Villanova, Pa.- Senior Matt Campbell had a career high performance and led the Wildcats to a 18-13 win over the Delaware Blue Hens on Saturday afternoon.  Villanova closes out non-conference play with a 5-3 record and will open BIG EAST play next weekend on the road. 

Campbell started off the opening quarter completing a hat trick.  He scored the Wildcats first two goals to give them a 2-1 lead with just over five minutes to play.  Justin Coppola dished it to Campbell for the first goal and Luke Keating set him up for the second. Graduate transfer J.P. Basile scored just seconds later and Campbell would then follow up with his third goal with 3:56 to play.  The Blue Hen's score two more before the end of the quarter to make it 4-3. 

Villanova's offense clicked in the second quarter netting six goals while the defense limited the Blue Hens to only three.  Patrick Daly started the scoring for Villanova on a pass from Basile and the Blue Hens followed up with Ty Kurtz netting his second goal of the game.  Campbell and Basile scored back-to-back goals to put Villanova up 7-4 with 11:10 to play.  Mike Robinson scored the other goals for Delaware in the quarter while Campbell, Brett Baskin, and Tucker Goodelle all scored for Villanova before the half to make it 10-6.

Delaware came out strong in the third scoring three straight goals to make it a one goal game, but Villanova answered with a five-goal run to pull away 15-9.  Mason Reale started the run on an extra-man opportunity and Campbell followed it up with a goal just over a minute and a half later at the 6:16 mark to make it 12-9.  Chris Hervada dished it to Keating for the third goal of the run and Daly answered with his second goal of the game on a pass from Basile.  Campbell closed out the run with his seventh goal of the game, a career high.  JP Ward scored for Delaware before the end of the quarter to make it 15-10.  In that quarter Will Vitton had seven saves, the senior keeper finished with 16. 

Villanova and Delaware played even in the final quarter with both teams netting three goals.  Baskin and Reale scored the first two to put Villanova up 17-10 with 12:23 to play.   The Blue Hens answered with three goals, but Baskin scored what would be the final goal of the game on a dish from Basile to make the final 18-13.

The Wildcats will travel to Queens, New York next Saturday to take on the St. John's Red Storm.  First faceoff in the BIG EAST opener is set for 12:30 P.M.