the two previous games with an injury.
 
Also providing a boost have been some of the newest Wildcats, including Martelli, Belmar Joseph, and Mikhail Zaretser. Joseph and Zaretser have each started the last three games for the 'Cats with Joseph picking up his first college point in a 2-2 draw last week against Western Michigan.
 
Senior Dominick Cyriacks has also played a pivotal role, picking up two assists at Providence. The native of Hamburg, Germany leads VU in that department with three assists in the seven games played thus far.
 
With the addition of Akron in 2023, the BIG EAST has shifted from a nine-game league slate to an eight-game version this season. That only serves to add to the urgency to collect as many points as possible in conference matchups.

"We've been through some different scheduling formats in my 16 years," stated Carlin. "But this is an adjustment. In this format, we have a lot more non-conference games and it does add to the urgency of conference games. There are only eight chances to get the points you need to get into the postseason."