Wildcats Make Push for Playoffs Entering Final Weekend of Regular Season
Oct. 24, 2008
CINCINNATI, Ohio-- The scenario for the Villanova women's soccer team as it enters the final weekend of the regular season is a familiar one, and the team can only hope that the next two games will unfold in a similarly reminiscent manner.
A year ago the Wildcats faced an undetermined playoff picture as they headed into games against Louisville and Cincinnati to close out the regular season. All that has changed this year are the order of the opponents - the Bearcats come first in a game this evening at Gettler Stadium - and the location of the games as Villanova takes to the road for the second straight week.
A conference as large and competitive as the Big East tends to have its teams packed tightly together in the standings. With so many possible scenarios for the final weekend, it was unclear last season whether the Wildcats needed one win, two wins or something in between to qualify for a BIG EAST Championship berth. Villanova won both games just to be safe and emerged as the No. 4 seed coming out of the National Division.
The pressure meter has been turned up a little higher this time around, as the Wildcats need a win this evening to remain in the race for one of the five playoff berths from the division. Only division leader Notre Dame, which has clinched the division's top seed, has settled its playoff position entering play this weekend.
Villanova has fared well in the past in situations like the one this weekend. Since the Big East adopted its current schedule format in 2005, the Wildcats are 4-2 during the final weekend of the regular season. The pair of losses both came against Notre Dame, in 2005 and 2006. In fact, the two losses to the Fighting Irish are the only ones for Villanova during the final week of regular season play since 2000, a span in which the Wildcats have gone 11-2.
Although the results may not show it - Villanova is 0-2-1 in its last three games - the Wildcats have been playing some of their best soccer of the year against top competition. It took overtime for nationally-ranked opponents Notre Dame and West Virginia to squeak out wins against Villanova, which has scored multiple goals in a game 11 times already through 17 games. The Wildcats are 25-2 the last three years when scoring at least two goals, with the only losses, naturally, coming against the Irish.
These next two games against Cincinnati and Louisville should once again produce tightly-contested battles. Villanova is 6-0 against the two teams since they joined the BIG EAST in 2005, but all six wins have been decided by one goal. Four of the six have ended in a 1-0 score and three were not decided until the 83rd minute or later.
About Cincinnati: The Bearcats have had their best season of the four since they joined the BIG EAST, going 8-5-3 so far this year and compiling a 4-2-3 conference mark. Cincinnati will be trying to earn its first conference tournament berth this weekend. The team is led in scoring by freshman Julie Morrissey, who has six goals and two assists on the season for 14 points. Two others have scored three goals each, while forwards Kristin May and Erin MacDonald lead the way with three assists apiece. Junior Andrea Kaminski has been a steady presence in goal with a 1.36 goals-against average and .744 save percentage along with solo efforts in each of the team's three shutouts. The Bearcats have scored 21 goals and allowed 23 for the season.
Playoff Possibilities: Villanova can finish anywhere from third to sixth in the National Division based on the outcomes of games this weekend. A win against Cincinnati would put the Wildcats one point ahead of the Bearcats, meaning they could automatically clinch a playoff berth on Sunday with a win over Louisville. Villanova could also clinch a spot on Sunday if Cincinnati either ties or loses to Georgetown. A loss against the Bearcats this evening would eliminate the Wildcats from finishing in the top five.
Shutout Story: Junior goalkeeper Molly Williams (Hinsdale, Ill.) has shut out five of the Wildcats nine conference opponents this season. Her five shutouts in conference games are tied for the Big East lead in league games. Villanova has always been among the shutout leaders in the Big East. In all games played since 1997, the Wildcats have posted 115 shutouts to tie for fourth in the league in that span. Only Notre Dame (169), Connecticut (138) and Marquette (120) have had more shutouts since 1997 than Villanova.
Corner Count: Villanova has taken 82 corner kicks this season, compared with 67 by its opponents. That margin is despite West Virginia setting its own school record with 18 corner kicks against the Wildcats in last Sunday's game. Villanova did a great job defending those corners, however. Of the 18 attempts by the Mountaineers, only six led to a shot and just two of those shots were placed on goal. Molly Williams saved both of those shots on target for two of her six stops in the game.
League Success: Since the Big East began a regular season schedule for women's soccer in 1995, the Wildcats have traditionally placed near the top of the standings. Villanova has 60 regular season conference wins and is tied with Rutgers for fourth place among all teams with that total. Notre Dame (117), Connecticut (98) and West Virginia (66) are the only Big East programs with more wins in the league than the Wildcats. Villanova's all-time program winning percentage of .599 (281-179-53) is also fifth-best among Big East schools.
This Date in Villanova History: In each of its first two years as a varsity program, Villanova posted 3-0 wins over West Chester on this date (1983, 1984). The Wildcats are 7-3 all-time on October 24, with four-game and three-game winning streaks bookending a span of three straight losses from 1992-95. Most recently Villanova defeated Pittsburgh, 3-1, in the final game of the regular season on this date in 2004.
Up Next: Villanova visits Louisville for a Noon game on Sunday to close out the regular season.
Friday's Basics
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
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