WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Villanova battled No. 5 Wake Forest for the full 90 minutes Friday night but the Demon Deacons prevailed 1-0 in an exhibition contest played at Spry Stadium.
 
The Wildcats (2-8-0 overall, 2-6 BIG EAST) added this exhibition game last week after their final three BIG EAST regular season games were cancelled due to COVID-19 issues with the opponent programs. Villanova found a game against the potent Demon Deacons, who head towards postseason action with an 11-2-2 overall record.
 
"I just thought this was an awesome experience for our guys," stated Villanova head coach Tom Carlin. "This has been one of the top programs in the country over the last 10 years and while we have Georgetown in the Big East, it was great to see what the top of the ACC looked like. We told the guys, this would be a learning tool for us, one way or the other.
 
"I thought this was our best performance start to finish all season. We were pressing them, our defense was moving well together. We looked good."
 
Villanova owned a 4-2 advantage after 45 minutes of action and had the only two shots on goal. Lyam MacKinnon forced Wake Forest goalkeeper Cole McNally to make saves in both instances.
 
"Their keeper made some great saves on a couple of those shots by Lyam," said Carlin.
 
However, Wake came up with the game-winner when Omar Hernandez scored an unassisted goal at 60:21.
 
Villanova ended the night with a 14-10 edge in shots and forced McNally to make five saves, all on attempts by MacKinnon who finished the night with eight shots in all.
 
Although the result wasn't what the Wildcats had hoped for, the intangible benefits figure to linger through the summer and into the fall.
 
"Over the last two weeks, having this game on the schedule gave our guys something to work towards rather than just being done," noted Carlin. "It allowed us to refine and define how we want to attack. This was a great experience for us and it can absolutely serve as a springboard for us as we move towards the future."