VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova (0-1-1 overall) embarks on a Labor Day weekend road trip to the state of Michigan, beginning with a Friday morning match at Michigan State. Kickoff time for that contest, originally set for noon, has been moved up one hour to 11 a.m. due to the threat of storms in Friday's forecast.
The game at DeMartin Stadium is being played early in the day so as not to conflict with the Spartans' Friday night football opener that begins at 7 p.m. in nearby Spartan Stadium.
The first meeting between the programs took place on Labor Day 2023 and it too was moved to a morning kickoff time in consideration of weather factors. The Wildcats and Spartans played to a 1-1 draw on a day when the temperatures climbed into the mid-90s.
The Wildcats have shown flashes of offensive firepower in the first 180 minutes of regular season soccer they have played in 2024. Graduate student Jorge Garcia has already contributed two goals and an assist as part of an attack that has registered four goals thus far.
Villanova, though, aims to be stingier in and around its own 18-yard box. The Wildcats surrendered set piece goals in both their 2-2 draw with St. Peter's at the Higgins Soccer Complex on Aug. 22 and in a 3-2 loss Sunday evening at Temple. Villanova also saw the Owls earn a penalty kick Sunday, a chance that the Temple converted for its third goal.
"For us the key is just staying together, continue to have belief in what we're doing," stated Villanova head coach Mark Fetrow. "It's about having belief in our process."
The Wildcats will remain in Michigan following the Friday matinee ahead of a Labor Day game in Kalamazoo, Mich., at Western Michigan (3 p.m.)
"We're going to get a different look against a Big Ten team and a Western Michigan team that has been in the NCAA Tournament," said Fetrow. "It's a good opportunity to test the group again but for us, it's about what we're trying to improve on and what we're trying to accomplish.
"We're not far off. We've just got to clean up some little things."
Michigan State sports an identical 0-1-1 mark heading into Friday's action. Meanwhile, the Broncos picked up wins over ranked opponents in their first two regular season games, downing No. 14 Vermont 3-1 in their opener and winning 1-0 at No. 9 New Hampshire last Sunday.
