Men’s Soccer Hosts Villanova Saturday in Search of Postseason Berth

Saturday, October 28

Chicago, Ill.

1:00 p.m.

DePaul University

Villanova

Men’s Soccer Hosts Villanova Saturday in Search of Postseason Berth

10/27/2023 5:51:00 PM | MEN'S SOCCER

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Five teams vying for one postseason spot on final day of regular season

CHICAGO – DePaul men's soccer welcomes Villanova to Wish Field on Saturday, Oct. 28 for a pivotal matchup with postseason implications on the line. Kick off is set for 1 p.m. with coverage carried on FloFC.

With seven of eight BIG EAST Tournament berths secured, the final day of the regular season comes at a critical juncture as Seton Hall, Butler, Marquette, Villanova and the Blue Demons all remain in contention to clinch the final spot with a victory along with help from other results around the league.

The Blue Demons will honor its seven seniors Michael Anderson, Gandhi Cruz, Marek Gonda, Grant Herbek, McKay LaHood, Kristian Malinich and Santiago Rodriguez prior to the match.

Setting the Scene

The Blue Demons have been playing some of their best soccer of the season down the home stretch, entering the match 3-7-4 and 1-4-2 in league play.
Last time out, DePaul ran past Seton Hall 3-1 at Wish Field behind a pair of goals from freshman forward Noeh Hernandez and a four-point (1G, 2A) outing from senior Marek Gonda. Reserve goalkeeper Santiago Davila stood tall, earning the first win of his career in cage with five saves.
After a seven-point week, Hernandez earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors while Gonda was named to the weekly Honor Roll. The duo is at the top of the table offensively for the Blue Demons. Hernandez has five goals and two assists for a team-leading 12 points while Gonda has five assists and two goals to his credit.
Freshman Liam Mullins has netted three goals on his rookie campaign including a brace in a 3-3 draw against Marquette last week.
Senior goalkeeper Gandhi Cruz has started 13 of 14 matches, making 80 saves on the season to lead the BIG EAST while ranking second in the nation in saves per game.
Michael Anderson and Callum Watts have been key cogs in the midfield while center backs Ethan Gordon and Grant Herbek have anchored the back line under duress, logging over 1,100 minutes each.

About the Wildcats

Villanova enters Saturday 1-7-6 on the season and 1-4-2 in conference action.
The Wildcats have drawn their last two matches against Xavier (Oct. 21) and Army (Oct. 21), both with a 1-1 score.
VU last picked up three points with a 4-3 victory at providence on Sept. 23.
Junior forwards Vincent Petrera and Balthi Saunders pace the Wildcats with 13 points apiece. Petrera has a team-best five goals while Saunders owns five assists to go with four goals.
Graduate goalkeeper has started 12 matches between the pipes, making 59 saves on the season.
Tom Carlin is in his 17th season leading the program on the Main Line.

Series Stuff

Saturday marks the 19th all-time meeting between the two sides with Villanova leading the all-time series 9-5-4. The Blue Demons hold the slight edge 3-2-3 edge in the last eight meetings.
The two sides last met on the final day of the regular season in 2022 which resulted in a 3-3 draw at Wish Field.
DePaul's last win at home against the Wildcats came in September of 2017, a 1-0 decision.

Up Next: The 2023 BIG EAST Tournament begins on Saturday, November 4 with higher seeds hosting the first round. The semifinals and final are set for Nov. 9 and Nov. 12 at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md.

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