Villanova Moves Up One Spot to No. 5

Villanova, Pa. – The Villanova Wildcats earned 3,346 points, including four first place votes, and are ranked No. 5 in this week’s STATS FCS Top 25. Villanova is coming off a 28-21 win over the Delaware Blue Hens in the CAA opener.

In addition to Villanova, three other CAA teams are ranked this week, including James Madison at No. 9, Richmond at No. 19 and New Hampshire at No. 21.

The 2-1 Wildcats have posted wins over No. 16 Fordham (14-7) and Delaware with the lone loss coming at FBS member Connecticut by a score of 20-15.

Villanova returns to action on Thursday, Sept. 24, when the Wildcats play host to the Penn Quakers. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

Field Hockey Continues Road Play vs. Rutgers

The Villanova field hockey team (1-3, 0-0 BIG EAST) gear up for a 3 pm matchup tomorrow, Friday, September 11 against Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-1), at the Baur Track and Field/Field Hockey Complex.  The game will be the Wildcats second road contest on a three game stand.

The Wildcats travel to Rutgers after going 1-1 last weekend.  The team beat Ball State at home by a final of 6-1.  Junior Kristen Mericle led the team with two goals, while freshman Emily Cliggett and Allison Sayia scored their first collegiate goals.  Sunday the team traveled to Monmouth University, a goal from Francesca Bello wasn’t enough to lead to the team to victory, the Wildcats fell 3-1.

Bello leads the team with six points, she has two goals and two assists.  She added two assists and a goal this past weekend.

On Monday, September 7, Mericle was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for the first time this season.  It marks the second Weekly Honor Roll selection for the Wildcats this season after freshmen goalkeeper Erika Miller earned the nod in week one.

Six Wildcats have a goal this season with eight on the team having at least one point; Mericle, Cliggett, Sayia, Bello, junior Courtney Devine, senior Kayla Kenney, senior Carolynn Clark, and freshman Maddy Lewis.

Freshman goalkeeper Miller has totaled 298 minutes with four starts with a 1.64 goals against average, allowing just 7 goals and 25 saves.  Miller is 1-3 during her freshman campaign.

Villanova has out shot opponents 85 to 46 this season, with 47 of those shot being on goal.  The Wildcats have also outscored them, 8-7, and lead in corners 42-34 for the season.  The team is currently averaging over 10 corners per game.

Rutgers is coming off of a 4-2 win over Monmouth Wednesday at home.  The Scarlet Knights will finish a five game home stand against the Wildcats Friday afternoon.  Nicole Imbriaco leads their team with three goals and seven points.  Rutgers has ten players with a least one goals and 13 with at least one point.  The Wildcats lead the all-time record between these two teams, 18-14-1 over Rutgers.  The two teams last met on October 4^th 2013 at Villanova Stadium.  The game went into triple overtime with the Scarlet Knights edging out the Wildcats 3-2.

 

 

Wildcats Earn 6-1 Victory Over Ball State at Home

The Villanova field hockey team (1-2) got their first win of the 2015 season this afternoon vs. Ball State (0-3).  The Wildcats dominated the game ending with a final score of 6-1.

The Wildcats scoring started early, with four goals in the first 20 minutes of the contest.  Junior Kristen Mericle started Villanova with her first goal of the game less than 5 minutes in, assisted by Carolynn Clark.  Two freshmen scored their first collegiate goals in this game.  First, Allison Sayia scored 9 minutes into the game and she was followed by Emily Cliggett less than 3 minutes later.   Kayla Kenny scored the fourth goal for Villanova unassisted; it was her first goal of the season.

The Cardinals got on the board late in the first half on a pass from Bethany Han to Michelle Shampton, who hit a strong shot off that crossed the goal line.  Villanova went into the half leading 4-1.

The second half was just as strong for the Wildcats, with many players seeing action out on the field.  Mericle wasn’t done for the day, she scored her second goal less than eight minutes into the second half on a pass from Sayia.  With a few minutes left on the board, sophomore Courtney Devine scored her first collegiate goal off a pass from a break away pass back from freshman Maddy Lewis.

