Alexa Carugati Class: Junior Hometown: Newtown, Pa. High School: Pennington School Height: 5-8 Position: Defense Birthdate: 03/19/1991 Experience: SO

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Career Statistics
Career Highs

On Carugati: Returns from an injury which cost her the 2010 campaign ... Has three years of remaining athletic eligibility ... Has the potential to be an impact center back in the BIG EAST Conference ... Tenacious and physical player who brings size and a great presence to the back line ... Had an excellent freshman season in 2009.

Awards: BIG EAST Academic All-Star (2009, 2010).

Career: Has appeared in 14 games with 11 starts, all during her freshman season in 2009 ... The team's defense has posted four shutouts in the 14 games she has played in while allowing just 12 goals and recording a 23-12 scoring margin ... Has taken seven shots.

BIG EAST Regular Season: Appeared in four games with three starts and helped lead a defense that has surrendered only three goals in the four games ... Attempted two shots on the offensive end.

BIG EAST Championship: Played in the first round of the conference tournament against Connecticut at home during the 2009 season.

NCAA Tournament: Made her NCAA Tournament debut in a first round game against Washington State during the 2009 season.

2010: Received a medical redshirt for the season.

2009: Played in 14 games with 11 starts as a central defender ... Started the first 11 games she appeared in before missing time with an injury, returning to play in three contests late in the year ... Villanova outscored the opposition by a 23-12 margin in the 14 games she played, while posting four of its seven shutouts ... Attempted seven shots during the year; BIG EAST: Appeared in four regular season BIG EAST games with three starts ... The Wildcats defense allowed just three goals in the four games and permitted 30 shots on goal ... Took two shots on the offensive end; BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP: Came off the bench to play six minutes of an eventual 1-1 draw against Connecticut in the first round of the conference tournament ... Then delivered one of four penalty kicks in a shootout that sent the Wildcats on to the quarterfinal round of the tournament; NCAA TOURNAMENT: Played 78 minutes off the bench in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Washington State ... The Villanova defense allowed just three shots on goal in the game.

Club Team and ODP Experience: Plays for the FC Bucks Vipers ... Starting defender for eight years ... Six-time Eastern PA State Cup champions ... 2008 Premiere League champions ... 2008 and 2009 Region 1 champions ... Placed third at 2008 national championship ... Ranked No. 2 in the nation and first in the state and region in 2009 ... Teammate of fellow newcomers Carly Edgcomb and Heidi Sabatura.

Pennington School: Four-year letterwinner ... Named second team All-Prep by the Trentonian in 2006 and was a first team selection in 2008 ... Star Ledger All-Prep First Team in 2008 ... Chosen for the Mercer 33 team in 2007 and 2008 ... Team won four straight New Jersey Prep A state championships from 2005-08 ... Selected by Top Drawer Soccer as a `Player to Watch' ... Played in the New Jersey Mercer County Tournament (2005, 2007, 2008) and the McDonough Tournament (2005, 2006, 2008) ... Team became the first in Pennington girls' soccer history to go undefeated (18-0) and was ranked first in the nation by ESPN and NSCAA/adidas ... Also won four varsity letters in track and three in basketball ... Made her school's Dean's List.

Personal: Born 3/19/91 in Newtown, Pa. ... Younger of two children of Jeffrey and Debbie Carugati ... Has an older brother, Joe (22) ... Chose to attend Villanova for its great academics and the soccer team ... Majoring in Communications ... Hopes to one day become a teacher.