Sept. 1, 2012
Final Stats
HAMILTON, N.Y. - After asserting its offensive firepower in its first two games of 2012, on Saturday Villanova leaned on its 2011 staple, defense, to post a 1-0 victory over Colgate (1-1-1). The Wildcats improve to 3-0 overall on the season and now look forward to a stretch of games in their own backyard leading into the start of BIG EAST action later this month.
"It's one of those games where you don't spend a lot of time watching the tape - we're happy to get the win and move on," stated Villanova head coach Tom Carlin. "We were able to get a gutsy win on the road."
The game's only score came early and it resembled the goal scored by Kyle Soroka to give VU the lead on Tuesday in what would become a 4-1 win over Stony Brook. A set piece allowed freshman Sean Sheridan to send a left footed boot into the box, where Will Cason was able to get his head on the ball and re-direct it past Raider goalkeeper Grant Reed.
The score came at 1:32.
"Sean played a great ball in and Will was able to get up and knock it inside the post," stated Carlin. "It's always good to get that first goal. It kind of allows you to take a deep breath, especially on the road."
In 2011 these sides fought a tight defensive battle in what ultimately ended as a 1-1 draw. This year's tussle was much the same. Scoring opportunities were hard to come by and there were a total of just nine shots recorded in the first 45 minutes, seven of those from Colgate.
Colgate did all it could to get the equalizer but were held at bay throughout by senior goalkeeper John Fogarty and his friends in front of the goal, including center backs Cason and senior Kyle McCarthy. Villanova generated a few counter attacks of its own to no avail.
A mere 88 plus minutes after Cason's score, the tally was the same. And Villanova had its third straight triumph.
"I thought there were waves where we played really well and seemed to have control," noted Carlin. "And then there were other waves when Colgate got its teeth into the game. Colgate is a good team. Our upperclassmen won a lot of battles for us, though, and I think the experience we got at the end of last season helped us have the confidence to make sure we got the win."
After recording two road wins in its first three outing, the Wildcats now look ahead to a stretch of seven games this month where they will venture no further than Philadelphia. It begins next weekend when the Wildcats meet Hartford on Friday night at Penn Park on the University of Pennsylvania campus. VU returns there on Sept. 9 to meet Air Force at 1:00 p.m. before visiting Penn to face the host Quakers on Rhoads Field on Sept. 14.
Then VU returns to the West Campus Soccer Complex on Sept. 16 to host Princeton, the first of four straight on its home pitch.
"We came out of this stretch with some travel in it at 3-0 and that's a good step," Carlin said.
