Oct. 5, 2005
Final Stats
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - A Joe Lyonnais goal late in the first half provided the margin of victory as Rutgers defeated Villanova 1-0 in a Big East game played at Yurcak Field on a warm autumn evening. The Wildcats fall to 4-6-1 with the loss, 3-3-0 in the Big East, while Rutgers is now 3-6-2 overall, 2-3-1 in the Big East.
Few scoring opportunities were available in the game's first 25 minutes as the clubs combined to produce only three shots, none of which presented much danger to the defense. Villanova generated a quality chance in the 34th minute when senior Charlie Rowan (Livingston, N.J.) took a feed from freshman Adam Brazitis (Litiitz, Pa.) and headed it towards the Rutgers net. However, Scarlet Knights goalkeeper Lubos Ancin made an easy stop.
Rutgers' Chris Moore caused a stir moments later when he sent a cross from the left side in front of Villanova keeper Jason Friel (Dublin, Pa.) with three Knights ready to receive the pass. Friel leaped high into the air and collected the cross before it caused a problem for the `Cats.
The Scarlet Knights broke the deadlock with 4:46 remaining in the first half. Following a Villanova foul near midfield, Sean Cameron passed across the field to Alieu Terry approximately 40 yards away from the Wildcat net. Terry lofted a ball into the box which Lyonnais got his foot on with a bicycle kick which sailed into the upper left corner of the net.
At halftime Rutgers took a 1-0 advantage into the locker room. The Scarlet Knights out shot Villanova 4-2 in the period.
Early in the second half Rutgers nearly made it a 2-0 game. Moore took a soft feed from Cameron and had a clear line to the goal from 15 yards out. But his attempt to tuck the ball in the upper right corner sailed over the net.
Villanova sophomore Matt Morrison (Aberdeen, Scotland) made a bid to tie the game in the 70th minute. He knocked the ball away from Rutgers defender Abdul Kargo and broke in on net with the ball. But his shot along the ground was gobbled up by Ancin. Later, in the 78th minute freshman Joe Taylor (Southampton, Pa.) fed a cross that senior Greg Winther got a foot on in the box yet the shot rolled wide of the goal.
A final effort to knot matters was made by Rowan in the 87th minute. The senior sent a blast from just outside the top of the box that Ancin stopped.
Friel made three saves in net for the Wildcats while Ancin made a three saves for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers owned an 11-5 edge in shots.
The Wildcats begin a three game homestand on Saturday when DePaul comes to the Soccer Complex for a 1:00 p.m. match.
