VILLANOVA, Pa.-- In its first home game of the season Villanova (2-0-0) displayed its skill offensively and overpowered Fairleigh Dickinson (0-2-0) 4-0 on Sunday afternoon at the West Campus Soccer Complex. The Wildcats scored two goals in each half to win its home opener for the 10th straight season since the arrival of head coach Ann Clifton.

After beginning to control play midway through the first half, Villanova frequently fired shots towards the net during offensive attacks deep in opponent territory. The first breakthrough came in the 22nd minute when junior Melissa Murowski (Warren, N.J.) evaded a defender and drilled a shot from the top of the box for the first tally of the game.

The Wildcats wound up with a 29-5 shot advantage for the game, including 17 attempts in the first half as momentum began to shift more and more towards Villanova. Late in the period, sophomore Nicole Coia (Simpsonville, S.C.) added to the lead with just 41 seconds remaining before halftime. During a scramble inside the box, senior Valerie Grow (Cumberland, R.I.) picked up the ball along the goal line and passed to Coia, who put a shot into the bottom left corner for a 2-0 lead.

Freshman Grace Hawkins (Northport, N.Y.) beat the keeper with a one-timer from the middle of the box just 2:59 into the second half and junior Nikki Mabery (Phoenix, Ariz.) added the final score with 7:06 remaining in the game.

Villanova put forth an energetic and powerful attack against the visiting Knights, making good on many of its offensive opportunities. In its 1-0 season-opening win against La Salle on Friday night, the Wildcats took just nine shots and created just a small number of attacking chances after scoring the game's lone goal in the 29th minute.

Fairleigh Dickinson goalkeeper Kyla Clark played a strong game in the net despite the four goals, making 14 saves for the afternoon. Her play included several dives in the box that prevented Villanova from taking advantage of unsettled situations.

The Wildcats aggressive play offensively created eight corner kicks and several excellent scoring chances on the flanks. Senior Lindsey Finnegan (Blackwood, N.J.) started a give-and-go series on a late corner kick with Mabery, who headed Finnegan's second pass into the right side of the net. Earlier in the period, junior Kaley Guthrie (Ogdensburg, N.J.) ran up the flank and made a precise pass to Hawkins that led to the game's third goal.

Junior goalkeeper Jillian Loyden (Vineland, N.J.) played the first 66:34 in goal and made three saves to pick up her second straight victory. Redshirt freshman Leann Kania (Pittsburgh, Pa.) played the remainder of the game in the net in her first collegiate outing.

Villanova will have just a short break before returning to the field for a 4 p.m. home game against George Washington on Tuesday afternoon. The Wildcats are 6-3 all-time against the Colonials.