CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa.- The Villanova Wildcats played a very intense game and came out with a 3-2 win over the visiting Pride of Hofstra University.
 
The Wildcats took an early lead in the first quarter with a goal scored off a deflection by junior forward Amanda Middleman which marks her fifth goal on the season. Middleman has emerged as a leading scorer early in the season as well as an on field leader for the Wildcat offense.
 
The graduate midfielder, Makenna Maguire, made her scoring debut as a Wildcat kicking off the second quarter with a goal off a corner to further their lead on the Pride. It was then senior forward Maggie Mick's turn to strike with the Wildcats third goal of the second quarter off a great feed from junior Meghan Mitchell. The Wildcats were well in control of the field and had a dominant lead going into the half.
 
The Wildcats were met with a hungrier Hofstra team looking to get some points on the board after an uneventful third quarter. Hofstra put up a battle in the fourth quarter putting sophomore goalie Emma Leppert (subbed in at the half for Senior goalie Claire Borman) to work. The Wildcat defense was put to the test only letting the Pride through twice to convert on 12 corner attempts in the quarter.
 
Leppert put on a show defending the goal. Leppert saved six goals and was backed up by her defenders who blocked two of the eight total shots on goal for the quarter.
 
Defending to the very end Villanova came out with the 3-2 win and keeping their winning streak of 3-0 alive. The last time the Wildcats had a 3-0 record was 2008.
 
Head coach of the Wildcats in her 28th season, Joanie Milhous, reflected on the intensity of the game and the work her girls put in against a competitive team also explained what can be improved upon for their next game.
 
"I'm happy that we got a win today but, I think we still have work to do. I give Hofstra a lot of credit because they played a full 60 minutes and battled," Milhous reflected. "I liked the work from our team, but we need to get better production out of it. Love still coming up with the 'W', but I'd like to see us attack for a full 60 minutes and we kind of let down and we can't let down. That team showed us that we can't let down. So, Ball State will be the next one that we make sure we play and attack for a full 60 minutes."
 
Maguire, who netted her first goal of the season against the Pride, explained the highs and lows of the game as well as what they are hoping to change for the next game.
 
"I thought as a team, we came out really strong. We put up three goals in that first half, and it was a really great team effort. I think the second half we fell off, we had a little bit less discipline. We needed to just work together a little bit more, create productive possessions," Maguire said. "I think going into ball state, we have this way of grinding it out and we just need to bring the intensity that we had in the first half and bring it for the full 60 minutes on Sunday."
 
The Wildcats hit the road for their first away game on Sunday Sep. 4 when they face off against the Cardinals of Ball State University. Game time is set for 12 p.m.
 

Game Recap By Quarters

1^st Quarter
- #17 Amanda Middleman scored a goal (6:35) assisted by #3 Maggie Mick and #10 Anne Drabbe
- Shots on goal 1-1 (VU-HOF)
-Corners 0-1 (VU-HOF)
- HOF goalie #0 Merlijn van der Vegt had 1 save
- VU goalie #9 Claire Borman had 1 save
- VU Green card issued to ##25 Raina Smolij
 
2^nd Quarter
- Goal scored by #22 Makenna Maguire (13:16) assisted by #14 Sabine de Ruijter and #25 Raina Smolij
- Goal scored by #3 Maggie Mick (9:30) assisted by #11 Meghan Mitchell and #17 Amanda Middleman
- Shots on goal 4-1 (VU-HOF)
-Corners 4-1 (VU-HOF)
- HOF goalie #0 Merlijn van der Vegt had 2 save
- VU goalie #9 Claire Borman had 1 save
- HOF Green card issued to #10 Fede Schroder
 
3^rd Quarter
- No goals scored
- Shots on goal 3-3(VU-HOF)
- Corners 1-2 (VU-HOF)
- HOF goalie #30 Pieke Roos had 3 save
- VU goalie #15 Emma Leppert had 3 save
- VU Yellow card issued to #10 Anne Drabbe
- VU Green card issued to TM
 
4^th Quarter
-Hofstra goal scored by #12 Tara McNally (13:55) off a corner assisted by #4 Karissa Hough and #1 Teresa Karoff
-Hofstra goal scored by #1 Teresa Karoff (4:24) off a corner assisted by #13 Cami Larsson and #4 Karissa Hough
- Shots on goal 1-8 (VU-HOF)
-Corners 0-12 (VU-HOF)
- HOF goalie #30 Pieke Roos had 1 save
- VU goalie #15 Emma Leppert had 6 save