Final Stats

VILLANOVA, Pa. -- A goal scored near the end of the first half by Temple's Mark Gresall proved to be the difference as the Owls downed Villanova 1-0 on a rain-soaked day at the Higgins Soccer Complex. The Wildcats fell to 0-2-0 on the season while Temple improved to 1-1-0.

"Temple's a good team -- credit to them," stated Villanova head coach Tom Carlin. "They seem to have had our number lately. It was a tough game for us. I thought we left ourselves a little too open in transition. We had chances and the flow of the play but they got the goal. We need to be more disciplined -- we lost our focus and composure at times."

The rain was steady throughout the match and it impacted matters. The slippery conditions worked against fluid offense and there were only 11 total shots in the first 45 minutes, nine from Temple.

The pivotal sequence came after the Wildcats were whistled for a foul in their own 18 yard box. Grasela fired a low shot that Villanova goalkeeper Will Steiner made an exceptional save on. But the ball deflected directly back to the foot of Grasella, who calmly deposited the rebound shot into the right side of the net in the 43rd minute.

"Steiner made a great save on the PK, as we have seen him do so many times before," noted Carlin. "Unfortunately, with the wet conditions, he got kind of an unlucky bounce that deflected right back to their guy."

Villanova turned the heat up after intermission, generating eight shots in the final 45 minutes to four for Temple. The Wildcats came closest to scoring in the 76th minute when Yusuf Cueceoglu sent a shot from 20 yards that glanced the crossbar before sailing out of play. Sophomore Jack Gilliam entered the contest as a reserve and promptly generated three shots.

Yet in the end the Wildcats were unable to find the equalizer.

"It was a rainy, dreary kind of day," stated Carlin. "They got one and defended well. At the same time, we have to be better than we were today. If you're going to win games, you've got to score goals."

The Wildcats played without 2016 leading scorer Miguel Polley and another key forward, senior Max Kroschwitz. Both were sidelined by injury.

Villanova returns to action Saturday when it hosts UMBC at 1 p.m. at the Higgins Soccer Complex.