CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. – The Villanova field hockey team came up just short against rival UConn, falling 2–1 in a tightly contested matchup at home on Friday, September 19.

The opening minutes were evenly matched, with both teams trading possessions up and down the field. UConn, however, found their rhythm first, generating three shots in the opening quarter and breaking through late in the period for the game's first goal. The Huskies added another score late in the second quarter, taking a 2–0 lead into halftime.

Villanova's offense found momentum after the break. The Wildcats dominated possession in the third and fourth quarters, earning three penalty corners. They capitalized on one late in the third, when Addie Froehlich converted a corner off a precise pass from Molly Zimmerman to cut the deficit in half. Despite continued pressure, Villanova couldn't find the equalizer. Their best chance came on an untimed corner at the end of regulation, but Gemma Lysaght's shot was blocked.

Freshman goalkeeper Sophie Volkel turned in another strong performance for the Wildcats, recording six saves on eight shots. Volkel has impressed early in her career, allowing just four goals across her first three collegiate starts.

After the game, head coach Millhous talked about the team's strong second half and highlighted Volkel's strong play:

"I thought our defense and Sophie played very well. We just need to connect in our attacking end. In the second half I thought we played really well, but we just need to finish off the opportunities. We need to finish the opportunities that we are getting."

Up Next: Villanova returns home on Sunday, Sept. 21, for a 12:00 p.m. matchup against No. 1 Northwestern. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.