It's fair to say that the position of goalkeeper represents a bit more to junior Alex Yagudayev than it does to others who stand as the last line of defense.

For starters, it's the only place he's played on the soccer pitch since his introduction to the game a decade and a half ago. That's unique in a sport where youth league positions are often a riddle based on which players show up to the field.

For another, goalkeeping is kind of the family business.

"My dad (Eddie) was a goalkeeper," Yagudayev said recently during an interview in the Jake Nevin Field House. "My grandma, my dad's mom, was a goalie in European handball. My sister (Christina) became a goalie, I became a goalie and my brother (Leon) is also a goalie. It's kind of a tradition."

Alex Yagudayev's work in goal in 2026 has played a substantial role in Villanova's 2-0 start to the regular season. The Wildcats have yet to concede a goal thus far and the native of Brooklyn, N.Y., was named BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week on Monday. On Friday night, they hope to extend the momentum at Princeton, the 2025 Ivy League champion which posted a 15-2-2 mark.

"We brought Alex in with the mindset that he would have to earn the No. 1 spot," stated Villanova head coach Mark Fetrow. "We knew his talent level was high, and he proved that from his freshman year into his sophomore year. This is the first year we don't have Sebastian Cutler-DeJesus with us and we have two younger keepers on the team. Kind of by design, this was the season we wanted Yagu to pop and be the bonafide No 1.

"He's a confident guy and an extremely strong shot-stopper. He is putting it all together. I know our back line has a lot of faith that if teams create chances, he's going to be there to make the save."

For his part, Yagudayev sees growth across the board in building a defensive mindset that has been a staple in Villanova's most successful campaigns of the past two decades.

"We're very solid defensively," said Yagudayev, who has registered nine saves in the 'Cats shutout wins over Temple and Saint Peter's. "Coach (Fetrow) is instilling good values in us. Attitude, effort, honesty and integrity are our core values. Attitude and effort show on the field with how we're pressing and getting in front of every ball. Collectively, we've gotten clean sheets and we're not going to lose games if we don't allow goals."

As a product of Brooklyn, N.Y., Yagudayev took a direct path to soccer. His father owned a local team.

"I would go with him and they were like, 'he's going in goal," the younger Yagudayev stated. "It was a family thing, for sure, but I was also pretty good at it."

Throughout his youth, Alex Yagudayev played with and against players older than he. At age 10 for example, he was part of a U-15 side.

MLS franchise NYCFC was launching its own academy at that time and Yagudayev earned a tryout.

"I think I made one save," he said, "and they were like, 'all right, this is the guy.'"

One enormous advantage for Yagudayev was that the academy was in Queens not far from his home (it has since been relocated to Orangeburg, N.Y., north of the five boroughs). That gave it an edge over the NY Red Bulls, which had also shown interest in the young goalkeeper for its academy.

"I built an identity with NYCFC of playing from the back and using my feet, which I'm grateful for," he stated. "I learned a lot there."

Yagudayev spent seven years with NYCFC, ultimately training with and playing 12 games for its NYCFC II team. He also traveled with the first team in two different preseasons. The experience allowed him to observe the habits of seasoned professional soccer players.

"They're very disciplined," he noted. "When I first got there, I saw how they would do the same thing at the same time every day. It was a lot of discipline and consistency which are things we value here at Villanova. It's our roof and we don't want any leaks in our house.

"That mindset has become part of my life. I try to be consistent each day with everything I do."

When the possibility of playing collegiate soccer arose, Yagudayev heard from a host of BIG EAST and ACC programs. In addition to his soccer skills, his academic profile was appealing too.

"The thing that stuck out to me about Villanova is that it felt like I was very welcomed by the coaches," he said. "That's a big deal. We're building a family here and we want people to be here for the full four years. These are my brothers and that's our identity. I also thought the coaches were very honest with what they wanted from me. If someone expects something from me, I'm going to do my best to supply them with it."

If there was an item that loomed large in Yagudayev's mind prior to enrollment at Villanova, it had nothing to do with soccer.

"I was a little scared honestly," he stated. "I was coming from an online school to an in-person school. At other schools that might not be a problem, but Villanova is so respected academically. But once I got here, I saw that people were welcoming and it calmed me down. The professors are willing to work with you, and you get to know them on a personal level."

Yagudayev was named to the BIG EAST All-Academic Team in each of his first two years at Villanova.

The learning curve was steeper on the pitch. The Wildcats endured a 1-10-6 season in 2024 with Yagudayev splitting time in net with Cutler-DeJesus when he wasn't dealing with an injury. Last season, they took a step forward at 7-6-5 overall as Yagudayev started 11 times, posting a 1.73 goals against average.

"We went from one win to seven," Yagudayev said. "It was a huge improvement. I think that first year, it was an identity thing. We were a little bit lost. Last year, we implemented a certain style of soccer, and it helped us. This year, against Temple and Saint Peter's, we did a good job of possessing the ball. We've grown up together in a sense."

Princeton poses the next challenge. It will be the Tigers' regular season opener as well as Nova's first road contest of the season. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Beyond wherever soccer takes him after college, Yagudayev, a criminology major, has plans to attend law school. For now, though, the focus is on the 16 remaining regular season matches beginning Friday night.

As for any debate about who the best keeper in the Yagudayev family tree is, Alex doesn't hesitate to answer.

"It's me," he said with a smile.