Wildcats go exploring

Villanova basketball is in full swing as the Wildcats, ranked 12 in the country with a 6-1 record, square off against the unranked La Salle Explorers (5-3) on Dec. 12 at the Tom Gola Arena. Villanova will match up against its second Atlantic 10 divisional opponent after defeating Saint Joseph's University in the annual "Holy War" this past Friday, with a score of 71-60.

'Cats cut down Lumberjacks, move on to quarterfinals

Last season, the Wildcats finally broke through and took home their first national championship. On Saturday, they accomplished another playoff first in a big way. Villanova dominated then second-ranked Stephen F. Austin, 54-24, for its first-ever playoff road win, earning a spot in the quarterfinals against top-seeded Appalachian State.

'Cats ready to scale Mountaineers

After a crushing defeat of No. 3 ranked Stephen F. Austin this past weekend, the Wildcats will face top-ranked Appalachian State in North Carolina on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs. Appalachian State is coming off a 42-14 victory over Western Illinois this past Saturday.

Pinkston's altercation affects more than player

In 1987, Sports Illustrated ran a piece about a Villanova basketball player. Gary McLain, star point guard of Rollie Massimino's legendary 1985 NCAA Championship team, poured his life out in a first-person account that spanned 18 pages of the magazine.

Stokes strokes in win

'Cats pull out Big 5 victory on guard's career night

The last place that Head Coach Jay Wright wanted his No. 12-ranked Wildcats to be was behind 17-16 at the first half of a Big Five game in the Palestra against Penn yesterday. "Penn played really tough tonight," Wright said. "You have to give them credit.

Southern discomfort

'Cats open playoffs on road against Lumberjacks

After its thrilling upset victory over top-ranked Delaware, Villanova earned its chance to defend its national championship. Except this time, the Wildcats are underdogs. Villanova travels to Texas to take on No. 2-ranked Stephen F. Austin in the second round of the FCS playoffs.

No. 1 Villanova to face rival St. Joe's

68th edition of Holy War matches up fierce Big 5 rivals tomorrow at Pavilion

Despite a setback against the Tennessee Volunteers last weekend in New York, the men's basketball team will have to bounce back quickly Friday night as they take part in the latest installment of one of its fiercest rivalries: the Holy War against the St.

Line between game and sport unclear, definition necessary to end debate

There are games, and there are sports. Depending on whom you may ask, the criteria for the two categories vary. We all have a sport that we hold near and dear to our heart and have craftily developed arguments for why it is the best one. But is it possible that some of us are more right than others? Could it be possible that your sport isn't a sport at all and is merely a game? I am sure that the debate of what counts as a sport has existed for thousands of years.

Wildcats declawed in NYC

Fisher, Villanova fall to Tennessee in NIT Season tip-off championship

The trip to Madison Square Garden was a homecoming for several of the Wildcats and just in time for some Thanksgiving cooking. Unfortunately, dessert came in the form of a Tennessee team with a chip on its shoulder, and the Volunteers left the 'Cats with a bad taste in their mouths.

Women's cross-country wins second national championship

The women's cross country team won its second straight national championship last Monday, led by senior Sheila Reid, who was the individual national champion. The team narrowly edged out Florida State for the title, winning the team championship by only 40 seconds.

’Cats claw Terriers

  In  college basketball's installment of the timeless rivalry between cats and dogs, the cats came out on top. And it wasn't even close.   In last night's second round NIT Season Tip-Off matchup between No. 7 Villanova and Boston University, the Wildcats handled the Terriers on both sides of the court and capped off their second win in as many days, 82-66.

'Cats fall to Rams

Villanova (6-3, 4-2 CAA) traveled to Rhode Island (4 -5, 3-3 CAA) last weekend and came home with a disappointing loss, as errors by the offense and special teams allowed URI to take the contest 17-14. The loss ended a three-game winning streak. The Wildcats created problems for themselves throughout the day, including the commission of three turnovers, a blocked punt, and an errant field goal attempt.

Rookie John Wall becoming new NBA star

The Dos Equis guy has some serious competition. Yes, he is smooth. Yes, he has excellent facial hair. Sharks have a week dedicated to him. But can he pull off a dougie-themed intro at his home opener? He may not, but John Wall sure can. The rookie sensation has taken the basketball world by storm and is quickly turning into one of the biggest storylines of the young season.

