Determined to improve last year’s underwhelming 1–7–2 Big East record, Villanova women’s soccer is preparing by taking on a demanding non-conference schedule in 2024.
On Thursday, Sep. 5, Villanova (3–3) hosted Wake Forest (5–1–1) and lost, 1-0.
Wake Forest is the second ACC team in a row to face Villanova. The Wildcats’ previous trip to Florida culminated with a 2–0 loss to No. 1 Florida State on Sep. 1
“We were really prepared [for Wake Forest] from the standpoint of we’ve been working a lot on our defensive shape,” head coach Samar Azem said. “We knew these last two games would be our toughest defensive tests, and we know we’ll have to be good defensively to win games in the Big East.”
In the defensive battle, Villanova’s back line withstood Wake Forest for 84 minutes before Demon Deacon Alex Wood was able to score off a cross.
Junior goalkeeper Hannah Dickinson, a USC transfer, saved 10 shots for the second consecutive game.
Dickinson’s impressive performances since joining the Villanova roster have made her the current conference leader for total saves, with 19. In the last two weeks, she earned Big East Goalkeeper of the Week and a spot on the Big East Weekly Honor Roll.
“We knew when we recruited [Dickinson] that she was a very smart goalkeeper,” Azem said. “She can keep the back line very organized and she’s very strong in the air. She showed that [against Wake Forest.]”
While defenders fought to keep the Demon Deacons at bay, the Wildcat offense struggled to keep possession on the opposite end of the field.
Wake Forest outshot Villanova by a tremendous margin, launching 29 shots, 11 of which were on goal. The Wildcats’ two shots came from freshman forwards Alex Little and Madison Shumate.
One cause of Villanova’s trouble was an injury-stricken roster, forcing some players to play out of their usual positions.
“Playing FSU, we tried a different style defensively,” freshman defender Meredith Palmer said. “We used that a little bit today because we’re short on numbers, and it worked.”
The Wildcats have two more games ahead before starting conference play later this month. On Thursday, Sep. 12, Villanova will host Bucknell (3–2–1). After a two-day recovery, Villanova will go on the road to play Cornell (1–1–3) on Sunday, Sep. 15.
“If we keep people healthy, this is going to be the best I’ve seen us do in conference play,” Azem said. “I’m very excited and optimistic about what this team is doing this year. We have a lot to work on and we’re a young team.”
Kickoff against the Bison at Higgins Soccer Complex is set for 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast on FloSports.
