On Sunday, Sept. 28, Villanova defeated No. 15 Saint Joseph’s University, 2-1, at the Proving Grounds in Conshohocken, PA, marking back-to-back seasons with wins over a ranked opponent.
Freshman midfielder Erin Mitchell broke a 1-1 tie in the third quarter with her first career goal.
It was a significant victory for Villanova (3-6, 1-1 Big East) against a local rival and field hockey powerhouse, as Saint Joe’s (6-4) reached the national championship game in 2024.
“Our tough schedule leading up to this past weekend was really worth it,” head coach Joanie Milhous said. “Because it gave us the composure. It gave us the skill set and all the things that we learned in those really strong opponent games that we put into effect this past weekend.”
Villanova’s second-quarter surge highlighted the upset win over the Hawks. Junior forward Colleen Finnan led the Wildcats on offense, scoring on one of her two shots on goal. She has now scored in back-to-back games and leads the team in goals, with four.
In the first quarter, each team managed one shot on goal, both blocked by the goalkeepers. It was the start of a tremendous game in goal by Villanova freshman Sophie Volkel. She went on to make a career-high eight saves, making her a crucial piece in the Wildcat win.
“[Volkel] is just very athletic, very dynamic,” Milhous said. “She’s quick, and she makes a crazy save look simple.”
The rest of the quarter was scoreless, and both teams remained strong defensively.
At the beginning of the second quarter, the Wildcats began to break down the Hawks’ defense.
“We knew ways that we could compete against them, and we knew that if we got the ball in our attacking end, that we had opportunities,” Milhous said.
At 21:13, Finnan knocked in Villanova’s first goal of the game. Her crossing pass deflected off a defender’s stick and flew into the goal.
“[Finnan] is passionate,” Milhous said. “Her work rate is incredible. She just wants to win so badly.”
Villanova entered the halftime break with a 1-0 lead.
The third quarter started with both teams’ offenses fiercely pushing forward. The Hawks outshot the Wildcats, 11-2, with 12 penalty corners. Villanova was unable to score off of the two shots, but Saint Joseph’s managed a goal, evening the score, 1-1.
“On our defensive penalty corners, our flyers were absolutely incredible,” Milhous said. “They literally blocked so many shots of theirs, and that is a strength of Saint Joe’s. So our defensive corner crew did a great job, our flyers in particular.”
At 41:16, Mitchell put the Wildcats back in the lead, off an assist from Finnan. The goal came from Mitchell’s lone shot on goal this season.
In the fourth quarter, both Villanova and Saint Joseph’s battled on offense, but with two defensively powerful teams, neither was able to make it to the cage.
Villanova will now travel to Washington, D.C. to play Georgetown (2-7, 0-2) on Friday, Oct. 3 (1 p.m.). In the past, the Wildcats have proven to be stronger than the Hoyas, with a 28-6 all-time record.
