This past Friday, Sept. 19, Villanova men’s soccer started Big East play against DePaul University at Higgins Soccer Complex. The two teams drew a tie at 1-1 on a late-game Villanova goal.
Villanova (2-2-3, 0-1-0 Big East) trailed DePaul (2-1-5, 0-1-0 Big East), 1-0, with a quarter of play left in regulation. Sophomore forward Fynn Lahrsen knocked in his second goal of the season to tie the game in the 70th minute. Despite some game-winning chances from the Blue Demons in the final minute, the Wildcats’ defense was able to hold them off for a draw.
“We were prepared for [DePaul’s] defensive shape and wanted to find spaces between their lines, and I thought we did a good job of that with our possessions,” head coach Mark Fetrow said. “I thought our midfielders…were able to break some of their mid-block pressure and create chances in the final third. It just got a little undisciplined in the second half. We had too many technical turnovers.”
The Wildcats put up seven shots to the Blue Demons’ four in the first half. However, no Villanova shots could find the back of the net.
An X-factor for Villanova was junior goalkeeper Sebastian Cutler DeJesus. He had three saves and only allowed one goal. Within the last minute of play, DeJesus saved two shot attempts that were both potential game winners for DePaul. In his three games this season, he has only allowed two goals while collecting 11 saves.
After a scoreless first half, DePaul freshman forward Tyler Flowers was the first to find the back of the net in the 70th minute from an assist from freshman midfielder Nathan Laird.
Eight minutes later, Lahrsen responded for Villanova. The Wildcats sparked some offensive momentum with a free kick from freshman defender Zach Miles. Lahrsen then scored on a pass in the box sent by redshirt sophomore midfielder Luke Martelli.
“We had a good step in the middle third and earned a free kick,” Fetrow said. “Zach Miles had a great heads-up play, where he scanned and surveyed, and had the opportunity to play a quick restart and found our midfielders, which was a great switch out to Luke Martelli. Luke made an incredible play out on the flank. A play that probably had no business staying in-bounds, but because of his effort, he was able to keep it in and find a slip ball to Fynn.”
Throughout the game, Villanova only had 12 shot attempts, compared to DePaul’s 15. Five of Villanova’s attempts were on goal. Although Fetrow was disappointed for the game to end with a tie, Lahrsen’s goal kept Villanova out of the loss column to start Big East play.
In the first week of conference play, Villanova now stands in fifth place out of six teams in the Big East’s East Division standings.
“Coming out with a draw, we felt like we could’ve won,” Fetrow said. “We created enough opportunities that if we executed on a couple more, I felt like we could’ve walked away with three points. At the same time, we gave up some pretty dangerous opportunities late in the game and could’ve walked out with a loss. So we thought that a tie was a fair result for the way that the game went back and forth.”
The Wildcats took on Penn on the road on Tuesday in Philadelphia, PA (ESPN+, 7 p.m.). On Saturday, Sept. 27, Villanova will go to Storrs, CT, for its second Big East game against the University of Connecticut (ESPN+, 6 p.m.).
