VILLANOVA, Pa. – The Villanova Wildcats (1-2-1 overall) kickoff a two-game home-stand Wednesday when they host NJIT (2-2-1 overall) at the Higgins Soccer Complex. Kickoff is set for just after 4 p.m. and the match will be live streamed via the Villanova Sports Network on FloSports with Sam Kuperman handling the play-by-play.
 
The Wildcats are on 1-0 on home turf thus far in 2022, having downed Northwestern 4-0 on Labor Day. They are eager to rebound after a loss Sunday at Yale 1-0, in a game where they owned a 14-7 advantage in shots.
 
"Credit to Yale, they got the goal we weren't able to generate," stated head coach Tom Carlin. "It was a tough game and I thought we created quality chances. We've moved past that, learned from it, and are excited to get out there against NJIT."
 
Since the 2016 Wildcats advanced to the NCAA Tournament, Villanova is 27-14-2 on the West Campus turf.
 
"We're always excited to play at Higgins," said Carlin.  "The atmosphere at our Northwestern game was the best it's been in my 15 years here. The Nation (student group) brought great energy and we're excited to try to build on that moving forward."
 
On Monday, forward Lyam MacKinnon was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll after scoring a pair of goals in the Sept. 5 win.
 
This is a key week as Villanova eyes the start of BIG EAST Conference play on Saturday. On Saturday Providence, the preseason favorite to win the league, will be at Higgins for a contest that will get underway just after 1 p.m. The Friars, like Villanova, are still finding their way, holding a 1-2-2 record.

On Saturday Villanova Men's Soccer will also celebrate UNITAS Day. Consistent with Villanova's Augustinian Mission and Values, UNITAS is a framework to build a welcoming and supportive athletic department by creating safe spaces for constructive dialogs, educational programming, and community engagement. Villanova's student-athletes, coaches, and staff come from a variety of backgrounds and have diverse perspectives and passionate viewpoints on a range of issues.
UNITAS builds mutual understanding throughout the University by collaborating with Villanovans who are experts in diversity, equity, inclusion, gender empowerment, multiculturalism, and mental health. Villanova Athletics' number one priority is to graduate complete student-athletes who loved their time at Villanova and remain actively connected to the University as alumni. Through UNITAS, Villanova Athletics is committed to fostering an inclusive, anti-bigotry environment where every member of our community has a voice, and feels respected, valued, and safe.
 
A ceremony will take place at halftime to help honor UNITAS.