Oct. 12, 2008

Box Score

VILLANOVA, Pa. - Squaring off against the top team in the nation on Sunday afternoon in its final regular season home game, Villanova (11-4, 4-3 Big East) found itself staring at a quick two-goal deficit but then relied on a familiar formula to get back in the game and take undefeated and No. 1 Notre Dame (14-0, 7-0 Big East) to overtime before eventually falling 3-2. The Fighting Irish are the only Division I team that has not been beaten or tied this season.

An exuberant crowd for Senior Day began the day cheering for five Wildcat seniors who were honored before the final regular season home game for Villanova. The pre-game ceremony soon gave way to an instant classic that was not decided until the final play of the game. Rose Augustin ended the game with a blast from the top right corner of the box with 3:02 remaining in the first golden goal overtime.

The way the game was played represented more of a rarity for Notre Dame than for the Wildcats. This was the 295th time that the Fighting Irish had taken a 2-0 lead in a game and just the fourth time they have allowed the opposition to even the score at any point in the game. It was also just the sixth time this season in 14 games that Notre Dame has been tied in the second half, and the first time it has been taken into overtime. As for Villanova? The Wildcats tied a game they trailed by two goals for the third time this season and nearly came away with their third such victory.

The Fighting Irish scored twice in the first eight minute of the game, as Brittany Bock headed in a ball at the 3:06 mark and Kerri Hanks converted a penalty kick 7:56 into the contest. By the time Notre Dame scored the game winner in the 97th minute, Villanova had played more than 89 minutes of scoreless defense, nearly the equivalent of a complete game shutout.

Junior goalkeeper Molly Williams (Hinsdale, Ill.) was in complete command of the game from start to finish and made a career-high 12 saves. Eight of those stops came after halftime as time and time again she allowed the Wildcat offense a chance to get back into the game.

This game was billed as a stark contrast from the last time the Fighting Irish visited the Main Line. On October 20, 2006, Villanova and Notre Dame were the top two defensive teams in the entire nation. Entering today's matchup they represented the top two offensive programs in the BIG EAST Conference. Those offenses didn't disappoint and the Wildcats cracked the defense for the first time in the 51st minute when junior Grace Hawkins (Northport, N.Y.) tapped in a ball for her eighth goal of the season, tying for the team lead. Sophomore Rachel Schuyler (Cheshire, Conn.) sent a corner kick into the middle of the box and junior Kelly Eagan (St. James, N.Y.) slid it up towards the net where Hawkins back-heeled it into the goal.

A Villanova offense that is dangerous on set pieces scored again off of a corner kick with 8:12 remaining to tie the score. From the same spot to the right of the goal where the first Wildcat score materialized, Schuyler delivered a ball that appeared to get lost in a scramble of players from both sides in front of the net. Senior Laura Sylvester (Broomall, Pa.) - a central defender - finally finished the play with her first career goal, teaming with Hawkins and senior Erin Hardiman (Galloway, N.J.) to complete the play. Hardiman added to her new school record for assists in a season with her 13th of the year, extending the mark she established in Friday's win over DePaul.

In their first 13 games of the season, the Fighting Irish had outscored opponents by a 45-5 margin. It was visible why early on in the game and Notre Dame wound up with a 24-7 edge in shots for the afternoon, including a 15-4 advantage in shots on goal.

The offense for the Fighting Irish was opportune as well, as Bock's header goal off a pass from Julie Scheidler came on a well-executed play from start to finish. Just minutes later, Hanks stole a ball in Notre Dame territory and raced downfield for a hopeful 1-on-1 chance with Williams. Instead, Sylvester gave chase and tackled Hanks near the top of the penalty box. It was ruled that the foul occurred inside the penalty area and Hanks was awarded her seventh penalty kick attempt of the season.

The second period of the game yielded 14 shots for the Fighting Irish but seemingly every time Notre Dame had a scoring opportunity Williams made a save or a Villanova player stepped in. Eagan and Sylvester manned the middle of the defense while sophomore Amy Greco (Media, Pa.) and freshman Erin Ryan (Doylestown, Pa.) had outstanding overall games at the outside spots. Ryan was assigned the task of marking Hanks and was up to the task against the nation's fourth-leading goal scorer.

Still down 2-1 with less than 20 minutes remaining, the Wildcats withstood a barrage by Notre Dame that nearly extended the deficit. The Fighting Irish were awarded three straight corner kicks in a span of less than three minutes (from 73:55 to 76:51) that yielded just a header shot by Carrie Dew which went wide left. Hanks had a shot saved by Williams with 12:13 left in regulation and Erica Iantorno's header with 9:35 to play was also stopped.

It was just moments later that Villanova tied the game on Sylvester's goal at 81:48. The Wildcats never appeared content with their comeback and nearly found a way to emerge with a victory. Eagan's header off a set piece with 3:12 left was saved by Kelsey Lysander and shots by Eagan and Schuyler in the first 5:19 of the overtime period each went wide left. Lysander had two saves on the day as Notre Dame allowed more than one goal for the first time this year.

Hardiman and Sylvester were among the five seniors honored before the game, along with forward Nicole Coia (Simpsonville, S.C.), midfielder Kristen Verbit (Newtown, Pa.) and goalkeeper Leann Kania (Pittsburgh, Pa.). This senior class owns a record of 48-17-12 (.701) in their careers and remains in pursuit of history. The fewest losses ever in a four-year period for the Wildcats is 19, a mark held by the last year's graduating class.

Villanova now goes on the road for the final four games of the regular season, beginning with a 7 p.m. game at Pittsburgh this coming Friday evening.

NOTES: The Wildcats trailed back-to-back games earlier this season by 2-0 scores against La Salle and Penn ... Villanova won both contests 3-2 ... Hardiman is back in the team lead for points with 21 this year (four goals, 13 assists) ... Hawkins tied freshman Kaitlin Ryan (Wayne, N.J.) for the lead with her eight goals ... The last time a Wildcat goalkeeper had as many as 12 saves in a game was on September 27, 2002 when Chrissy Dolan had 16 stops in a 2-1 victory over, fittingly, Notre Dame ... That was the only time that Villanova has beaten the Fighting Irish in 16 tries.