VILLANOVA, Pa. – The last of eight BIG EAST regular season games for Villanova comes Saturday afternoon in Chicago when the Wildcats (1-7-6 overall, 1-4-2 BIG EAST) visit DePaul (3-7-4 overall, 1-4-2 BIG EAST) with both sides still alive in the quest for the eighth and final spot in the BIG EAST Tournament.
 
Seven of the eight berths in the BIG EAST Tournament – which gets underway at campus sites on Nov. 4 – have been secured. Georgetown, Providence, St. John's, UConn, Xavier, Creighton, and Akron will be part of the field. Each of the remaining teams, including Seton Hall (seven points), Butler (six points), Marquette, DePaul and the Wildcats (five points), still can lay claim to the final spot with a victory Saturday and the right combination of results in other matchups.
 
All six contests Saturday will kickoff at 2 p.m. eastern time (1 p.m. central).
 
Among the contenders for the final berth, Seton Hall hosts Providence. Marquette visits UConn. Butler is at Akron.
 
For both the 'Cats and Blue Demons, though, objective one is securing the three points that could lift them into the postseason.
 
"We're still alive," stated Villanova head coach Tom Carlin. "It's crazy but it's hard not to think about the points we left on the table when we played well and didn't get as much out of it as we should have. I also know that we did get these points in a conference that is so strong with so much parity.
 
"We've got a shot. If we can win this game, we'll see what happens. It's good for our soul to play in a meaningful game at the end of the year. Hopefully it leads to another one."
 
The Wildcats have played to 1-1 draws in each of their last two outings, including a tie against Xavier and another against non-league matchup with Army West Point on Tuesday. The good news is that Villanova has returned to its stingy defensive roots, limiting opportunities in its own back end after a stretch where they surrendered 12 goals in three games earlier in the month.
 
That span coincided with the injury loss of senior center back Jack Bonas, the linchpin of Villanova's back wall. The Wildcats have moved Marcus Brenes from his usual spot in the defensive midfield to the back line and inserted O'Neil Dawes into the lineup alongside another seasoned veteran, graduate student Gray Ricca. Kyle Dixon has also contributed there as well.
 
A trio of freshmen also logged significant minutes Tuesday against the Cadets. Belmar Joseph logged 77 minutes and was impactful over all the field. Last Saturday he scored his first collegiate goal against the Musketeers. Javon Daniels generated three shots in 27 minutes and Diego Valles made the pass that set up the tying goal by Balthi Saunders in the 82^nd minute against Army West Point.
 
"We've got some talented young guys who have had a full Big East season to settle in," Carlin said. "I think they're more comfortable now and they can help us."
 
Following Saturday's match, the Wildcats will remain in Chicagoland to face UIC in the regular season finale Monday at 2 p.m. eastern time.