Going into their conference match against the Georgetown Hoyas, the Wildcats were looking for a solid win to break their run of tied games.

The ‘Cats traveled to Georgetown’s North Kehoe field for the showdown, where Villanovans finally saw a win as the men’s soccer team defeated the Hoyas 2-1 Saturday afternoon.

Not losing any time, Georgetown made the first goal seven minutes into the game. Hoya senior captain Dan Gargan knocked the ball up towards the right corner where junior Jeff Curtin was waiting to head it in for a score. Not to be outdone, Villanova fought back to score 17 minutes later when junior midfielder Brett Strassfurth made an assist to junior forward Charlie Rowan who scored at 24:33 into the game.

The two teams battled, remaining tied for the next 14 minutes, until Villanova gave the Hoyas something to worry about by scoring another goal with just six minutes left in the first half. The (ultimately) game-winning goal was brought in by junior midfielder Patrick Gallagher, assisted by senior midfielder Jonathan Lopuski.

The first half of the game saw both the teams playing with skill, in the end containing all the scoring, but during the second half the Wildcats and Hoyas picked up their intensity.

The Hoyas tried hard to get another goal off Villanovan junior goalkeeper Craig Bald, making a huge effort on the offense with ten shots on goal (compared to the two made by Villanova). All in all, goalie Craig Bald had 12 saves against the Hoyas, helping the ‘Cats to be an unbeatable force last Saturday.

Georgetown toiled to save their game in the second half but sailed many attempts over the goal or hit the posts. Nova’s hard working defense couldn’t be broken, and the second half saw no goals scored. By the end, yellow cards were handed out on both sides–Villanova with three, Georgetown with one.

With last Saturday’s upturn, Villanova’s seasonal record now stands at 6-3-4/4-2-2 as Georgetown’s drops to 8-6/5-3.

The Wildcats stay on the road for another conference competition as they face the West Virginia Mountaineers this Saturday, at Morgantown, W. Va. at 7 p.m.