March 29, 2008

Box Score

VILLANOVA, Pa. - Sophomore Paul Webber (Manhasset, N.Y.) enjoyed a career day with six goals on the afternoon, including the game-winner in the final minute, as Villanova (2-7, 1-1 CAA) snapped a six-game losing streak with a 7-6 victory over Sacred Heart (5-2, 1-1 CAA) on Saturday at Villanova Stadium.

The only Wildcat goal Webber didn't score was the first one and he netted his six tallies on a game-high 10 shots. His first goal of the game tied the score and four of his scores gave Villanova the lead in a back-and-forth contest that was pivotal to each team's position in the regular season CAA standings.

Webber scored with 5:14 remaining in the fourth quarter to break a 5-5 tie and give the Wildcats the lead. The Pioneers scored shortly thereafter to tie the game for the fourth time. The teams never seemed to stay tied for very long in the contest and that was true in the closing minutes, as Webber fired the game-winner with just 33 seconds to play.

Sacred Heart scored a pair of unanswered goals in the first quarter for a 2-0 advantage, but the Pioneers never regained the lead after Villanova scored three unanswered goals of its own in the second quarter. Junior Tim Langan, Jr. (Madison, N.J.) got the Wildcats on the board in the opening minute of the second period. Webber added his first goal with 4:48 left in the stanza to tie the game at 2-2 and scored again with 2:44 showing to give Villanova a 3-2 advantage going into the intermission.

Timmy Katz scored three goals and had an assist for Sacred Heart. He scored with less than five minutes remaining in both the third and fourth periods, each time tying the game after a goal by Webber had put the Wildcats ahead by one.

After Nicholas Russo scored with 23 seconds remaining in the opening period, the Pioneers went scoreless for more than 19 minutes in the game while Villanova ran off four straight goals. Bobby Karl broke the drought with a man-up goal with 10:59 left in the third quarter and Jon Flood scored just over two minutes later to tie the score at 4-4.

Despite having six of their seven goals scored by one player, the Wildcats offensive performance was hardly a one-man show. Villanova owned a dominating 43-14 shot margin over Sacred Heart and Langan, Jr. and sophomore Mark Scioscia (East Hampton, N.Y.) each had seven shots. Freshman T.J. O'Donnell (Randolph, N.J.) won 9-of-17 face-off chances to help the Wildcats ball-control game.

In goal, junior Andrew DiLoreto (Wilton, Conn.) registered six saves for Villanova and Ricardo Vargas made eight stops for the Pioneers.

The Wildcats play on the road next Saturday at 7 p.m. against Manhattan in Riverdale, N.Y.