On the Home Turf: Villanova hosts 10 games inside the friendly confines of Higgins Soccer Complex this season, starting with Sunday's match with Iona. The program is 162-102-35 all-time at home and 11-13-11 during head coach Samar Azem’s tenure.

Time to Open Up the Gates: Sunday's first-ever meeting with Iona marks the home opener for the Wildcats. They are 27-13-3 in home openers since 1983 and 1-2-1 under fifth-year coach Samar Azem, drawing with Delaware in 2022, 1-1, defeating Marist in 2023, 3-0, falling to James Madison in 2024, 3-0, and Michigan, 2-1, in 2025.

Clean Sheet Commentary: With two clean sheets to open the season, the ‘Cats have recorded 26 shutouts in the Samar Azem era. Since 2022, they have gone 20-0-6 when not conceding a goal. Reaching back to last season, Villanova has not allowed a goal in three consecutive matches, closing the 2025 campaign with a 0-0 draw against Butler.

• Columbia is off to a 0-0-2 start with a 1-1 result against Hofstra in the season-opener and a scoreless draw against St. John's.
• This is the second home game of the season for the Lions. Counting their draw with the Johnnies, they are unbeaten in their last seven home matches reaching back to last season, going 3-0-4 since a home-opening 2-1 loss to Hofstra on August 22, 2025. Since then, they have outscored their opponents 11-6 when playing at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium.
• Samantha Mahoney has played all 180 minutes between the posts for the Lions this season. She has made four saves with 11 shots faced for a 0.50 GAA and a .800 save percentage.
• Helena Andrzejewski owns the team's only goal of the year thus far, scoring in the 50th minute against Hofstra with an assist from Leila Hawkins.
• Columbia is the first of three Ivy League sides the 'Cats will play this season, a conference Villanova is 32-23-9 against all-time and 3-2-4 against under in Azem's tenure.
• The ‘Cats saw a five-match unbeaten streak against the conference be snapped in a 1-0 loss to Princeton last season, marking the first loss to an Ivy League team since a 1-2 loss at Cornell on Sept. 4, 2022. Their last meeting with an Ivy team was on Sept. 14, 2025 with the 'Cats taking a 3-1 win at Penn.

• Sunday marks the first-ever meeting between Villanova and Iona and the third meeting against a Metro opponent in Azem's tenure. The 'Cats are 1-1 against the conference since 2022 with a 3-0 win over Marist on August 17, 2023 and a 1-0 loss to Rider on August 25, 2022. All-told, Villanova is 14-3-1 over the Metro in program history.
• The Gaels have not seen a road loss since a 2-3 falter at Canisius on Sept. 27, 2005. Since then, they have won four road matches with an 8-1 advantage.
• Much like Villanova, Iona brings a balanced attack into Sunday's matchup. Through the first four games of the season, the Gaels hold a 9-1 scoring advantage with three clean sheets in the process, including a 4-0 win over Delaware State on August 22.
• Iona leads the Metro in points per game (8.00), goal differential (8) and GAA (.250). They are seventh nationally with 14 assists that have come from 11 different players.
• Dolene Smith leads the team in scoring with three goals and eight points, numbers that put her at second and first in the Metro Conference, respectively.
• Kayla Kalbaugh has held down the fort in net for the Gaels to the tune of 12 saves, a .923 save percentage and .25 GAA. She has anchored an Iona defense that has allowed 31 shots with just 13 on frame. All three shutouts have gone on her ledger.

Villanova 9, Lehigh 0 | August 16, 2026 - Bethlehem, Pa. - Ulrich Sports Complex
 

Villanova had a scoring bonanza that saw eight different Wildcats score goals in a 9-0 victory over Lehigh. The nine goals scored were the most for Villanova since an 11-0 victory against St. Peter's on Sept. 11, 2007 and are tied for the seventh-most scored in a single game in program history. The Wildcats have also gone back-to-back meetings with Lehigh without allowing a goal by the Mountain Hawks, moving the scoring differential during their current four-game unbeaten streak in the series to 18-1 since 2018. Of the eight Wildcats who scored goals, Morgan Kotch led the way with two goals in her four shot attempts. Tea Gambardella, Kaydee Amorosa, Becca Miller and Abby Graul all tacked on their first collegiate goals, as well. Kotch notched her second career brace just five minutes into the contest before Gabby Koluch connected on a PK in the ninth minute to give Villanova an early 3-0 lead that it held through the opening 45. Miller, Dez Zapata and Gambardella all closed the book on scoring in the final 10 minutes of play with Gambardella's final dagger coming in the 89th minute. Hannah Dickinson picked up the win with just one save on the day, logging a combined shutout with Natalie Mutschler after she came into net in the 62 minute. The Wildcat defense shutdown any shot chances for Lehigh in the second half, outshooting the Mountain Hawks 23-2 on the day, 12-1 for shots on goal.

Read the full recap here.