VILLANOVA, Pa. – After a two week stretch of being at home, Villanova heads back out on the road this weekend to meet Providence (2-3-2 overall, 0-0-1 BIG EAST). The match is set for 7 p.m. Saturday at Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium. It will be live streamed via the BIG EAST Digital Network on Flo Sports.
In its most recent outing, Villanova rallied for a 2-2 draw Tuesday against Western Michigan at the Higgins Soccer Complex. The tying goal came in the 75
th minute on a corner kick service by Dominick Cyriacks that
Vincent Petrera re-directed with his head into the net.
"We kept battling," noted head coach
Tom Carlin, "when it would have been easy to put our heads down."
Now, the Wildcats (0-3-3 overall, 0-1-0 BIG EAST) the BIG EAST portion of their schedule, which got underway on Sept. 15 in a 2-1 loss to Butler at the Higgins Soccer Complex.
"We gave one up at home," noted Carlin. "Now we have an opportunity up at Providence."
The Friars are coming off a pair of ties. In its BIG EAST opener against the conference's newest member, No. 3 Akron, the teams deadlocked at three. On Tuesday, it fought to a 1-1 draw at Brown.
The Wildcats were without senior center back
Jack Bonas on Tuesday along with the side's second leading returner
Akinjide Awujo, who has yet to play in a regular season game after suffering a leg injury in an August preseason scrimmage against Bucknell.
Villanova has thus shifted some of its personnel to compensate, with encouraging results of late.
Graduate student
Marcus Brenes has moved back from the defensive midfield to assume Bonas' spot in the last two games. Freshman Mikhail Zarteser stepped into Brenes' spot and has been impressive. Classmate
Belmar Joseph has also impressed since earning a spot in the starting lineup, picking up his first college point against Western Michigan with an assist on a goal by
Balthi Saunders.
Additionally, sophomore
Kyle Dixon has started the last three games on the right side of the back line.
"We like our depth and I think you're starting to see why we like our young guys so much," stated Carlin.
This is the first of consecutive road BIG EAST matches for Villanova. Following this contest, the 'Cats will have a full week to prepare for another New England stop, this one on Sept. 30 at Connecticut.
