VILLANOVA, Pa. – Seated behind his desk in Jake Nevin Field House, with traffic on Lancaster Avenue visible in the distance, Villanova Men's Soccer Head Coach Tom Carlin nods when asked to assess his team's efforts in a trio of preseason scrimmages (2-1).
 
"It's nice to have upperclassmen," he notes with a smile.
 
Indeed, the Wildcats who open the 2021 fall regular season are wiser and more seasoned than they were last spring. The spring campaign – postponed by COVID-19 from the usual fall slot – was a jumbled, uneven season spent dealing with game cancellations due to viral outbreaks at opponent schools and early struggles after a disjointed fall without full team workouts.
 
While seniors make up only a small part of the roster – led by goalkeepers Carson Williams and Kent Dickey, along with forward Seidu Shamsudeen and midfielder Dylan Middlebrook – they are backed by a deep class of juniors with ample game experience on its resume.
 
 "The experience we got a lot of our younger guys in the 2020-21 season is starting to show dividends for us," stated Carlin, who begins his 14^th season at the helm on Thursday afternoon when Villanova hosts Rider at 4 p.m. at Higgins Soccer Complex. "We're further along in our attacking and defensive schemes than we have been at this point in other years. We're still a little rusty but the older guys can not only carry out our schemes, but teach them to the younger guys."
 
The Wildcats posted a 2-8 overall record in the abbreviated spring, including 2-6 in the BIG EAST. But Villanova was playing its best soccer on the heels of a 4-1 victory over Connecticut on March 31 before seeing its final three league matches cancelled by COVID-19 issues in opponent's programs. It then performed well in a 1-0 "friendly" loss at No. 4 Wake Forest.
 
 In the preseason, the 'Cats won at George Mason, dropped a 1-0 home decision to Loyola and bounced back with a 1-0 triumph over Bucknell on Sunday on West Campus.
 
 "We went through trial-and-error last year, and it's led to who we are today," Carlin stated. "Where we went with UConn and Wake is where we picked up this summer. We had a great result against George Mason. I thought we got a little off course against Loyola and then got right back on track against Bucknell."
 
 Williams has been an elite BIG EAST goalkeeper since assuming the starting position in 2018 after the departure of Will Steiner. In 2019, the last full fall season, the native of Dallas logged the nation's highest save percentage (.849) and posted a 0.70 goals against average. His frequent understudy, Dickey, has developed into a quality college keeper in his own right and was strong in the Loyola scrimmage.
 
"Carson is our rock back there and Kent is an emerging leader for us," Carlin stated. "We're in a good situation in goal. If something were to happen to Carson, we know Kent is ready and able to be there for us. Kent has a different set of skills – distribution and size.
 
"With that said, Carson is our guy back there. Overall, I just think that the quality of that position has incrementally grown having (Assistant) Coach (Alex) Balog working with them. The time we have spent on that position has strengthened us there."
 
The center backs in front of goal are familiar faces in new places. Juniors Josh Belluz and Viktor Bendiktsson, who began their college careers primarily as defensive midfielders, have been tasked with locking down the middle of the field in front of the keepers. Both have logged heavy minutes in their first two seasons but 2021 brings an expansion of their responsibilities.
 
The decision to slide Belluz to the center back slot was made last April but wasn't implemented until after the campaign concluded.
 
"Josh is learning the position but he's a natural there," notes Carlin.
 
Anthony "A.J." Cousins, Jr., a transfer from Florida International with prior Philadelphia Union Academy experience, is expected to play a pivotal role at left outside back.
 
"A.J.'s experience at left back is a little bit different than how we do things here," said Carlin. "This role is a hybrid, winger/back position so it's not an easy role to just pick up. We're just trying to watch tape with him and get him through that learning curve."
 
Others who figure into the defender's mix are sophomores Jack Bonas, who is seeing more time at outside back than he did last season, and David Ogbonna; freshmen O'Neil Dawes and Tommy Johnson, and junior Anthony Dragisics, who can also operate as a defensive midfielder.
 
"We see a ton of potential and promise in our back line," Carlin states. "We've got guys in new roles so we're still seeking the continuity. It's just going to take a little time."
 
The midfield boasts a group featuring diverse skills. Middlebrook, who has seen most of his action as a reserve in his career, has stepped forward in a large way thus far.
 
"Dylan's played great in the preseason," noted Carlin. "He's really been locked in."
 
Junior Marcus Brenes, sophomore Dominic Cyriacks, and Dragisics also bring high-level experience to this area. They're joined by sophomores Gray Ricca, Branden Johns (currently sidelined due to an injury suffered against Loyola), Jorge Garcia along with newcomers Jordan Canica, Connor Hinds, Johnson, and Kyle Dixon.
 
"Their role is to be facilitators, to help us move in and out of central spaces," said Carlin. "We also want them to disrupt things defensively. They're good two-way guys so we feel they have the skill set to hold the middle for us."
 
Goals are usually the most elusive commodity in college soccer. Villanova averaged 0.80 goals per game in the spring, with four of those coming in the victory over Connecticut. The good news is that ace forward, junior Lyam MacKinnon, returns along with senior Seidu Shamsudeen. The pair have both been finishers in their careers on the Main Line and each will have a chance to add firepower to the attack this fall.
 
That pair will be spelled by a promising group that includes sophomores Akinjide Awujo and Luke Pompliano along with freshmen Balthi Saunders, Canica, Dixon, and Vincent Petrera.
 
"Lyam and Seidu will be the guys to start things out for us," said Carlin. "Lyam is a dynamic guy for us. Seidu can come underneath and get on the ball.
 
"Balthi, Vince, Jorge, Akinjide, Luke and Jordan Canica have the ability to come in and change the game for us. I think the pairings and combination of how we use them will be important. We think Marucs, Gray and Drags can also help us push towards goal. BJ will be in this mix when he gets healthy."
 
If there is one edge this unit can have over its predecessors in Carlin's view is its depth.
 
"We can legitimately go 20 guys deep," Carlin stated. "It's the first time we've had that since I got here in 2006. It's a testament to the support of the Athletic Department. We're able to maximize our roster and have a better chance to overcome injuries that would have put us in a tough spot before."
 
The BIG EAST schedule is stacked as usual. The non-conference slate includes its own share of challenges but does offer the advantage of hosting the first four matches of the fall at the Higgins Soccer Complex, beginning Thursday vs. Rider.
 
"It wasn't really planned that way but that's how it worked out," said Carlin. "It's great. We started preseason with a good road win and from there it's been helpful to get into a routine to find ourselves here at home. I think it helps establish the overall commitment that it's going to take. It's easier to do that at home.
 
"This season really has a chance to really springboard us for the next 2-3 years. We have an established group that should be our core for the foreseeable future."
 
Preseason prognosticators have suggested that the struggles of last spring might carry over into the fall. Inside the Wildcats' locker room, there is, however, a very different vibe.
 
"The outside noise, wherever they pick you, doesn't matter," noted Carlin. "In our minds it just means they haven't noticed what we have growing here. That's OK. We are confident in our development and know that every game is an opportunity to show where we have improved. We're excited to get going."