On Saturday, Sept. 26, Villanova’s men’s soccer team lost, 2-0, to Xavier at the Corcoran Field in Cincinnati.
The Wildcats kept the match scoreless through halftime before the Musketeers scored twice in the second half to pull away.
Xavier controlled most of the game, outshooting the Cats 25-7 and holding an 8-2 edge in corner kicks.
Still, Villanova kept the game within reach throughout the evening thanks to disciplined defense and strong goalie play.
“I think the biggest thing is just continuing to focus on having a growth mindset and trying to get better every day, and trying to implement a different style of play than what we did last year, and continue to improve our system,” said Fetrow.
Junior goalkeeper Alex Yagudayev delivered one of his better performances of his season, finishing with 11 saves.
Earlier this year, Yagudayev was named Big East Goalkeeper of the Week after recording a league-high 19 saves over two matches.
Against Xavier, he continuously stopped quality shots and gave the Wildcats a chance to stay in the game.
“Everyone feels confident when we’re defending low, and if we give up the chance or give up a shot, that he’s going to be there to make the save,” said Fetrow. “So he gives us all a big boost of confidence every time we step on the pitch.”
Defender Luke Martelli once again played a key role for Villanova. The redshirt junior entered the week leading the team in points and was recently named Philly Soccer Six Player of the Week following his efforts in Villanova’s 4-2 win over Philly rival Drexel.
His leadership and two-way play have made him one of the most integral pieces of the Villanova lineup.
“Luke’s very much a lead by example type of guy,” said Fetrow. “He’s our hardest working guy.”
Karson Vazquez, Jasper Zulman and Fynn Lahrsen were among the Wildcats who attempted to create offense throughout the night.
Vazquez led the team with three shots, while Zulman had one on-target attempt.
Lahrsen, a returning attacking contributor, nearly found the back of the net to even the score after Xavier had gone up 1-0.
The turning point came at 47:13 when Nolan Brice converted a set-piece opportunity for Xavier.
Beckham Williams added a second goal in the 82nd minute to ice the game for the Musketeers.
“Regardless of the result, we want to keep things in perspective and understand that you know it’s going to take a lot of work and a lot of effort for us to be a completely finished project, and we just got to focus on getting better every day,” said Fetrow.
Villanova will host University of Connecticut at the Higgins Soccer Complex on Friday, Oct. 2.
The match is set to begin at 3 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.