PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Villanova leaned on superb defense and goalkeeping Saturday evening to earn a 0-0 draw with No. 18 Providence.
 
The point is a vital one for the 'Cats, who are now 9-6-1 overall, 4-4-1 in the BIG EAST. Villanova stands in four-way tie for fourth place in the conference standings with Creighton, Butler and Marquette at 13 points. (Marquette is the only team whose BIG EAST season is complete). The top six finishers in the BIG EAST earn a spot in the league's postseason tournament.
 
Villanova hosts Seton Hall (6-7-3 overall, 2-6-1 BIG EAST) Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m. at the Higgins Soccer Complex. A win would lock up a postseason bid and possibly give the Wildcats the opportunity to host a home playoff game for the first time since 2016. DePaul, with 11 points entering Wednesday's action, also remains alive for a postseason berth but will need help to qualify.
 
Saturday night's point did not come easily. The Friars applied relentless pressure after halftime – they outshot VU 28-7 on the night - and it fell to senior goalkeeper Carson Williams to make seven saves.
 
For the second time in as many outings, Villanova found itself playing in less-than-ideal soccer conditions. Last Sunday, the Wildcats overcame rain and wind on the shores of Lake Michigan to post a 2-0 win at Northwestern. This time, the two sides were confronted with a steady and heavy rain that soaked onlookers at Chapey Field on the campus of Providence College.
 
The two teams played a scoreless first 45 minutes.
 
For Villanova, its key defenders had a lot to do with that. Juniors Viktor Benediktsson and Josh Belluz were in top form, frequently disrupting dangerous opportunities for the Friars. Williams was also sharp, making three first half saves to keep Providence off the scoreboard.
 
Dominic Cyriacks had Villanova's only first half shot on goal.
 
"I thought early on it was a back-and-forth game," stated Villanova head coach Tom Carlin. "We were moving the ball well, creating some possession and so were they."
 
Villanova applied pressure in the opening minute of the second half. A blast from Jorge Garcia was saved by Providence goalkeeper Lukas Burns. A short while later, freshman Balthi Saunders sent a shot that hit the left post before bouncing away as the contest remained level at zero.
 
"We came out well at the start of the second half and almost had one," Carlin noted.
 
In the 68^th minute a header by Davis Smith of Providence seemed headed for the top shelf just inside the left post of the Wildcats' net. But the shot caught the woodwork and Williams knocked it aside when it fell to the turf.
 
The game remain deadlocked heading into the final 20 minutes.
 
Providence (9-2-4 overall, 5-1-3 BIG EAST), ranked No. 18 in the most recent United Soccer Coaches poll, turned up the heat in the final 10 minutes. Luis Garcia sent a low shot toward frame in the 85^th minute that Benediktsson was able to get a heel on and deflect over the net. Another flurry in the final minute required Williams to come off his line to punch the ball out of harms way.
 
After 90 minutes, the contest remained scoreless.
 
The statistics were tilted in the Friars' favor, however. Providence held a 21-5 advantage in shots and 9-3 advantage in corner kicks.
 
Benediktsson blocked a couple of dangerous Friar bids in the early minutes of the first overtime and Williams made another key stop. Villanova's best scoring opportunity of the first session of extra time came on a shot by Akinjide Awujo that Burns saved.
 
"Viktor was a warrior tonight," stated Carlin. "This was his kind of game. And really our whole back line did a great job – Bonas, Drags, and Gray (Ricca). They're hard to deal with, particularly in the air. And Carson came up with some big saves."
 
Providence appeared to have knocked home a game-winner in the 106^th minute but a referee's whistle called the Friars for a handball, negating the score.
 
Finally, the horn sounded after 110 minutes without a score.
 
"I thought as the game wore on they really pressed us," Carlin said. "They earned some chances through their work rate and we were defending quite a bit. But we got a hard-earned point."