Sept. 6, 2007

VILLANOVA, Pa. - After posting a pair of 3-0 victories during its opening weekend, Villanova will go on the road for the first time this Friday evening when the Wildcats make a short trip to New Jersey for a 7 p.m. game against Princeton. The game is being played in the Tigers football stadium due to work being completed on the Princeton soccer fields.

At its own home tournament last weekend, Villanova defeated Lafayette and Virginia Commonwealth while outshooting the two opponents by a combined edge of 29-10. The Wildcats began the season with consecutive wins for the second year in a row and third time since 2003.

Villanova is currently ranked No. 25 in the NSCAA/adidas poll and is ranked or receiving votes in four different national polls. This week, senior defender Kayce Blandford (Columbia, Md.) was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week and senior goalkeeper Jillian Loyden (Vineland, N.J.) was chosen for the league's weekly honor roll. Blandford had a goal and two assists in last weekend's wins and Loyden broke the program's career record for goalkeeper victories.

Princeton opened the season in a tournament at Boston University over the weekend and suffered a pair of narrow 1-0 losses to Connecticut and the host Terriers. The Huskies are ranked No. 17 in this week's national poll while Boston University is receiving votes in the poll. Senior goalkeeper Maren Dale played both games in net for the Tigers, making eight saves while allowing only the two goals.

The Wildcats will renew a rivalry against Princeton that dates back to 1983, the first for Villanova at the varsity level. The Tigers own a 10-7 edge in the all-time series, but the teams have met just four times in the last 11 years.

"Friday's game will be a huge game for us," Villanova head coach Ann Clifton said. "We know a lot of their kids and they know a lot of ours. Princeton is a big rivalry for us because they are a well respected program that has been to the Final Four. The last time we played there the fans were boisterous and loud. We need to be prepared for that type of environment because it is a game we need to be successful in."

The natural rivals for the Wildcats in the state of New Jersey are BIG EAST foes Rutgers and Seton Hall, but the four most recent meetings between Villanova and Princeton (all since 2001) form an intriguing storyline to Friday night's game.

The Tigers defeated the Wildcats 1-0 at Princeton in 2001 and the teams next met in 2003 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, played at the University of Virginia. Princeton entered that game with an 11-2-3 record and was undefeated in non-conference play for the season, but a surging Villanova team posted a 2-1 victory on its way to a Sweet 16 appearance one game later.

In 2004, the Tigers returned the favor by beating the Wildcats 1-0 in an early season tournament played at the University of Pennsylvania. The teams went on to meet in the NCAA Tournament again that season, with a Princeton squad that was headed to the Final Four securing a second round 1-0 victory in double overtime on its home field.

Friday's game will mark Villanova's first trip back to Princeton since that second round NCAA game. The seven seniors on the roster this year (three of whom are from New Jersey) were freshmen playing in their first postseason back in 2004. Three years later they are eager to make their own mark in school history and know that Friday night will mark their first difficult challenge in the young season.

Kickoff between the Wildcats and Tigers is set for 7 p.m. on Powers Field at Princeton Stadium. Princeton will have live stats available during the game. To access the live stats visit www.goprincetontigers.com or click here.

NOTES: Since 1997, the Wildcats have posted a 10-3-2 (.733) record against Ivy League teams, though Princeton has accounted for all three losses ... In that same time span, Villanova is 5-5-5 in games played in the state of New Jersey ... Most recently, the Wildcats tied Rutgers 1-1 in Piscataway last season and defeated Seton Hall in 2005.