A screamer from Villanova midfielder Hayden Harr was the lone goal and all that separated the visiting Wildcats from the men’s soccer team 1-0 on a chilly afternoon Saturday at Wish Field.
Harr’s goal came in the 79th minute and was assisted by Sean Sheridan following a loose turnover by the Blue Demons. Receiving Sheridan’s pass from just inside the corner of the 18-yard box, Harr fired off a curling rocket to the far post, leaving DePaul keeper Eric Sorby with no chance of stopping the game’s only goal.
The late goal was the only thing to separate the two sides in a fairly even match at Wish Field.
“We gave ourselves a chance to win,” head coach Craig Blazer said of the team’s overall performance. “We had a good game plan, the guys showed good energy. We played well, but it came down to a single play, and (Villanova) did well on the goal.”
Villanova (8-2-2, 1-0-2) got off to a quick start through freshman Oscar Umar, who put a shot on target in the first minute that was easily collected by Sorby. Umar would finish the match with six shots, half of which were on target.
Meanwhile, DePaul (3-8-1, 0-4-0) was a bit slower out of the gate, but quickly found its feet as the match progressed, earning three corners in the first and five in the second.
One of the game’s best opportunities was a solo effort from DePaul leftback Art Garza in the 33rd minute. Stepping in to intercept a pass, Garza carried the ball through midfield before cutting inside and shooting from 25 yards out. His effort was heading for upper-90s but was kept out by a brilliant diving stop by ‘Nova keeper John Fogarty – one of three he made in the half.
Not to be outdone by his counterpart, Eric Sorby came up big once again for the Blue Demons, making five saves following a 13-save performance in a 3-0 loss to Louisville in midweek.