MILWAUKEE – Villanova used a balance attack to pick up a 3-0 win over Marquette on Thursday night at Valley Fields.
The win marks the largest BIG EAST win for Villanova (5-5-4, 2-1-3) since a 5-1 win at Seton Hall in 2019 and is the largest shutout win for the program since a trio of 3-0 victories in 2008. This is just the third win for the Wildcats over Marquette (4-9-3, 1-4-1) all-time. Villanova is up to six shutout wins now this season. The win also stops a three-match winless streak for the 'Cats since taking a 2-0 road win at Creighton on Sept. 26.
All three of Villanova's goals were scored by separate seniors with
Myla McLeod,
Susanna Soderman and
Lauren Belcuore all finding the back of the net. They led a Villanova offensive attack that outshot Marquette 13-7, 7-2 for shots on goal.
"This team fights," said assistant coach
Erin Scott who joined the coaching staff this season after a four-year stint with Marquette. "This team plays for and with each other and the amount of pride that I'm filled with, they're inspiring. They inspire me every day but the amount of fight that we showed tonight to work with each other on both sides of the ball – defensively, I thought so many people showed up really, really big. To have multiple goal scorers tonight is really special. I'm really proud of them."
Marquette's Josie Bieda was the first player on the pitch to get a shot on goal, sending a chance in the third minute that was saved by
Hannah Dickinson. Soderman and
Madison Shumate had the first two shots on goal for the Blue and White with both of their chances being grabbed by Chloe Olsen in the opening eighth minutes.
McLeod put Villanova on the board in the 29
th minute with the first goal of her career.
Gabby Koluch sent a corner kick into the box that bounced off of a group of players before
Lauren Belcuore gained just enough possession of the jumble to make a pass to McLeod near the top of the box. The defender sent a one-timer to the net that flew past a sailing Olsen for the 1-0 goal.
Shumate nearly extended the lead in the final minute of the first half with a shot that went into the back of the net, but she was called for a handball to leave the 'Cats with a one-goal lead at the break.
Villanova led shots 7-3 in the opening half, 5-1 for shots on goal.
The 'Cats came out with momentum on their side to open the second half.
Alex Little picked up a breakaway in the 47
th minute, taking a one-on-one shot toward Olsen that the Marquette netminder saved, hitting the ball back into play. Soderman picked up the rebound and got a shot into the open net, making it a 2-0 lead for Villanova.
That goal marked the sixth of the season for the senior, tying the most by a single player in head coach
Samar Azem's tenure with the 'Cats.
Belcuore got in on the scoring in the 76th minute.
Alex Fava passed her a look from the top of the box that the senior took inside. She booted a chance from nearly 15 yards out that went over a diving Olsen for a 3-0 advantage. That goal was Belcuore's second of the season.
Soderman, Shumate and Koluch all led the team with two shot attempts in the win with Soderman and Shumate landing both of theirs on frame. Bieda led Marquette with three attempts and one on goal.
In goal, Dickinson was called upon for two saves in the win while Olsen needed to make four.
Villanova heads back home on Sunday to start a two-game home stretch by hosting UConn at 1 p.m. inside Higgins Soccer Complex.