Buffalo Bills benchmark for losing

Each and every morning when I wake up I do three things. I look outside to check the weather. I brush my teeth, always with Crest. And I thank God that I wasn't born in Buffalo. I'm a firm believer in only rooting for the pro teams that represent where you grew up.

Stories from around the leagues

When I wrote this column, the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS and college football were all still playing, with college basketball quickly approaching, thank God, because we will soon lose the MLB. And due to the rarity of all major American sports overlapping, I think it would help to give a quick summary of all that has happened so far in each.

Women's volleyball drops 2 conference matches

It was a weekend of losses for the women's volleyball team as it fell 3-2 to Louisville on Friday and 3-0 to Cincinnati on Sunday. The match on Friday was a close one for the team, and three Wildcats recorded double figure kills. Junior Maggie Mergen tallied 14 for the day, while sophomores Morgan Petkovich and CeCe Twitty totaled 12 and 13 kills, respectively.

Men's soccer falls on road

Wildcats squander early lead, drop Big East finale to No. 2-ranked Cardinals

The men's soccer team ended its Big East season on Saturday night with a 3-1 loss to No. 2 Louisville on the road. Villanova got an early lead but gave up two late goals to the Cardinals, who were determined to maintain their undefeated regular season record.

Basketball on the horizon

’Nova poised to make another run to Final Four

It's something Villanova fans have known was coming, but that doesn't make it any easier to cope with. It was easy to ignore it and pretend it would never happen, but now it has. It's life after Scottie Reynolds. After four years of watching Reynolds run the court, a Villanova team without him is hard to imagine.

’Cats ready to battle Rams

On Saturday, the No. 5 Villanova Wildcats (6-2, CAA 4-1) will head north on I-95 to play the University of Rhode Island Rams (3-5, CAA 2-3). The Rams are coming off a 30-20 come-from-behind win against the Towson Tigers. Last week, in a matchup of the last two NCAA champions, the Wildcats decisively defeated the No.

No. 1 women's cross-country wins Big East Championship

The women's cross-country team, the top-ranked team in the NCAA, came out victorious for the third year in a row at the Big East Championship meet on Saturday morning, this time in Jamesville, N.Y. The men's team also had success on Saturday morning at Jamesville Beach Park, finishing fourth in the Big East Championship.

’Cats swat Spiders

Villanova scores 21 unanswered points in first half

The two most recent FCS National Champions, Richmond and 'Nova, battled it out at Villanova Stadium this past Saturday. The CAA contest ended in a 28-7 victory for the Wildcats. It was a tale of two halves for 'Nova. Two shifts in momentum, which featured an exciting goal-line stand and a bizarre fumble recovery, sealed the win for the Wildcats (6-2, 4-1 in CAA) over the Spiders (4-4, 2-3 in CAA).

Hoops Mania sparks rumor frenzy

Basketball is something that many of us here at Villanova feel pretty strongly about. We get a bit excited when our Wildcats take the floor, whether it's for a Big Five matchup at the start of a fresh season or a crucial Big East rivalry game mid-February.

Women's cross-country takes first, men third

The women's cross-country team took home first place this past weekend at the Penn State National, a 6k race held on Saturday at the Penn State Golf Courses. The 'Cats' first five runners all finished in the top 10, led by senior Sheila Reid, who finished as the individual winner with a time of 20:23.

Golf team finishes third in season finale

The men' s golf team wrapped up its fall season this past weekend at the Lincoln Mercury Invitational at the River Course of Fiddler's Elbow Country Club in Bedminster, N.J. The Wildcats finished third place finish out of the 18 team field. The River Course presented a par-72, 7,014-yard challenge for the ‘Cats who played over 36 holes in two days.

'Nova set to Duke it out

On Saturday the No. 11 James Madison Dukes will make the trek to the Main Line to take on the No. 6-ranked Villanova Wildcats. Last week the 'Cats took care of business against Maine beating them by a score of 48-18. It was an impressive win in a tough environment against a Maine squad who has a win over No.

Men's soccer finds no answer for Hoya offense

The men's soccer team dropped its first Big East match of the season on Saturday, as Georgetown logged two second-half goals en route to a 3-1 win over the 'Cats. Villanova had the chance to snap the Hoyas' five-game win streak but couldn't get the job done in Washington, D.

