DePaul Opens BIG EAST Play at Villanova Friday

CHICAGO – DePaul men's soccer begins its 2025 BIG EAST slate with a trip to the East Coast for a visit with Villanova on Friday, Sept. 19. First touch from Higgins Soccer Complex is set for 1 p.m. CT with the match streamed live on ESPN+.

Demon Doings
DePaul (2-1-4) looks to return to the win column after dropping its first match of the fall campaign a week ago at Drake. The Blue Demons, blanked for the first time this season against the Bulldogs, have created more chances than opponents in six of seven matches, averaging 15.5 shots per match while limiting opponents to 10.9. DePaul has four players who have posted double-digit shots including Keagan Pace (16), Noeh Hernandez (16), Christian Baumgartner (13) and Luca Iaccino (11).

All four goal scorers for the Blue Demons this season have recorded multiple goals, led by Pace with four, and followed by Hernandez, Baumgartner, and Iaccino with two each. Baumgartner also has an assist to his credit.

Goalkeeper Santiago Davila has started six matches in goal and made 17 saves on the season. Redshirt-junior Ethan Gordon has anchored the back line after returning from injury, playing all 630 minutes of the season.

As a team, Blue Demons maintain a stronghold on corner kick opportunities with 47 on the season compared to just 24 combined by opponents.

After finishing third in the BIG EAST's Midwest Division and appearing in the conference tournament in 2024, the Blue Demons begin their quest for back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time since the 2015-16 seasons.

Scouting Villanova
The Wildcats are 2-2-2 on the 2025 season after dropping a pair of matches last week. After opening the season with five goals in a victory over Rider, Villanova has scored just two goals across its last five matches. Junior forward Sam Nyenka leads the squad with three goals. The Wildcats were selected to finish sixth in the East Division of the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll. Mark Fetrow is in his second season leading the Villanova program.

Series Stuff
The two sides meet for the 20th time in the series on Friday afternoon and first time since the 2023 season. The previous two matchups ended in a 3-3 draw while DePaul's last visit to the Main Line ended in 3-2 overtime victory. Redshirt-junior Christian Baumgartner is the lone member of the 2025 squad to have tallied a goal against the Wildcats, scoring in the most recent matchup between the two sides.

The Wildcats lead the overall series 9-5-5 including a 5-2-2 mark in matches played in the Philadelphia-metro area.

Up Next
DePaul returns home on Tuesday, Sept. 23 when Bowling Green visits Wish Field for a 2 p.m. matchup. The non-conference tilt will be aired live on Marquee Sports Network.

DePaul Opens BIG EAST Play at Villanova Friday

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Players Mentioned

Christian Baumgartner

Santiago Davila

Ethan Gordon

Noeh Hernandez

Luca Iaccino

Keagan Pace