VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova used a complete-team effort that saw three Wildcats find the net and another shutdown performance from the backline to grab a 3-0 win over Marquette.
The clean sheet marks three straight for Villanova (9-5, 4-3) and brings the team to eight this season, a total it hasn't seen since the 2019 season. The team has a chance to reach or best the previous team-high of 11 set by the 2007 team with four games remaining on the year. The win also marks back-to-back 3-0 wins for the Wildcats over Marquette (6-4-4, 2-1-3 BIG EAST), handing the Golden Eagles their first loss of the season and their first shutout loss in conference play since Oct. 20, 2024.
Avrie Nelsen extended her team-leading goal tally to five in the win, netting the game-winner early.
Gabby Koluch and
Olivia Marrone joined her in the scoring carousel with Villanova's third home win that saw the 'Cats score at least two goals.
"The performance this team put together was tremendous today," head coach
Samar Azem said. "You know, we talked about where Marquette's strengths are: they're a fantastic team, they're a very dangerous team. There's a reason no one in our conference has been able to shut them out yet. There's a reason they haven't lost a conference game yet. We talked about where their strengths are and also where our strengths are and the players performed perfectly."
Nelsen opened the scoring in the sixth minute for the quickest goal scored by a Wildcat this season.
Alex Little hit a header toward the net that was saved by Marquette's Hailey Wade. She poked it away but a charging Nelsen was able to get just enough of a touch on it near the left post with two Golden Eagles defending her to get it into the net.
Villanova needed less than five minutes to add onto its lead for its fastest 2-0 lead in since 2019 when the 'Cats took a 2-0 advantage over DePaul in the first 10 minutes.
In the 11
th minute,
Gabby Koluch netted a chance after a cross inside by Little was redirected off the head of
Hannah Curtin and back toward the top of the 18-yard box. Koluch ran in to take a one-timer that she sent toward the bottom left corner past a diving Wade for the 1-0 lead.
The sequence gave Little her second two-assist game of the season.
A foul whistled in the box in the 23
rd minute sent Marquette to the penalty spot to try to cut the lead in half. Molly Keiper lined up for the chance that was quickly pushed away by
Hannah Dickinson. The ball came back into play in front of the goal line with Keiper making a beeline to the ball but Dickinson got a hand on it again for the save, keeping Marquette off the board.
Villanova kept the Golden Eagles at bay through the rest of the half despite trailing the shot tally 4-6 through the opening 45. Dickinson tallied a trio of saves to that point.
The Wildcats had a chance to add on a goal in the 51
st minute when a redirect near the mouth of the goal went to Little that she booted into the net but was called back on an offsides call after a look at VAR.
The 'Cats answered with a dagger in the 57
th minute with the first goal of
Olivia Marrone's career.
Koluch went to the corner flag and got the ball to Marrone near the top left corner of the 18-yard box. She sent a screamer toward the net that grazed the hand of Wade before hitting the right post and going into the net for a 3-0 Blue and White advantage.
Marquette outshot Villanova 11-10 in the match, 6-4 for shots on goal. Dickinson saved all six Golden Eagle attempts to match her season-high.
The Wildcats head back on the road this weekend for a Saturday showdown at UConn. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. from Storrs, Conn.
