Swimming

The women’s swimming and diving team successfully opened its season with wins over Richmond (186-101) and La Salle (218-75) on Oct. 23. The Wildcats (2-0) showed promising depth and speed for the upcoming season.

The team dominated the 200-meter freestyle with senior Sarah Czar winning the event at a time of 1:52.94; she was followed closely by freshman Roxy Tammadge (1:53.77) and Leigh Anne Patterson (1.55.02) to sweep the top three spots of the event.

Czar continued her success into the 100-meter freestyle with a first place time of 52.52, only .12 seconds faster than second-place freshman Natalie Elphick. Villanova also secured the fourth-place spot with freshman Gretchen Hestley’s time of 53.78.

Czar was also the anchor on the winning 400-meter freestyle relay (3:33.20). Hestley, Tammadge and Elphick rounded out the winning roster. Villanova’s second relay secured fourth place; that team was composed of sophomore Kelley Groves, freshman Hayley Edwards, sophomore Elizabeth Clarke and junior Astrid Armgarth.

Edwards set a high standard for herself as she took double wins in the 1,000-meter freestyle and the 200-meter butterfly. She crushed the competition in the freestyle with a blistering time of 10:14.71. Senior Shannon Dwyer touched in at 10:27.62 to secure second place for the Wildcats. In the 200-meter fly, the Wildcats swept the top three places once again. Edwards took first, Patterson touched in at 2:06.91 to secure second and junior Liz Stetson rounded out third in 2:10.89.

Elphick edged out some tough competition in the 50-meter free in 24.53 seconds. Armgarth took the 200-meter individual medley in 2:09.83. Tammadge was the third Wildcat to capture first place with a time of 4:56.27 in the 500-meter free.

From the diver’s side, sophomore Amanda DiMarco also hit the double-win mark. She scored 291.9 on the one-meter board, edging out tough competition from La Salle and tallying a 291.9 off the three-meter board. -C.S.

Field Hockey

Playing to keep their Big East Tournament hopes alive, the women’s field hockey team took on the fifth-ranked Syracuse Orange at Villanova Stadium last Friday. Although the ‘Cats put up a good fight, Syracuse ultimately won the game with a score of 5-3.

The first half was competitive, as the Orange scored and Villanova quickly answered with a goal of its own. Syracuse junior Maggie Befort and sophomore Martina Loncarica took advantage of a penalty corner and got the ball to freshman back Amy Kee, who gave the Orange the first lead of the game.

Exactly two minutes after Syracuse got onto the scoreboard, Villanova junior forward Dana Ramsden scored off an assist from Meredith Sabatini when she took a straight shot to goal that reached the back of the cage, tying the game.

The two teams battled back and forth for the rest of the half, as both the Wildcats and the Orange took shots, and Villanova’s defense was able to prevent Syracuse from capitalizing on several chances3.

In the 30th minute, the Orange finally converted on a corner, as Kee and Befort once again collaborated, and Befort scored to put Syracuse ahead by one at the half.

The Wildcats started off the second half determined to keep the match close and followed through when Ramsden scored her second goal of the game off a corner and an assist from junior forward Lauren Wuzzardo. Syracuse’s Kee, however, went on the attack again shortly after this and put the Orange ahead for the third time.

The game remained exciting as Villanova sophomore Abby Sordoni scored on a breakaway, posting her first goal of the season. The game was tied at 3-3, but this would be the last time the Wildcats answered an Orange goal.

Syracuse’s Loncarica scored off a penalty stroke, and junior Lindsey Conrad put a reverse stick shot past Villanova sophomore goalie Megan Goelz -A.W.