Final Stats

PROVIDENCE, R.I - A goal by Fabio Machado at 87:59 lifted Providence (6-2-1 overall, 1-0-1 BIG EAST) to a hard fought 2-1 victory over Villanova in a BIG EAST clash played here on Saturday night.

The loss snaps a three game Wildcats' winning streak and drops their record to 6-5-1 overall, 1-2-0 BIG EAST.

One of the keys for VU in its recent run of success was quality play in the game's earliest minutes. The Wildcats outscored La Salle and DePaul by a combined 6-0 in the first half last week but have found that task more daunting while on the road where momentum often boosts the home side.

On this night Villanova found itself playing from behind as it had in its first three matches of 2014, all played away from home. The Friars grabbed the advantage at 6:34 when Machado set up Mac Steeves for his fifth goal of the season. That gave Providence the lead and turned up the pressure on the `Cats.

"Any time you travel on the road in the BIG EAST you are kind of going uphill from the outset," stated Villanova head coach Tom Carlin. "They had a lot of momentum early and were able to get one, which makes it harder."

Yet Villanova has battled back from adversity before in 2014 and did so again as the half played out. The Wildcats patiently created their own chances and drew even in the 40th minute after earning a free kick. Sophomore Max Kroschwitz sent a ball that found senior Colton Bryant, who redirected the ball into the bottom left side of the net at 39:30.

"We were to get one and felt like we had neutralized their momentum as we headed into halftime," said Carlin.

The match remained level at halftime. The Friars held an 11-5 edge in shots over the first period and Wildcats' sophomore goalkeeper Will Steiner made five saves to insure matters were all even.

The taut affair continued deep into the second half. The Wildcats had a handful of quality scoring opportunities but were unable to put a bow on any of those and the game crept toward the end of regulation with overtime seemingly in the offing.

"We had three or four quality chances in the second half," Carlin noted, "but we just couldn't find one there. We had a chance to put Providence in a tough spot if we had been able to get one there."

Instead, the Friars were able to turn the tables on Villanova. Machado was again in the middle of this opportunity, only this time he provided the finishing touch after a cross from Markus Nagelstad made its way through the box. The goal at 87:59 snapped the tie and in the end would be the difference as the Friars claimed their first BIG EAST victory of the campaign.

"They came down the right flank and were able to create enough room to cross it to a runner," stated Carlin.

Villanova now returns home to get set for its next BIG EAST clash, Wednesday afternoon at the Higgins Soccer Complex against Seton Hall (4:00 p.m./Nova Nation All-Access).

"We've been in this position before after some tough times on the road and gotten ourselves back on track at home," stated Carlin. "We're hopeful we can do that again. This was one game and there's nothing we can do about it now. We have to focus on the next one against Seton Hall."