VILLANOVA, Pa. – Although he has yet to play in his first BIG EAST road game – he'll do that Saturday night at Marquette – freshman Balthi Saunders is no stranger to lengthy transportation journeys.
 
In many ways, they were the first tests in a bourgeoning soccer career that this week delivered him the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week award after notching the first two goals of his college career last week.
 
Saunders' home is in Brooklyn, N.Y. Most of the soccer he played at the club level was played in New Jersey. Three hour daily round trips were the norm for a creative forward who earned spots in Red Bull Academy and NYFC as a teenager.
 
 
"In New York," Saunders says, "there's not too many spaces for soccer fields. A lot of the clubs tend to play in New Jersey, right over the water."
 
Complicating matters is that drivers aren't eligible to apply for a New York State drivers license until after their 18^th birthday. So, Saunders was reliant on his parents and friends to ferry him back and forth as he pursued a passion for soccer that has always been part of his DNA.
 
"That was very hard," Saunders states. "It's why I bounced around to different teams. My parents weren't always able to do the drive. I joined different teams to try to avoid that drive."
 
Saunders comes by his soccer skill naturally. His father, Jeff Saunders, was a two-time Division III All-American at Hobart during a decorated career from 1988-92 that ultimately earned him a spot in the school's athletics Hall of Fame. He set Hobart records for goals (44), assists (26) and points (114) and captained the '92 squad that finished the regular season 15-0-0.
 
Following graduation Jeff Saunders played professional soccer overseas before injuries cut his career short.
 
"Pretty much from the moment I started walking, I had a soccer ball at my feet," Balth (full name Balthazar) Saunders states now.
 
Balthi Saunders joined his first local team at the age of seven and a few years later had flashed sufficient progress to earn the chance to play for Ironbound, a club based in New Jersey.
 
By the time he was ready for high school, Saunders' game had attracted the attention of MLS academy officials. He earned a spot with Red Bull Academy and thus began the daily grind of making his way back and forth to practice and matches. Even at the age of 14, Saunders understood quickly that this was a more serious enterprise than he had known previously.
 
"At the end of the day, they're putting a lot of time and resources into your development," Saunders notes. "They cover travel, food, games. With 25 kids on each team, that's a lot. If you're not serious about it, they will replace you. That's the mentality the clubs and players have."
 
Education has always been important to Saunders' family.
 
"Although they are well-versed in the soccer world, my parents' always thought college was the best option for me," Saunders states. "My step-dad and my mom are professors. The focus from them was always on going to college."
 
A few years back, Saunders himself was not in the same place when it came to the next step.
 
"When I was younger in the back of my head all I wanted to do was go pro," he says. "When you're playing for clubs like Red Bull Academy, you see a lot of your friends turning pro. It becomes something that seems attainable and desirable."
 
Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic turned much of conventional practice on its head. Saunders eventually took a gap year and began seeking options to begin a college career in the fall of 2021. The University of Portland, Dartmouth, Virginia and Boston College expressed interest among others.
 
Villanova was in the mix too. In the midst of COVID the interactions were confined to phone conversations with head coach Tom Carlin and associate head coach Mark Fetrow.
 
"I did not get to visit the campus but didn't feel like I needed to," he says. "From my conversations with the coaches, I immediately got the sense of family and that's one of the things that really sticks out about Villanova. The academics are outstanding here and that was also important."
 
From drone footage, Saunders saw a beautiful campus. And the school's location, within comfortable driving distance from his family, also tipped the scales in the favor of the Wildcats.
 
Saunders first stepped foot on campus for the men's soccer camp in July, a period that allowed him to acclimate himself to teammates he had previously interacted with only via Zoom. Then came preseason camp and a start to the regular season that has seen Nova post a 4-1 overall record, including a pair of hard fought 2-1 victories last week over Yale and Temple. Saunders scored goals in both matches and added an assist against the Bulldogs for good measure.
 
In fact, the tandem of Saunders and junior striker Lyam MacKinnon displayed the kind of chemistry that offers the hint of what is possible for a pair of gifted forwards.
 
"Lyam's a great player," Saunders states. "We're both French speakers so we got along right away. He's a very direct, fast player where I'm more conservative and like to play with the ball at my feet. Naturally, the way we play we complement one another.
 
"That's something we've had to build on as teammates. We're always paired together for drills. We're excited about what we can do together."
 
The slate won't ease any this week as the Wildcats head to Milwaukee to meet Marquette. The Golden Eagles were ranked No. 19 in the preseason and reeled off three consecutive wins to open the 2021 fall regular season. The sledding has been more rugged lately as Marquette has dropped three straight, most recently falling 1-0 to Wisconsin on Monday night.
 
"It's going to be a challenge," states Saunders. "Marquette is a great team and this is a conference game, where every team is fighting for its spot in the Big East Tournament. We've gotten off to a good start. Now is when the toughest tests start."
 
Although this will be just his second road game as a collegian – and first outside of the Delaware Valley – Saunders stands ready. He is, after all, no stranger to lengthy travel journeys to reach the pitch.
 
Saturday's match will be live streamed on the BIG EAST Digital Network presented by Flo Sports. Kickoff at Valley Fields is set for 8:05 p.m. eastern.