Villanova women’s soccer continues historic season as the Big East’s ‘team to beat’
With four games remaining, the unbeaten Wildcats will achieve their first winning season since 2019, and they could win their first Big East regular-season title in program history.
Samar Azem makes it clear to incoming recruits and transfers that playing Villanova women’s soccer will be one of the hardest things they do.
There was a standard set when Azem took over the program in December 2021, and it has been maintained ever since. In her five-year tenure, the Wildcats have improved each year with a better record.
This season has already become the program’s best since 2009, when it finished 11-6-5.
Through 14 games, Villanova is unbeaten with a 9-0-5 record, including 10 clean sheets. The Wildcats opened the season with five consecutive clean sheets with four wins and a draw. With four games remaining in the regular season, this will be the Wildcats first winning season since 2019.
After a 2-0 win over Seton Hall on Wednesday, Villanova will return to action against Butler on Saturday.
Currently, Villanova is second in the Big East Conference with 14 points, and is attempting to win its first Big East regular-season title in program history, and potentially its first Big East championship since 2003.
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Azem gave the team an analogy on how this season has gone and needs to continue with a wet towel.
“She wants to drain every ounce of potential out of every single person on this team because she sees it and she wants us to take this program to where she knows it can go,” said junior defender Meredith Palmer. “And she does that by never letting us hide, never letting us fall into the shadows. She wants us to be the best versions of ourselves. And I think that her and all [our] coaches have a big part in leading us to the success we’ve been having.”
Palmer was named to the all-Big East third team last season and has played a key part on Villanova’s defense this season, which has allowed just six goals and 26.4% of its opponents shots on goal.
“We have an amazing defensive unit,” Palmer said. “But I mean, we defend across the whole field. It starts with our nine. It starts with our forwards. Like they put the pressure on it early. And I think that it’s just, it’s a mentality. Defending, there’s a little skill, but it’s more about the drive to win the ball, wanting to be first to the ball. And I think when you put a bunch of players, 11 players on the field that all have that mentality, it’s as easy as just getting out there and doing what you need to do.”
On paper, Villanova does not have a star player. It has 13 different goal scorers. Every Wildcat has found a way to impact the game when needed.
They each understand that they are 1-of-11 on the pitch.
“It is very much so a team that is focused on, ‘What’s my role?’ ‘How do I get that job done?’” Azem said. “One of the core pieces to who we are, it’s about being gritty. It’s about caring. It’s about being committed and courageous. And so if every player, regardless of how many credits they have or how long they’ve been here, can lead the program, because leadership is influence.”
It is not new for Azem’s teams to have this type of mindset. Over the course of her time at Villanova and formerly at Campbell University as a head coach and assistant, Azem’s rosters have had a long list of goal scorers. In her last three years at Campbell, she had an average of 10 goal scorers each season.
“[Coach] Samar recruits more than just the soccer players, Samar recruits good people,” said redshirt sophomore midfielder Amalia Cardo. “I think an important part of that is like Samar cares more about us, cares more about us than just who we are as soccer players. She cares about us off the field, how we’re doing like in the classroom, how we’re doing on the field … I think that everyone who’s in the program is very bought into the idea that it’s not going to be easy, they’re willing to push out of their comfort zone and push themselves to like where we want to get.”
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The Wildcats are one point behind first place Xavier (15 points). The final four games of Villanova’s regular season will be vital in its chances of securing a Big East regular-season title.
“There’s a target on our backs,” Azem said. “We’re kind of the team to beat. And that’s something we haven’t really had to experience. The program has not even had to experience let alone our players that are currently in the program in a long, long time …To go back to that mountain analogy, are you just thinking, ‘I’ve got to get to the top?’ Or are you just thinking, ‘What’s the step right in front of me?’”
