April 14, 2011
Villanova Notes
Rutgers Notes
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VILLANOVA, Pa. - No. 11 Villanova (8-3, 0-2) returns to BIG EAST action this weekend when they host Rutgers (5-6, 0-2) on Saturday evening. The Wildcats are coming off a 10-4 victory over No. 17 Delaware on April 9th where they held the Blue Hens scoreless for 42:36.
Saturday's contest will mark the 8th overall meeting between the BIG EAST schools, with Rutgers holding the 6-2 advantage in the all-time series. Villanova has claimed the last two outings in the series in 2009 and 2010, besting the Scarlet Knights by a score of 8-4 each match. Rutgers last claimed victory over Villanova during the 1997 season.
Villanova This Season: The Wildcats enter Saturday's contest with an 8-3 record after defeating Delaware, 10-4, last weekend.
Four of Villanova's eight wins have come against opponents ranked at the time of their meetings: the Wildcats topped No. 16 Drexel, 14-13, in a Philadelphia showdown, and also bested No. 9 Penn, 9-8 in VU's lone overtime game of the season. Against No. 11 Princeton, Villanova claimed their first-ever win against the Tigers, 10-9, in the Class of 1952 Stadium. VU also claimed a dominating 10-4 win over No. 17 Delaware.
Villanova's Last Outing: No. 11 Villanova scored eight unanswered goals en route to a 10-4 victory over former CAA-rival and No. 17 Delaware on Saturday evening at Villanova Stadium.
Sophomore Jack Rice led all scorers with three goals and one assist while senior Brian Karalunas had another stellar showing posting eight ground balls and six caused turnovers for the night. Goalkeeper Billy Hurley captured eight saves in the victory.
The Wildcats held Delaware scoreless for 42:36 - the longest scoring drought Villanova has held opponents to this season. VU previously held Syracuse scoreless for 40:06 on March 26th and Princeton scoreless for 31:11 on March 15th.
'Nova Offense: Villanova features 13 players contributing on offense and is highlighted by the offensive scoring from the sophomore and junior classes. Combined, the second and third years tally 167 out of 176 total team points. Additionally, versus their opponents, the Wildcats average 9.90 goals per game compared to the 7.81 of their competition and claim a .628 shot on goal percentage over their competitors .554.
'Nova Defense: Netminder Billy Hurley has been the staple between the pipes for the season, totaling over 650 minutes while making 87 saves on the year.
Senior LSM Brian Karalunas continues to hold his spot atop the NCAA rankings in caused turnovers per game, averaging 4.73 takeaways per contest. For the season, Karalunas has 52 takeaways and 49 ground balls on the year, while the starting trio at close defense: juniors Chris Creighton, Ryan McDonagh, and senior Chris Ficke have combined for 72 ground balls and 28 caused turnovers through Villanova's 11 games.
Rutgers Last Outing: The Rutgers men's lacrosse team (5-6) dropped a heartbreaking 11-10 decision to in-state rival Princeton (3-6) Tuesday evening at the RU Turf Field. For the game, which was delayed over an hour due to inclement weather, the Scarlet Knights were led by Matt Klimchak who tallied a game-high four goals.
Rutgers this Season: Rutgers comes to Villanova Stadium with a 5-6 overall record and an 0-2 record in the BIG EAST, falling to Notre Dame (8-3) and St. John's (9-8). Despite dropping their last five contests, the Scarlet Knights began the season with a four game win-streak.
Scarlet Knight Offense: The Scarlet Knights average 9.18 goals per game on offense and surrender 7.36 goals per game defensively. Redshirt freshman Scott Klimchak leads the team with 32 points through 21 goals and 11 assists while Duncan Clancy, Michael Diehl and Will Mangan follow closely behind with 31, 17 and 16 points apiece, respectively.
Scarlet Knight Defense: Sophomore goalkeepers Rudy Butler and Joseph Donnelly have shared time in net this season, combining for a 7.36 goals against average and a .474 save percentage. The duo has made 73 saves on the year and posted a 1-3 and 4-3 record, respectively.
Last Time vs. Rutgers (3/20/10): The 9th-ranked Villanova Wildcats brought home a monumental 8-4 victory Sunday afternoon in a defensive battle with BIG EAST Conference foe Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J. Despite the rainy and cold conditions, senior Paul Webber captured his fourth game of the season scoring at least four points, tallying two goals and two assists on the day.
