Villanova Univeristy Athletics

Cathy Ford had already had a dominant season for Villanova in its final year before transitioning from a club sport to the varsity level. As the first star for the fledgling Wildcats squad her speed on the field translated into being a dominant goal scorer. Ford was part of Villanova’s roster for each of the women’s soccer program’s first three varsity seasons and she also played four years of varsity softball where she set a still-standing record as the team’s most successful base stealer. She was inducted to the Varsity Club Hall of Fame in her first year eligible in 2001.
 
Villanova played its first varsity season in 1983 and was instantly led by the potent offensive pair of Ford and fellow Hall of Famer Ann Brennan. Ford already had one year on campus and had scored 19 goals while recording four assists and 42 points in 1982 when the Wildcats were still playing as a club program. Brennan arrived in 1983 and the duo helped Villanova quickly find its footing; the team’s inaugural varsity season ended with a 12-6 record, an ECAC Tournament appearance and the first postseason win in program history in a consolation game against Colgate.
 
Ford totaled 17 goals, 10 assists and 44 points during the 1983 season. Nearly 40 years after their careers, Ford and Brennan remained the only players in program history to have 10+ goals and 10+ assists in the same season. Ford was the program’s early career leader with 43 goals, 26 assists and 112 points when she graduated. Only Brennan – with a full four years at the varsity level – passed her in goals and points, while Ford was still fourth in the record book for assists decades later. She and Brennan each scored 14 career game-winning goals, with that mark standing as a school record until the 2011 season.
 
The 1984 season was an even better one for Ford as she amassed 23 goals, eight assists, 54 points and seven game-winning goals. She is still the only player in Villanova history to score 20+ goals in a season, while her sophomore and junior campaigns remain the top two entries in the Wildcats record book for both goals and points in one year. Ford is also the only player in school history with two seasons scoring six or more game-winning goals.
 
Villanova went 32-22-2 (.589) overall in its first three varsity seasons with Ford helping lead the way. The success included ECAC Tournament appearances in both 1983 and 1984, along with a 10-5-1 campaign in 1985 when Ford contributed three goals, eight assists and 14 points.
 
As a softball player Ford appeared in 88 games from 1983-86 and was a .305 career hitter with 34 walks and a .391 on-base percentage. She set a program career record with 36 career stolen bases and was not passed in the Wildcats record book until 12 years after she graduated. Ford still holds the softball program’s career record with a stolen base success rate of 94.7% (36-38). She led the team in steals four straight years and finished her career with 57 runs scored and only 18 strikeouts in 296 plate appearances.