’Cats tackle Bears

The No. 6 Villanova Wildcats came off its bye week firing on all cylinders in a 48-18 blowout against conference opponent Maine. Senior quarterback Chris Whitney single-handedly delivered the Black Bears their third conference loss with a career performance.

Basketball bridges cultural gaps in Haiti

If you've ever traveled to a foreign country, you probably developed your own definition of the term "culture shock." Whatever yours may be, mine goes something like this: Culture Shock (noun): the act of stepping off a plane into the sweltering heat of Haiti, looking around and thinking to oneself, things are very, very different here.

Women's soccer defeats Rutgers

'Cats defense earns shutout

The women's soccer team beat Rutgers at the West Campus Soccer Complex Sunday afternoon with a 1-0 victory. The Wildcats had not beaten the Scarlet Knights since 2005, but this weekend's close game proved to be different. It was junior forward Katie Ryan's goal in the 37th minute that brought the Wildcats the win.

Volleyball opens Big East play

’Cats take down St. John’s, Connecticut over weekend

The volleyball team opened Big East play this past weekend, with matches against St. John's on Friday night and Connecticut on Sunday. The 'Cats won 3-1 against St. John's on Friday night and then traveled to Connecticut on Sunday where they won with a 3-0 sweep.

'Cats set for 'tribal' tango

The Wildcats (3-1) are coming off of three straight wins and look to keep that streak alive this Saturday against division rivals William & Mary (3-1). Aside from the opening game against Temple, this will be the toughest test the 'Cats have faced in the last four weeks.

Vick goes from rags to riches with play

Four years ago you would have had a difficult time finding someone who considered Michael Vick the best quarterback in the NFL. But you would have had an even harder time finding someone who thought that he wasn't the most exciting. Vick was a scorching superstar with electrifying quickness and spectacular speed.

Quaker oatmeal

Head Coach Andy Talley's team did on Saturday night what it has continued to do for nearly 100 years: beat the Penn Quakers. The 'Cats, who haven't lost to their Big 5 rival since 1911, scrapped their way to a hard-fought 22-10 victory under the lights of Villanova Stadium.

Men's soccer sinks Pirates on early goal

The men's soccer team opened its Big East season at home on Saturday with a 1-0 win over Seton Hall University. At the West Campus Soccer Complex, the Wildcats picked up an early goal and held onto their lead for the rest of the match. Villanova's first conference victory not only extended their current winning streak, but also marked the fourth consecutive shutout for junior goalkeeper Chris Bresnahan, who has allowed only six goals in eight games.

Men's soccer beats Princeton

The men's soccer team was able to secure its second victory of the weekend Sunday afternoon, defeating the Princeton Tigers 2-0 at the Villanova West Campus Soccer Complex. Junior defender Kevin Garcia and freshman forward Dylan Renna scored goals for the Wildcats, who improved to 3-2-1 for the season.

Volleyball takes Villanova Classic, extends winning streak to 9 games

The volleyball team is unstoppable this season. The team extended its win streak to nine games this weekend and won the Villanova Classic for the fourth year in a row. The women conquered Maryland 3-2 (25-18, 22-25, 25-20, 23-25, 15-12), swept Long Island 3-0 (25-12, 25-5, 25-15) and dominated William & Mary 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-15).

Women’s soccer wins fifth consecutive 'Nova Classic

The women's soccer team won its fifth consecutive title at the Villanova Classic last weekend, defeating Monmouth University 2-1 and UNC Charlotte 1-0. The tournament hosted by the Wildcats, kicked off at West Campus Soccer Complex on Friday, where Charlotte posted a victory over Towson University, and Villanova later beat Monmouth.

Wildcats to face Big 5 foe Penn under the lights

On Saturday, the University of Pennsylvania Quakers will make the short trip to the Main Line to take on the No. 1-ranked Wildcats. Since narrowly losing to FBS opponent Temple in their opener, the Wildcats have been nothing but dominant. Villanova got its second straight win, 43-7, in its home-opener against the Towson Tigers.

Unbridled fury rampant in NFL

Brandon Jacobs’ helmet-tossing incident latest example

Whichever reporter dared to question Brandon Jacobs a second time about his temper and subsequent elimination in playing time clearly had other things on his mind than life. Jacobs had already shouted at the first reporter, so the only explanation for the apparent idiocy in the conference room after the Giants-Colts game must have been a result of some misfiring in the cerebrum or else just the same insanity someone has when desiring to wrestle Great White sharks.

