VILLANOVA, Pa. – In a matchup of teams battling for a BIG EAST postseason berth, Providence edged Villanova 2-0 on a breezy fall afternoon at the Higgins Soccer Complex Wednesday. The Wildcats fall to 8-6-1 overall, 1-4-1 BIG EAST while the Friars bump their record to 9-5 overall, 3-3 BIG EAST.
Providence scored a goal in both halves and held off a spirited push by Villanova in the game's final 30 minutes.
"It was a slow start for us," stated Villanova head coach Tom Carlin. "We got caught on our back foot. We weren't trusting and believing in things as much as we should have. Credit to their pressure – we weren't able to find our possessions. They pulled us out of sorts.
"They scored on a throw on their most dangerous possession in the first half."
Indeed, Providence gained the upper hand in the 26th minute. A throw-in near the box made its way to Paolo Lima who nudged it in the direction of the Friars' Danny Griffin. Griffin then fired a shot just inside the right post, past Wildcats goalkeeper Carson Williams, who had already made three saves in the contest to that point (he would end the afternoon with five).
Providence held the 1-0 advantage at halftime. The Friars held a 12-3 edge in shots in the first 45 minutes and a 3-0 margin in corner kicks.
"I thought we really turned the tides in the second half," Carlin stated. "We started to get into what we wanted to do."
But that momentum took a hit when the Friars converted a corner kick opportunity. Joao Serrano served a ball into the box and Lima was there for the finish at 59:04 to put the Wildcats into a hole at 2-0.
 "We've got to be better on our set pieces," said Carlin. "We have to be able to generate a chance that's going to create a goal for us. I thought we had some chances and some looks but didn't have that quality we needed in the final third."
Villanova – who lost junior midfielder Theo Quartey early to injury – created its best pressure of the day in the final stages of the match. The Wildcats forced Providence goalkeeper Austin Aviza to make three saves as the shadows cast by the sun creeped across the field.
But the Wildcats weren't able to dent the Friars' lead.
"Not having Theo hurts us," noted Carlin. "We've got a lot of freshmen out there as well. Just going through these things is a valuable lesson for us."
Villanova next takes to the road this weekend for another important match. This one takes place Sunday at Butler at 1 p.m.
