Villanova Defeats DePaul 3-0 to Clinch Tournament Berth
Villanova secured its first BIG EAST Tournament berth since 2019 and its first 10-win regular season in over a decade by defeating DePaul 3-0 at Higgins Soccer Complex, villanova.com reported. The Wednesday night victory pushed the Wildcats to 10-1-5 overall and 5-1-2 in conference play, matching a milestone last reached by the program in 2009.
Early Goals Secure the Milestone Victory
The Wildcats applied immediate pressure, netting two goals in the opening ten minutes to dictate the pace. Morgan Kotch opened the scoring in the eighth minute. Dez Zapata battled two defenders near the corner, carved out space to enter the 18-yard box, and delivered a pass to Kotch just outside the right post. Kotch drove a right-footed shot past DePaul goalkeeper Mason Hillery for her sixth goal of the season.
Two minutes later, Zapata found the net herself. Kotch touched the ball to Gabby Koluch, who immediately pushed it forward to a darting Zapata near the top of the box. Zapata netted a left-footed strike to propel the Wildcats to a 2-0 advantage in the 10th minute while also recording her sixth goal of the campaign. DePaul head coach Michele O’Brien noted the impact of those early strikes, stating that it is tough to dig out of a deficit after giving up early goals.
DePaul managed a multi-shot sequence in the 30th and 31st minutes. Freshman forward Katelyn Haiser controlled the ball near the goal line, forcing Villanova goalkeeper Hannah Dickinson to challenge. Dickinson tipped the ball into the path of senior midfielder Shayna da Silva, whose attempt was blocked. Junior midfielder Dory Latenser fired the subsequent set-piece, but Dickinson secured the save near the left post to preserve the two-goal advantage.
Defense and Second-Half Dagger Seal the Match
Villanova extended its lead in the 66th minute through Amalia Cardo. A deep throw-in from Ambyr Baker reached Kotch, whose challenge with Blue Demons defenders resulted in a loose ball. Cardo charged in to send a one-timer that deflected off a DePaul defender and past the goal line for a 3-0 advantage. The sequence capped a match where Villanova outshot DePaul 16-5, according to depaulbluedemons.com, while villanova.com reported a 15-6 differential with Kotch leading all players with six shots.
Dickinson finished with two saves, earning her ninth shutout of the season and the 23rd of her career, placing her third all-time in program history. The defensive unit did not allow a shot on goal in the second half. DePaul dropped to 4-6-6 overall and 1-4-3 in the BIG EAST, suffering just its second road defeat of the season.
Villanova travels to face Marquette on Saturday at 2 p.m., while DePaul concludes its home schedule against St. John’s on October 31.