Erika Miller got the start in the goal for Villanova, she had five saves during the afternoon contest.  Overall the Wildcats out shot Ball State 31 to 11, 17 of the teams’ shots were on goal.

On Sunday the team returns to action with their first road game of the season at Monmouth University at 1 pm.

Field Hockey Hosts Ball State Friday; Travels to Monmouth Sunday

This weekend the field hockey team (0-2) returns to action starting Friday with a home game when the team will take on Ball State (0-2) at 4 pm.  Sunday the team will play their first away game of the season when they travel to West Long Branch New Jersey to take on Monmouth University (0-1) at 1 pm.

The Wildcats are coming off losing their first two games at home this season.  Friday August 30^th, the team took on Sacred Heart in their season opener.  During regulation the Wildcats dominated ball possession having 20 shots during the first 70 minutes.  It wasn’t until the 88^th minute that the Pioneers scored the only goal of the game, which in overtime gave the team sudden victory.

Freshmen Allison Sayia and Erika Miller got their first collegiate starts during the contest.  Sayia had three shot attempts during the game while Miller played all 88 minutes in goal and had seven saves.

Sunday Villanova welcomed LaSalle for an afternoon game at Villanova Stadium.  The Explorers got on the board fast with a goal less than 5 minutes into the game.  The Wildcats answered with their own goal less than 10 minutes later.  Sophomore Francesca Bello scored the goal after entering in a corner for the Wildcats.  Her pass went to senior Carolynn Clark who tried to get a shot off but instead put the ball in the direction of Bello who got the ball to cross the goal line.  The Explorers answered with the game winning goal in the 53^rd minute of play, giving them the 2-1 lead that would end up being the final score.

Ball State starts the season with four straight road games; last weekend the team started their season at Rutgers and lost 4-0.  The team continued their travels to Lafayette on Sunday where the team lost 3-2.  The Cardinals two goals were scored by juniors Lexi Kavanaugh and Merinda Morley.  The last time Villanova played Ball State was in 2009, when the Wildcats won 4-1 at home.

The Monmouth Hawks played Bucknell in their season opener Sunday August 30^th.  The Hawks were edged out by Bucknell 2-1, but freshmen Elyssa Okken scored her first collegiate goal for Monmouth during the first contest.  Last season when the Wildcats and the Hawks met at Villanova Stadium, Monmouth won the game 4-1. Before Sunday’s game, Monmouth will take on Lehigh Friday afternoon in their home opener at 3 pm.

Erika Miller was selected to the BIG EAST Field Hockey Weekly Honor Roll

Villanova field hockey freshman goalkeeper Erika Miller was selected to the BIG EAST Field Hockey Weekly Honor Roll on Monday afternoon for her play against Sacred Heart on Fri., Aug 28 and LaSalle on Sun. Aug. 30. The news came via a conference press release.

Miller played all 88 minutes in her first game of the season which coincided with her first career collegiate start.  The freshman goalkeeper made seven saves including 3 in overtime.  Sacred Heart won the game in the first minutes of the second overtime period, 1-0.

Sunday Miller played all 70 minutes during the game vs. LaSalle Explorers.   She finished with eight saves on the day but unfortunately that wasn’t enough, the Wildcats fell 2-1.

The Pennsylvania native is the first Villanova player to be selected to the conference Honor Roll this season.

Through two games, the freshman owns a 1.33 goals against average, allowing just three goals in 158 minutes with a 0-2 record on the season.

Villanova will take on Ball State at home Friday September 4^th at 4 pm followed by their first road game of the season at Monmouth in West Long Branch, New Jersey at 1 pm.

The Field Hockey Team Opens their Season this Weekend with Two Home Games

Villanova, Pa. – The Villanova Field Hockey team (0-0) opens their regular season play this weekend with two home games. First the team will play Friday night at 7 pm vs. the Sacred Heart Pioneers (0-0) and continuing play Sunday at noon vs. the LaSalle Explorers (0-0).