'Cats start conference play against Towson

With talk of a potential move up to the FBS buzzing nationwide over the past week, the Wildcats looked unfazed as they took care of business last weekend against Lehigh. Villanova showed why it was worthy of a Big East Conference invitation by shutting out the Mountain Hawks 35-0 on the road.

Men's soccer ties Lafayette Leopards

The men's soccer team improved its record to 1-1-1 by tying the Lafayette Leopards on Friday afternoon. This was the Wildcats' first home game of the regular season, and it was played at the soccer complex on west campus. It was also the first time Lafayette did not tally a win in the 2010 season.

Field hockey splits weekend matchups

The Wildcats field hockey team competed in the fifth Annual Vonnie Gros Classic at West Chester University this past weekend, ending a 12-day hiatus. Villanova entered the weekend without a win, recording an overtime loss at Monmouth and a loss to Maryland on a neutral site.

Men's golf takes fifth in tourney

The men's golf team kicked off the season this past weekend at the Navy Fall Classic in Annapolis, Md. The Wildcats earned a tie for fifth place with Siena College in a 16-team field, while the University of Delaware took home the title of the 17th-annual event.

Women's soccer wins 1 of 2 games

The women's soccer team could only salvage a split of their two games at this weekend's Hilton Garden Hokie Invitational in Blacksburg, Va., but they notched their first victory over a ranked team since 2006, defeating No. 16 Wake Forest 3-2 in double overtime.

Passion for sports fashion

When we were children, we were conditioned by society to fall nicely into specific gender roles. Boys were supposed to play sports while girls were meant to worry about fashion. However, as we have grown up many girls have traded in their sewing machines for softball bats, high heels for spikes and makeup for eye black.

Move to FBS good for University

After a heartbreaking loss to city rival Temple last week, the 'Cats bounced back by dominating the Lehigh Mountain Hawks, shutting them out on their way to a 35-0 victory.  'Nova's stingy defense forced three turnovers and limited the Lehigh offense to only eight first downs, while five different players scored for the 'Cats.

’Cats down Hawks

Team bounces back from loss to shut out Lehigh

  After a heartbreaking loss to city rival Temple last week, the 'Cats bounced back by dominating the Lehigh Mountain Hawks, shutting them out on their way to a 35-0 victory.  'Nova's stingy defense forced three turnovers and limited the Lehigh offense to only eight first downs, while five different players scored for the 'Cats.

’Cats look to rebound against Hawks

  Last Friday's loss to Temple was a heartbreaker, but there's no time for mourning in college football. Valiant as the effort against the Division I-A Owls was, it's time for the Wildcats to put a tick in the win column — and they'll have to get it done on the road.

Men’s soccer shut out by city rival

  The Drexel Dragons (2-0 overall, 0-0 CAA) handed the men's soccer team its first loss of the season on Saturday by a score of 2-0 in a Soccer Six match played at Vidas Field in West Philadelphia.  Drexel's junior striker Andrew Goldberg put on a show for the home crowd by scoring a goal in each half to defeat the Wildcats, who fell to 1-1 overall, 0-0 Big East.

Volleyball wins tourney

Maroon named tournament MVP, Mergen earns all-tournament honors against Big 5

  The Wildcats were unstoppable this weekend, winning the Big 5 Tournament with three consecutive wins at the Palestra. The team swept LaSalle (25-12,25-18, 25-23)to open the tournament, defeated Temple in three games (25-15, 25-13, 25-9) and fought hard against Penn in a five-game matchup (25-22, 15-25, 25-20,21-25, 15-12).

Women’s soccer falls

Early onslaught puts Villanova in a deep hole

  On Sunday the 'Cats (2-3) took on Penn (1-1) riding a 14-game winning streak against the Quakers.  The streak came to an end as Penn scored two goals in the first half and kept the 'Cats from getting on the board, defeating them 3-0.   It was only the third loss ever to a Big Five opponent for the Wildcats, who have lost their past three games.

’Cats begin title defense

  Ask any of the members of Villanova's football team, and they will tell you that the one trophy that they are focused on defending is the one that they won in Chattanooga: their FCS Championship trophy.  But if one trophy comes in as a close runner-up, it would surely be the Mayor's Cup.

