Villanova University

Sept. 25, 2005

Box Score

VILLANOVA, Pa. - A late first half goal by sophomore defender Kayce Blandford (Columbia, Md.) was the only tally of the game, and Villanova (6-3-2, 2-0-1 Big East) earned its third straight shutout victory with a 1-0 triumph over visiting Rutgers (3-6-0, 0-3-0 BE) on Sunday afternoon in front of 633 fans at the Villanova Soccer Complex.

With just under three minutes remaining in the first half, the Scarlet Knights were whistled for a foul and the Wildcats were awarded an indirect free kick on the right side of the field. Blandford took the kick and directed a ball towards the left side of the box. Her shot sailed over the head of the Rutgers goalkeeper and into the upper left side of the net to give Villanova a 1-0 lead with 2:49 left in the opening period.

"I was surprised that the shot went in," Blandford said. "I was trying to get the ball on goal and maybe get a knockdown, but instead it went over the keeper and we got the goal. We came out playing kind of frantic today and the goal calmed us down and allowed the team to play harder and get back into a flow."

The game opened with a long series of attacks by the Scarlet Knights deep in Wildcat territory, but a Villanova defense that has not allowed a goal in the last 296 minutes of play prevented Rutgers from taking the lead. The Scarlet Knights held a 5-4 shot advantage in the opening period, with Blandford's goal the only significant scoring opportunity for either side.

"We were a little stagnant in the final third today," head coach Ann Clifton said. "It is a good win for us and we can get back to doing what we need to do offensively."

The Wildcats turned things around in the second half and displayed a much more aggressive style of play, but Rutgers stepped up its own aggressiveness on the defensive end to keep the game within reach. Villanova wound up outshooting their visitors 13-8 for the game and had a 5-1 edge in corner kicks. Scarlet Knights goalkeeper Nora Crawford made four saves for the game.

"We hadn't beaten Rutgers in four years and that was a big part of our thought process coming into the game," Clifton said. "It was not a pretty game, but we got it done and that is what Big East soccer is all about. It is about tough games and finding special moments, and Kayce's goal was our special moment today."

The Wildcat defense was the story for the third straight game, as Villanova emerged victorious from a 1-0 contest for the third time in the last week. Junior goalkeeper Jillian Loyden (Vineland, N.J.) made four saves along the way to posting her second straight solo shutout and improving her record to 4-3-2 on the season.

"Our defensive players know each other now," Clifton said. "We were in some tough situations earlier in the season but our back four have risen to the occasion. They have played together for longer and care about each other. We have gone from being a team to being a family."

"The defense has developed into one strong unit," Blandford added. "We have gotten used to our playing style and are more of a unit than earlier in the season."

Villanova is back in action with a pair of conference road games next weekend. The Wildcats visit Syracuse at 7 p.m. on Friday evening and then take on St. John's on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Jamaica, N.Y.

NOTES: Blandford's goal was the first of her career ... The Villanova defense is allowing just 0.70 goals per game this season, and has posted five shutouts in 11 games ... Villanova will have played seven of its last eight games on the road by the end of the two games this coming week.