VILLANOVA, Pa. – In their regular season home opening 2-0 victory over Rider, the Villanova Wildcats leaned on rock solid defense to post the clean sheet.
 
"We had to stay true to our fundamentals and our physicality," stated head coach Tom Carlin. "I thought we did a good job of that and got a win."
 
On Monday, Villanova will be back on campus to meet Hartford in the second of a stretch of four straight on the home pitch to open the 2021 fall regular season. The Hawks played Holy Cross to a 1-1 draw in their season opener Thursday night in West Hartford, Conn.
 
Although the campaign is not yet a week old, Carlin and his staff have stressed the need to keep the focus on the here and now.
 
"We've got to keep track with some of the best teams in the country in the Big East," noted Carlin. "Every game is so important, whether it's at the beginning of the season or the end of the season. You've got to have that heightened awareness that everything is so important.
 
"It was nice to start with a win. Everyone just exhales a little bit. We've worked on recovering from Rider so that we are ready for a good Hartford team."
 
Indeed, the opener was played in stifling heat and humidity with real feel temperatures hovering near 100 degrees on the turf at the Higgins Soccer Complex. Monday's forecast is for more of the same, with temperatures a few degrees cooler and the chance for thunderstorms.
 
In the abbreviated 2020 regular season – played in the spring of 2021 due to COVID-19 – the Hawks posted a 3-2-1 overall record and were eliminated in the semifinals of the America East tournament.
 
The third game of the four to open the season at home falls on Friday, when the Wildcats host Albany at 4 p.m. That contest will be streamed via the BIG EAST Digital Network Presented by SoFi on FloSports. You can access the link via Nova Nation All-Access at villanova.com. Nick Mantegna will have the call.