Syracuse University
Villanova
Villanova Up Next For Men's Soccer Team
10/19/2010 2:47:01 PM | Men's Soccer
Game Notes | Live Video
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Orange (2-6-5, 0-2-3) concludes a three-game road trip on Wednesday, Oct. 20 with an afternoon matchup at Villanova (7-5-2, 3-1-1). Start time is 3:30 p.m. at the VU Soccer Complex. The Wildcats and Orange are fourth and fifth, respectively, in the BIG EAST Red Division standings and both teams are angling for postseason berths.
Wednesday's game feature's two of the league's premier goalkeepers. Villanova's Chris Bresnahan leads the BIG EAST with 65 saves. He also has five shutouts. SU shot stopper Jeremy Vuolo is third in the league with 58 saves. Vuolo ranks fourth in conference games with 0.72 goals-against average and he's tied with Bresnahan and St. John's Rafael Diaz for second in save percentage (.857) in BIG EAST games.
ORANGE REWIND
The Orange went 0-1-1 in two matches last week. Syracuse posted its third shutout in conference play, and its fourth clean sheet overall, drawing 0-0 at St. John's on Oct. 13. Syracuse also lost at Marquette, 3-0.
SHUTOUT STREAK COMES TO AN END
Syracuse's shutout streak against conference opponents came to an end at Marquette when Calum Mallace scored in the 19th minute. It was the first goal by a BIG EAST foe against the Orange since late in the USF game on Oct. 2 - a stretch of 244:06 that included shutouts of DePaul and St. John's.
SCOUTING VILLANOVA
Villanova is 7-5-2 overall and 3-1-1 with 10 points in the conference. Villanova has split in its last two outings, beating Rutgers (1-0) on Oct. 13 before losing at Georgetown (3-1) on Oct. 16.
Dylan Renna and Kevin Garcia are the team's main offensive threats. The duo has combined for eight of the team's 16 goals. Renna leads the way with five goals and a team-best 11 points. Garcia has three scores. Kyle Soroka leads the club with a pair of assists. Defensively, the Wildcats have recorded six shutouts on the season. In addition to his 65 saves, Bresnahan also sports a 1.04 goals-against average.
Tom Carlin is in his third season as Villanova's head coach. He took over in 2008 after longtime mentor Larry Sullivan retired. He has an overall record of 122-46-15, which includes six seasons at his alma mater, Arcadia University in Pennsylvania. He is 23-23-6 in his time at Villanova.
THE SERIES WITH VILLANOVA
Syracuse owns a 10-8-1 advantage in the all-time series and holds the series' longest winning streak with four consecutive victories from 1998-2001. Seven of SU's 10 triumphs against Villanova have come via shutout. Five of the last six meetings have all been decided by one goal. Villanova has won the last three meetings, including a 3-1 triumph at the SU Soccer Stadium last season.