CAA boasts stiff competition

  While baseball recovers from the dog days of August, and NFL fans continue patiently waiting for the start of the regular season, Villanova football fans can take comfort in knowing their season kicks off tomorrow against city rival Temple. Yes, college football is upon us.

Women’s volleyball wins 1 of 3

  It was a solid start to the season for the women's volleyball team this weekend at the Carolina Classic when they were able to take one win out of three matches during the tournament at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C. During the first game the Wildcats swept Campbell (25-16, 25-21, 25-23).

Women’s soccer splits weekend matches

  The women's soccer team added a win and a loss to its record last weekend at the JMU/Comfort Inn Invitational, where the Wildcats posted a 2-1 victory over Virginia Commonwealth and fell 1-0 to James Madison.  Friday night, Villanova met a competitive opponent in VCU and played aggressively to take a one-goal decision.

Men’s soccer team emerges victorious

  The men's soccer team defeated rival LaSalle on Saturday night by a score of 2-1 in their final preseason game. LaSalle's Ryan Richter opened the scoring in the first half on a counter-attack from a Villanova corner kick, giving the Explorers an early 1-0 lead.

College, a race for the ages

  This summer I got a call from my friend asking me to run with her in the New Jersey State Triathlon.  At first I hesitated because I had never considered watching a triathlon much less competing in one. Needless to say, for the sake of the column, I agreed and began training.

NFL misses point in fight for 18-game schedule

  Summer is over, school is back in session and it's nearly time for one of the most popular forms of entertainment in America to begin again: professional football. The defending champion New Orleans Saints will kick off the season with a matchup against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept.

Men’s lacrosse dethrones Knights

’Cats own 3-1 record in Big East

Sunday's cold and rainy conditions in Piscataway, N.J. did not stop the men's lacrosse team from defeating its Big East enemy Rutgers, 8-4. The then No. 9-ranked Wildcats improved their record to 9-4 overall and 3-1 in the Big East with this win, tying Georgetown for the No.

The Villanovan's Athlete of the Year: Matt Szczur

Matt Szczur stood in the backfield and awaited the direct snap. Villanova was aligned in the Wildcat formation, one tailored to Szczur's skills and one that Villanova Head Coach Andy Talley says Szczur plays better than Brian Westbrook did when he was at Villanova.

‘Greatest game never played’

 Ties are the worst. Luckily, most of the players who have to ingest the terrible test of tying are given a chance for redemption, a chance to play again.  But in 1989 there was a group of 46 New Jersey hockey players that did not get a chance to break the tie.

Softball gets swept by Fighting Irish, Drexel on tap next

  The softball team was no match for No. 23 Notre Dame last weekend as the Wildcats were swept and scored only three runs over the course of the three-game series. Each contest was decided in a short five innings, as the Irish dominated at home from start to finish.

Baseball wins 1 at USF, beats Temple

’Cats stop Big East losing streak against Bulls, Szczur hits for cycle against Owls

 The baseball team managed to put an end to its Big East losing streak this weekend but still dropped the first two games of their weekend series with the South Florida Bulls. The 'Cats (21-16, 3-12 Big East) were able to pick up a win in the final game of the road series, 10-7, but fell in the first two games of the three-game set, 5-0 and 7-2.

Coaches of the Year: Talley, Procaccio

 There's not much more a coach can do than lead his or her team to a championship victory. This past year, Villanova had two such coaches and the accomplishment has earned each of them Villanovan Coach of the Year honors. Football Head Coach Andy Talley, who was recognized as Coach of the Year last year, and women's cross country Head Coach Gina Procaccio, guided their teams to the top of the rankings and all the way to national titles.

FCS title named Game of the Year

 Another school year is ending, and another year of Villanova athletics has come and gone. Our student-athletes gave us plenty to cheer about this school year: Championships in football and women's cross-country, along with a men's basketball squad that spent its entire season ranked among the Top 10 teams in the nation were just a few of the most exciting storylines.

Women’s lacrosse falls in road games

 Even with a gallant second-half rally, the women's lacrosse team was unable to make the complete comeback against the University of Connecticut Saturday night in Storrs, Conn. The 10-8 loss put the Wildcats to 7-5 overall and 0-4 in Big East play.