VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova begins a key three game stretch away from home on Tuesday night, when it takes the short ride Center City for a Philly Soccer Six clash with Penn (2-2-2 overall, 0-0-1 Soccer Six) at Rhodes Field. The match gets underway at 7 p.m. and will be live streamed on ESPN+.
 
The Wildcats (2-2-2 overall) are 1-0 in Soccer Six action, having edged Saint Joseph's 1-0 on a 90^th minute goal from Sam Nyenka on Sept. 1.
 
A Fynn Lahrsen goal in the 70^th minute Friday – set up by Luke Martelli – snapped a 340-minute scoreless streak for the 'Cats, who earned a point in a 1-1 draw with DePaul in the BIG EAST opener for both sides.
 
"It was huge to get that goal," said Villanova head coach Mark Fetrow. "We talked about the start of Big East play being a second season. We feel like we accomplished some in the beginning of the season in non-conference play but we're not where we want to be. There are a lot of things we still need to work on.
 
"Against DePaul, we wanted to play our style of football. I thought we got closer to that. To get that goal and walk away with a point was important."
 
Last season, the Wildcats and Quakers played a 2-2 draw at the Higgins Soccer Complex. Former Quaker Michael teDuits scored one of the Nova goals and now is set to play for the first time as an opponent on Penn's campus.
 
Penn picked up a 2-0 win over Air Force on its home turf on Saturday night. The Quakers picked up a pair of first half goals and goalkeeper Brody Smith made seven saves in posting the clean sheet.
 
This is Villanova's first regular season visit to Penn since Oct. 17, 2017. The Wildcats posted a 2-1 win. The Quakers lead the all-time series 10-9-6, though Nova is 4-0-1 over the past five meetings dating to 2012.
 
The 'Cats have leaned on a sturdy defensive approach through their first seven matches of 2025, allowing seven goals (1.00 goals against average). That contrasts with the 38 goals VU surrendered in 17 outings in 2024 (2.4 goals against average).
 
Nova has conceded one or fewer goals in five of its seven games thus far. Goalkeepers Sebastian Cutler DeJesus (0.67 goals against average in three starts) and Alex Yagudayev (1.25 goals against average in four starts) have split the duties in net behind a young defensive wall that has held up well.
 
'The Soccer Six games are always tough, physical battles," Fetrow said. "This will be a good test for us on the road."