VILLANOVA, Pa., - The homestretch of the 2025 regular season is at hand for the Villanova Wildcats (5-5-5 overall, 1-2-3 BIG EAST), beginning Saturday afternoon against longtime league rival St. John's (7-5-3 overall, 2-3-1 BIG EAST).
 
Kickoff is set for 12:05 p.m. at the Higgins Soccer Complex. The match is the first half of a soccer doubleheader on Villanova's West Campus on Saturday. The Villanova women host Butler at 3 p.m. in a match with postseason implications.
 
Both games will be live streamed on ESPN+. Aaron Arnstein and Mike Shute are the broadcast unit for the men's game that gets underway just after noon.
 
The task for head coach Mark Fetrow's team is straightforward: to continue the upgraded play that has been a constant through a bounce-back campaign. Villanova enters the weekend with six league points and has two opportunities remaining to add to that total (the BIG EAST regular season concludes on Nov. 7 at Marquette).
 
"It's a season that's been about setting a cultural tone," Fetrow stated. "We haven't always gotten the result, but our process has generally been good. We're playing a lot of younger guys and we're making strides.
 
"Now, it's about zeroing in on the game plan for St. John's and executing it."
 
Villanova has done some of its best work on the home pitch at the Higgins Soccer Complex. It has posted a 4-1-4 mark on the newly installed synthetic surface, including a 3-0 non-league win over VMI in its last action there on Oct. 21.
 
For the Wildcats, it all starts with defense, and they've been more successful thwarting opponents attack in the familiar surroundings of the Higgins Soccer Complex. Villanova has surrendered just seven goals in nine home games thus far this season (0.78 goals against average). Away from home, VU has allowed 14 goals in six matches, which includes a 3-0 loss at Georgetown last Saturday night.
 
St. John's enters the weekend one point ahead of the Wildcats in the conference's East Division. It dropped a 1-0 decision at home in Jamaica, N.Y. last Saturday night to Seton Hall. The Red Storm are 3-3-1 on the road thus far in 2025.
 
Last season, St. John's picked up a 2-1 win over the Wildcats at its own Belson Stadium.
 
In addition to its BIG EAST slate, the Wildcats have one non-conference contest remaining. That one comes on Tuesday, Nov. 4, when Holy Family is scheduled to be at the Higgins Soccer Complex for a game that kicks off at 2 p.m. (ESPN+).