Villanova forward Dez Zapata’s first-half goal cancelled out Princeton’s Dylan Jovanovic’s early strike, and both teams hit the crossbar in the second half in a 1-1 draw at Higgins Soccer Complex Sunday afternoon.
The Wildcats (5-0-3) entered the game with the second-best goals against average in the country after conceding their first goal against Delaware in a 2-1 victory midweek. With 25 goals to start the season, they ranked in the top-10 in the country in goals per game. Meanwhile, the Tigers (4-3-1) entered the match on a two-game winning streak after 3-0 wins against Colgate and Lehigh. Villanova beat Lehigh 9-0 in their second game of the season.
The game opened with strong transition play from both teams. Every turnover led to quick breakouts to wide players, keeping the game on a razor’s edge, and Princeton used the width of the field to create the game’s first chances. In the 9th minute, Jovanovic broke free down the right side, and her cut back pass reached Maddie Recupero at the top of the box. Recupero beat a defender to the left but pushed her shot high.
Two minutes later, Princeton scored the opening goal. Stella Monberg hit Jovanovic with a pass out wide in a similar position, but this time Jovanovic had space to take on a defender. Jovanovic dribbled with speed, cut inside to her left and unleashed a shot that beat Nova’s Hannah Dickinson to the far corner to give the Tigers the 1-0 lead. The goal was Jovanovic’s third of the season.
Dickinson, the All-Big East goalkeeper doesn’t get beat often. Ranked second in the country in goals against average and top-20 in clean sheets, it takes a special strike to beat her, and Jovanovic’s finish provided the highest of quality.
The hosts responded well after the goal, and five minutes later Zapata received transitional pass out wide on the left, and after cutting inside to her right, ripped a shot that just missed the near post. She had more chances after that, but each time the Princeton defense stopped her with a double team or forced her to pass into traffic. Late in the half, as Nova built more momentum, defender Meredith Palmer sent a dangerous early cross beyond the Princeton backline that striker Morgan Kotch got a lunging touch on, but not enough to beat Princeton keeper Cecilia Cerone.
In the 42nd minute, Zapata scored the equalizer. On another transition, Isabelle Chukwu played a ball wide to Zapata, who had more room to attack her defender one versus one. Zapata dribbled inside then made a cut to the outside and ripped a shot to the top corner, beating Cerone. The goal was Zapata’s second on the season. She also leads the team with four assists.
After the goal, Nova continued to press, and Riley Dixon sent a cross toward toward Kotch at the penalty spot from deep within the right corner. Kotch took the ball down with her chest and snapped a quick half volley that Cerone saved from the ground.
After the break, Princeton jumped on the hosts with several chances that tested Dickinson and her back four. One minute into the half, Jovanovic had another isolated position out wide, but this time she cut outside and Dickinson saved her strong shot at the near post.
In the 56th minute, Chukwu got behind Princeton’s right side and crossed ball toward the penalty spot where Kotch volleyed the waist-high pass wide.
The game continued to open up with rapid counters, and Nova had a great opportunity to go up in the 63rd minute. After a lengthy possession, Abby Kiil fed defender Sophia Miller inside from the right. Miller beat her defender to the left and struck the underside of the bar from distance. Kotch tried to steer the rebound toward goal, but Sydney Romano made the recovery save. Two minutes later, Princeton’s Kayla Wong created a chance down the right, beating her opponent out wide and firing on goal, but Dickinson made the save.
In the 78th minute, Princeton nearly grabbed a road winner when Alexandra Barry had a clean strike from the top of the box that hit the bar. Recupero retrieved the rebound, cut inside, and fired wide.
In the final minutes, Nova pushed for a winner but couldn’t get on the end of two good crosses from Cardo, and both teams had to settle for the draw.
“We haven’t had that experience yet this season,” Villanova coach Samar Azem said after the game. Azem said her team has played with leads, scored late to win games, and scored a winner after being tied up earlier in the week, but never played from behind. “What we have been preparing for in practice is those types of scenarios. It’s almost like goals are going to come. They’re going to happen, and you just have to move onto the next thing. I was not surprised, but I was proud of the way they responded because they just got back to business.”
For a team that hadn’t given up a goal all season until this week, Azem welcomed the adversity because her team showed they were better than a single defensive moment. For Azem, Villanova’s position near the top of the country in goal differential (+24), goals against average (.143), and shutouts (6) demonstrates positive momentum heading into the conference schedule.
“I’m happy we’ve seen all kinds of teams non-conference,” she said. “It’s prepared us in every capacity. Today absolutely showed us a lot of things we’re good at but a lot of things we need to work on still, which is exciting.”
Zapata, a junior from Smyrna, Delaware, has been excellent for Villanova to start the season. She ranks third on the team in points (2g, 4a, 8 points) and has already doubled her total from last season. After picking up an assist against Delaware earlier in the week, she now has two-straight games with a goal contribution.
“It felt amazing,” she said after the game about scoring the tying goal. “We were going through a lot of emotions and what really drove me was my team. It all started with our defense working their butts off, getting the ball back, then obviously our midfield finding me up top.”
Zapata has played a big role in the team’s early success this season, which she attributes to the team’s work in practice. “Every single day we show up and show out, and we give 110%. We’ve been building these good habits of pushing ourselves and challenging. This year, we’re such a different team, and we’re stronger.”
Villanova will now begin Big East play at St. John’s next Saturday. The Wildcats finished the conference regular season last year in fifth place with a record of 4-5-1, just missing out on tournament play.
“Now we’re really getting started with our season,” Zapata said. “we’re going to keep building upon what we’ve been doing in the last few games.”
Villanova will travel to Creighton on September 30th before their conference home opener against Georgetown October 3rd. The Wildcats are currently ranked no. 23 by Top Drawer Soccer but surprisingly yet to crack the United Soccer Coaches top-25.