The two-game weekend marks the beginning of the fall schedule for the Wildcats which features nine home events, six road matchups and one neutral site game.

Last season the Wildcats went 4-14.The team is returning an ALL-BIG EAST First Team and ALL-BIG EAST Preseason player Kayla Kenney.

This year the team is being led by senior captains, Kayla Kenney and Ann Romanowski; as well as four other seniors, Taylor Kidwell, Heather Smillie, Carolynn Clark, and Kristina Roberts. Head Coach Joanie Milhous is impressed by the leadership she has seen in preseason from all six players, “I would say our captains have defiantly impressed me. The leadership that they are showing has been fantastic; they are setting the tone right away. I would say the entire senior group is actually sending a message of hey we are working hard and are willing to do whatever it takes.”

Last year the Pioneers finished the season with a 9-9 record and went 3-2 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). This qualified the team for their first postseason appearance since 2008. Senior forward Christine Mace was selected to the Preseason ALL-MAAC Team.

This will mark the third consecutive year that the two teams have opened their seasons playing each other. During their last meeting, the Pioneers and Wildcats went into OT tied at 1. But ultimately the Wildcats fell to Sacred Heart from a goal by now junior Danielle Gallagher.

The Explorers will start their season on Friday as they take on Maine at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Last season the team went 11-7 overall and 5-3 in the A-10, this overall record marks the best for LaSalle since joining the Atlantic 10 in the 1995 season. This season the team was picked to finish sixth in the Coaches’ Preseason Poll. Last September when both teams met at LaSalle, a 2nd half goal by the Explorers gave them a one goal lead. Villanova was unable to score and fell to LaSalle 2-1. Sunday’s game will also be the Philafieldhockey game of the season. They are an organization that promotes college, high school, club and youth field hockey in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware & Montgomery Counties. This is the second annual event that the organization has done with a Philadelphia area college; bringing local middle school, high school, and club teams together to bond as a team and experience field hockey at a Division 1 level.

Admission to all field hockey contests at Villanova Stadium is free and a live video stream will be available on Nova Nation All-Access via villanova.com.

2015 Field Hockey Season Preview

Villanova, Pa. – With school year underway, the start of the season is fast approaching. The Villanova field hockey team will start their season Friday August 28th at home. The team is welcoming seven freshmen this year and returning 12 letterwinners. Head coach Joanie Milhous, is entering her 21st season as a Wildcat; the team looks to return to the BIG EAST tournament for the first time since 2011.

The 2015 season will start with the team playing their first three games at home. First they will host Sacred Heart on Friday August 28th at 7 p.m. followed by LaSalle on Sunday the 30th and Ball State Friday September 4th.

“Every game is about being the hardest working team on the field and the most productive team on the field,” Milhous shared. “We are going to take it one game at a time, and every game is going to be the most important game.”

Last season, Villanova won four games while dropping 14 contests, the team finished fifth in the BIG EAST Conference. Three fellow BIG EAST opponents were ranked in the Top 25 teams, with Connecticut being back to back National Champions.

Milhous is ready to see the hard work her team has had in preseason pay off on the field, “we are a lot more demanding on them, they have received it well all of preseason so far and we are going to be pushing them further and harder than they have been pushed before.”

The team was picked to finish fifth in the BIG EAST Coaches’ Preseason Poll behind Connecticut, Old Dominion, Temple and Providence, three of which are consistently nationally ranked. Georgetown rounded out the poll.

Conference play begins on Oct. 2 as Old Dominion hosts Temple in a contest that will be broadcast live from Norfolk, Va. on the BIG EAST Digital Network. Georgetown travels to Providence that same day while Connecticut and Villanova will lift the lid on conference play on Oct. 3 in Storrs, Conn. Senior captain Kayla Kenney was named to the preseason ALL-BIG EAST team. Kenney started all 18 games, had four goals, four assist, 12 points, and 26 shots on goal to lead the team during the 2014 season.

