VILLANOVA, Pa. – The Villanova Wildcats return to action on Saturday as they host their final regular season match of 2026 at the Higgins Soccer Complex.
Akron, which sits at No. 6 in the most recent United Soccer Coaches national poll, makes its first ever stop at Villanova. The Zips, who ousted the Wildcats in their first-ever NCAA Tournament contest in 2016, joined the BIG EAST as an associate member for men's soccer in 2023.
The Zips come to Villanova sporting a 9-1-4 overall mark, 2-1-3 in BIG EAST play. They enter the weekend in second place in the BIG EAST Midwest Division, tied with Xavier. Creighton leads the Midwest Division with 12 points.
Villanova (5-7-3 overall, 0-5-1 BIG EAST), meanwhile, returns to its home pitch hoping to regain some of the momentum it generated in the first half of Tuesday night's 2-2 draw at Saint Joseph's.
"We did a good job of maintaining possession and connecting in the final third," said Wildcats head coach Mark Fetrow. "We were able to get a two-goal lead but we lost some of our focus near the end of the first half and didn't get it back."
One of the goals came from junior midfielder Karson Vazquez. That was his fourth goal of the season, tying him with Luke Martelli for the team points lead at 12 (four goals, four assists). The native of Winter Garden, Fla., has taken a major step forward in his third season in the Blue and White after contributing two goals a season ago.
Vazquez has started all 15 games in 2026, averaging 63.9 minutes per outing while emerging as a true threat in the attacking part of the field. He also often serves as one of the Wildcats' primary corner kick specialists.
Tuesday night's other goal scorer was senior Marcello Mazzola, whose playing career at Villanova has been shadowed by injuries. His appearance in Tuesday night's game was just his 21st as a Wildcat.
"Cello has been through so much with the injuries," said Fetrow. "It was good to see him be able to contribute with a goal in his first game of the season."
Saturday's match with Akron kicks off at 1:05 p.m. at the Higgins Soccer Complex. The live stream will be carried on ESPN+.
