VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova returns to action on Tuesday afternoon when it hosts Philly Soccer Six rival Penn at the Higgins Soccer Complex. Kickoff is set for just after 4 p.m. The match will be live streamed via villanova.com. on Flo Sports.
The Wildcats (0-4-3 overall, 0-1 BIG EAST) return to their home pitch after dueling Marquette in a back-and-forth affair last Friday in the BIG EAST opener for both sides. The Golden Eagles picked up a goal midway through the second half to snap a 2-2 tie.
"We did some good things (Friday)," stated head coach Mark Fetrow, "but we're working to be more clinical in the final third. It's hard to win at this level when you give up three goals."
Penn comes to the Main Line with a 5-1 overall record that includes a win over No. 3 Pitt. The Quakers were ranked at No. 11 in the most recent NCSAA poll.
This is the first meeting between the Quakers and Wildcats since 2017, when Villanova notched a 2-1 victory in Philadelphia. Penn holds a 10-9-5 all-time lead in the series dating back to 1982.
Villanova will celebrate UNITAS Day during this home game. Consistent with Villanova's Augustinian Catholic Mission and Values, UNITAS is a framework to build a welcoming and supportive athletic department by creating safe spaces for constructive dialogs, educational programming, and community engagement. Villanova's student-athletes, coaches, and staff come from a variety of backgrounds and have diverse perspectives and passionate viewpoints on a range of issues.
Five Wildcats hold leadership positions within the UNITAS umbrella of student organizations: Tommy Johnson (President of Every Mind Matters, and a leader in StriVE); Oneil Dawes (Secretary of Thirteen Percent); Branden Johns (Mentor of Thirteen Percent); Javon Daniels (New Member Rep. of Thirteen Percent); Foday Bangura (Co-Out Of Bounds Coordinator of Thirteen Percent).
"We've got a number of guys who are actively involved in UNITAS," said Fetrow. "We're excited to be able to support all of the work that UNITAS does at Villanova and honor it at this game against a very talented Penn team."
Also of note on Tuesday matchup: graduate transfer Michael teDuits faces his former school for the first time. The Wildcats' midfielder, a native of Westwood, Mass., appeared in 34 career games for the Quakers. The 2020 Ivy League fall season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following this match, the Wildcats will turn their attention back to BIG EAST play. They travel to meet St. John's Saturday night at 7 p.m. (BIG EAST Digital Network).