During this past offseason, Villanova announced the hiring of Kelly Driscoll a 2010 Old Dominion grad, as a new addition to the coaching staff; she will also serve as a recruiter for the Wildcat program. She arrives at Villanova from Temple University where she was an assistant from 2011-14, including serving as the Associate Head Coach in 2014. She will be joining fellow assistant coach Kaitlyn Scholl, who is heading into her sixth year with the program.

Forwards:

The team this year will feature four forwards, senior captain Kayla Kenny and fellow senior Heather Smillie, both who contributed four goals last season, look to add experience and leadership to the roster.

Junior Courtney Devine played in 23 games over her last two seasons and adds depth to the roster.Maddy Lewis, a freshman to the team will contribute to the team as a forward and midfielder throughout the season. Prior to Villanova, Lewis was named to the First Team All-Chesmont and All-Area in both 2013 and 2014 while at West Chester East High School.

Midfielder:

Senior captain Ann Romanowski and fellow senior Carolynn Cark, both started all 18 games together last season. Junior Kristen Mericle has played in all 35 contests since her freshman season, scoring her first goal last year vs. Penn.

Sophomores Francesca Bello, Mackenzie Harding, and Molly Turner are looking to take their knowledge from their freshman season and make this year just as successful.

Bello contributed four goals and two assists last season totaling 10 points overall. She was one of five Wildcats with a double-digit point total on the season. Harding, who also plays back, and Turner, both played in a combined 16 contests last season.

Of the seven newcomers, four are midfielders; Emily Cliggett, Sami Lopez, Allison Sayia, and Catie Ward. Cliggett, who will also be playing forward, was named to the Suburban I All-League First Team her senior season as well as being named the C.B. South Offensive MVP. Her high school teammates included Kayla Kenney and Mackenzie Harding. Lopez was the 2014 team leader in goals and assists at Mainland Regional High School. She was also chosen to The Press of Atlantic City Second Teamin 2014 and earned the 2014-15 CAL Coach Lewis Iron Women Award.

Sayia, who at Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child was named to the National All-America Second Team, Regional, All-American First Team, and First Team All-Union County. She is also a four-time Union County Champions; and also will be playing forward for the Wildcats. Ward, will also be a defender for the Wildcats, was named to the First Team All-Area for the Chesmont League for her senior season at Unionville High School.

Defense:

With the loss of three defenders, the Wildcats have senior Taylor Kidwell to lead the defender in experience. Kidwell started ten games for the Wildcats last season, after returning from an injury that kept her from playing her sophomore year.

Freshman Catie Ebner from Fair Haven, New Jersey, high school team was named the Group II Section II Championships for three-straight years from 2013-15. Ward was also named to First Team All-Shore, All-Division, All-County and All-State.

Goalkeeper:

The Wildcats have two returning goalies and have added a newcomer to the goalie depth. Sophomore Jordyn Clipstone, who was the primary goalie last season, started all 18 games averaging 3.14 goals a game. Senior Kristina Roberts is entering her second season with the team, Roberts was a walk on her junior year. She saw action in four games playing 95 minutes her first season as a Wildcat. Erika Miller a freshman from Malvern, Pa, had 41 career shutouts and a .917 career save percentage with 324 saves between her junior and senior seasons at Villa Maria Academy. Miller was a PIAA State Champion in 2014 and named to the PHSFCHA First Team All-State in both 2013 and 2014.

Schedule:

Villanova will open their season with three straight home games starting this Friday, August 28th vs. Sacred Heart followed by LaSalle on Sunday the 30th and ending with Ball State September 4th. The team will then travel for a three-game road trip against Monmouth (9/6), Rutgers (9/11), and Penn (9/15). Nova will then host Fairfield at home (9/20) and will play Siena (9/25) in West Chester, Pa. The Wildcats will then play two road games against Towson (9/27) and its BIG EAST opener against Connecticut (10/3).

Villanova returns home first facing off with Saint Francis (10/4) and then fellow BIG EAST team Providence (10/9). The team plays their last non-conference game vs. Rider on October 11th. The squad will then travel to Georgetown for their last road game of the season (10/16). The final two games will be played at home, first against Old Dominion (10/23) and ending with Temple (10/31).