Following its midweek draw with Army, Villanova’s men’s soccer team left for Chicago on Friday night to take on DePaul and the University of Illinois-Chicago, and it tied the Blue Demons, 3-3, and fell to the Flames, 2-1.
With these two games behind them, the Wildcats did not qualify for the postseason, ending their 2023 season with a 1-8-7 record.
“I thought we battled to the end,” head coach Tom Carlin said to Villanova Athletics. “We kept persevering even when the results weren’t there.”
Against DePaul, junior defender O’Neil Dawes opened the scoring in the fourth minute off an assist from freshman forward Luke Martelli. Saturday marked Dawes fourth consecutive start, and the goal was the first of his collegiate career.
However, the lead lasted just 60 seconds. The Blue Demons came right back, tying the game, 1-1, where it would remain tied for 18 minutes.
In the 23rd minute, the Wildcats got themselves back on top via a goal from senior forward Branden Johns. The goal was assisted by freshman midfielder Belmar Joseph, and was the first of two assists from Joseph.
The Wildcats would hold on to the lead for 13 minutes, but nine minutes before halftime, DePaul tied the game for the second time.
After halftime, it only took the Blue Demons four minutes to gain the lead for the first time in the game. However, it was short lived as just one minute later, Joseph recorded his second assist of the game when he passed the ball to junior forward Balthi Sanders.
This was Saunders’ second goal in two games, after not having scored in almost a month.
Following the equalizer, the Wildcats were handed an invaluable advantage when DePaul was assessed a red card in the 70th minute. With 20 minutes to go, the Blue Demons were down to 10 players.
“When they went down a man, we really were able to apply some attacking pressure in the final third,” Carlin said. “We were right there but couldn’t get one across the line. In the end, it wouldn’t have mattered [in the race for the postseason], but we really worked to make it happen.”
Despite being up a player, the Wildcats failed to find a game winning goal.
“I loved this [Decision Day]” Carlin said. “It made it fun and very competitive with so much on the line on the final day of the Big East season.”
The Wildcats’ game against UIC on Monday, Oct. 30, also proved to be back and forth.
After going down in the seventh minute, the Wildcats tied the game off a finish from defender Marcus Brennes.
However, UIC ultimately scored the winning goal just 15 minutes before halftime. Coming out of the break, the aim was to get an equalizer, but once again the Wildcats were unable to capitalize on their chances.
“It was a case again where we produced a number of chances and half-chances in the final third, especially late in the game,” Carlin said. “We just couldn’t get the equalizer.”
Between the injuries to star players, and the difficult schedule, the Wildcats struggled to find the winning goal multiple times, ending with eight draws on the season.
“We’ll rest up for a bit and then we’ll start the work to prepare for next season,” Carlin said. “It will take a lot of hard work and preparation, but I think we have the right attitude going into it.”
