Final Stats

VILLANOVA, Pa. ââ'¬" The Villanova Wildcats netted a season high four goals Saturday on their way to a 4-2 BIG EAST victory over DePaul at the Higgins Soccer Complex. The win was Villanova's third straight and raises its record to 6-3-1 overall, 2-1 BIG EAST.

DePaul, meanwhile, falls to 5-4-2 overall, 0-3 BIG EAST.

"We had the start we wanted," stated Villanova head coach Tom Carlin. "The guys carried out the game plan to a T. It was incredible how much the guys battled on the attack and on the defensive end. They trusted the schemes we put in place."

Villanova got on the scoreboard before the game was 10 minutes old. Freshman Conor Bradley threaded a ball from the left side to senior Padraic McCullaugh near the top of DePaul's 18 yard box. McCullaugh touched the ball to an open Miguel Polley on a run towards goal. Polley knocked the shot past DePaul goalkeeper Quentin Low at 9:29 to stake the 'Cats to a 1-0 advantage.

In the 19th minute, the Wildcats struck again. This play began along the right side as freshman Sean Teixeira served a dangerous ball along the turf in front of the Blue Demons goal. A DePaul defender attempted to clear the pass but instead deflected it into the net for an own goal.

A penalty kick called on Villanova in the 44th minute gave DePaul its best opportunity of the first 45 minutes. The Wildcats' Will Steiner made a spectacular save on the PK bid ââ'¬" his second such stop of 2016 - by Simon Megally but the ball came directly to DePaul's Hans Wustling. Wustling collected the carom and sent a blast into the left side of the net to narrow VU's lead to 2-1 just before halftime.

A nifty give and go at the top of the 18-year box in DePaul's end of the field resulted in the Wildcats' third score on this overcast afternoon as Polley and Zach Zandi went to work. Polley was credited with the assist as Zandi finished with a low shot from the left side that eluded Low in the 53rd minute to build a 3-1 edge.

"When those two are zipping around like they were today," Carlin noted, "we're fantastic. We're a tough team to defend. They see the game differently than most players do."

More sharp passing produced the Wildcats' fourth goal of the afternoon in the 82nd minute. This time junior Lucas Hodges found Christopher Bared wide open on the left side approaching goal and Bared fired a shot inside the left post to make it 4-1..

Megally closed out the scoring when he sent a free kick past the Wildcats' wall and into the net in the 88th minute.

"This was a good team effort," Carlin stated. "It was important to continue our momentum and take care of our home field."

Villanova begins a stretch of three straight on the road when it visits Philly Soccer Six rival Temple Tuesday at 3 p.m. in Ambler, Pa.