Villanova lost a pair of league matches last week, falling 2-0 to Georgetown and 4-0 to Providence.

Last Thursday, the Wildcats had an impressive first half defensively, with junior goalkeeper Megan McClay making four critical saves and keeping the Hoyas scoreless. Freshman Emma Weaver was able to get one shot on goal in the first half but failed to find the back of the net. However, the second half did not prove to be as successful for the Wildcats. Georgetown’s Gia Vicari took the ball along the end line and found Daisy Cleverley in the middle for a goal in the 58th minute of the game, getting the Hoyas on the board that afternoon. 

Georgetown netted its second goal in the 81st minute, with Jenna Menta taking the ball up the midfield and finding Vicari, who scored off a one-on-one against Villanova’s McClay. Despite two strong shots on goal in the second half by Sam Rosette and Bri Austin, the Wildcats were unable to find the back of the net. 

On Sunday, March 14, the Wildcats traveled to Big East rival Providence. The Friars, who are 3-1 in Big East play, defeated the Wildcats, 4-0. Providence took the lead early on and maintained a strong offense throughout the game. The Friars’ first goal began with a corner kick in the twentieth minute. They moved the ball inside the 18 yard box where Hannah McNulty found the right side of the net. Not too long after, the Friars second goal came at 33:53, with Samatha Adams getting a feed from Grace Murphy in the 18 yard box. The Wildcats did earn a free kick 24 yards from the goal, but Weaver’s shot went wide. McClay made a strong save to deny the Friars their third goal of the afternoon, and the Wildcats went into the half two goals down.

In the second half, freshman Maria Thomas hopped in goal for the Wildcats. The Friars scored their third goal of the afternoon at 69:53. Elayna Grillakis received a feed from Anna Kalooski and was able to get a shot past Thomas. With Villanova pressuring forward late in the second period, the Friars notched their fourth goal in the 82nd minute by Meg Hughes, extending their lead to 4-0. Thomas made four saves in the half, keeping the scoreline as close as possible.

The Wildcats took six shots on the day to Providence’s 21, putting two on target, while the Friars had 11 shots on frame. Both teams took 5 corner kicks.

The Wildcats, who are now 1-6-1 and 0-4 in Big East play, will look ahead to prepare for another week of Big East competition. The Wildcats host Seton Hall on Thursday March 18th at 1 p.m. at the Higgins Soccer Complex. Seton Hall enters the game as the only team in the conference with a worse record than the Wildcats, as the Pirates have lost all four of their league contests.