PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania women's soccer team continues its 2026 campaign Thursday, traveling to nearby foe Villanova for a 4 p.m. kickoff at Higgins Soccer Complex. The Quakers (1-2-1, 0-0 Ivy League) are in search of their first road win of the season, while the Wildcats (3-0-1, 0-0 Big East) enter the contest unbeaten through their first four matches.
Penn (1-2-1, 0-0 Ivy League) at Villanova (3-0-1, 0-0 Big East)
Thursday, Sept. 3 | 4 p.m.
Villanova, Pa. | Higgins Soccer Complex
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
Penn vs. Villanova Series
*The two programs have met a total of 18 times with the Wildcats holding a 12-3-3 advantage over the Quakers.
*The most recent contest came last year at Rhodes Field. Villanova secured a 3-1 win over the Red and Blue, its second straight in the series.
*Penn's most recent win against the Wildcats came in 2021. The Quakers tallied a 2-0 victory, their third straight win over Villanova.
Quaker Notemeal
*The Quakers are in search of their first win away from Rhodes Field after falling to George Mason (8/20) and Stony Brook (8/30) on the road to begin the season.
*Penn secured its first victory of the season last week, notching a 3-1 win over George Washington (8/27).
*In the win over GW, the Quakers netted their first goal of the season. Sophomore Casey Forman and seniors Abbey Cook and Mia Fuss all found the back of the net for the first time this season.
*Additionally, two other members of the Red and Blue have tallied a point, with Lily White and Magali Capdevila each recording assists against GW.
*Casey Forman leads Penn with three points and has played 90 minutes in all but one game to begin the season.
*Senior Megan Graves has played every minute between the pipes. The Redmond, Wash. native holds a save percentage of .750, with 12 saves, and recorded a shutout against FDU.
*The Quakers have registered double digit shot attempts in three straight games.
*Penn wrapped up last week's slate of games with a loss to Stony Brook on the road.
Scouting the Wildcats
*Villanova enters Thursday's contest on a three-game winning streak, notching victories over Lehigh, Columbia and Iona and its yet to drop a match this season.
*The Wildcats have not allowed a goal and are outsourcing their opponents 22-0 through four games.
*Most recently, Villanova clobbered Iona 11-0 in its home opener. The 11 goals tied the second most in a single game in program history. Eight different Wildcats found the back of the net in the win.
*After two wins last week, two Wildcats earned weekly honors. Sophomore Avrie Nelson earned Big East Offensive Player of the Week. Nelson leads the team with four goals and nine points, notching all four goals and eight of those points across the two wins last week. On the other end, junior Meredith Palmer received Defensive Player of the Week laurels. Palmer recorded two points against Iona and helped the Wildcats secure their fourth straight shutout to begin the season.
*Through four games 18 Villanova players have at least one point while 13 have registered a goal.
*The Wildcats are averaging 17 shots per game, over 11 more than their opponents.
*Villanova also boasts a .603 shot on goal percentage and have allowed just six shots on its own net.
*The Wildcats currently lead all Division I teams with 5.5 goals per game. Additionally, they are one of just seven teams in the nation that have not allowed a goal this season.
*A trio of netminders—graduate student Hannah Dickinson, redshirt sophomore Natalie Mutschler and freshman Reese Tremper—have combined to hold opponents scoreless this season. Dickinson has started all four games, making six stops and she will likely start against the Quakers on Thursday.
#FightOnPenn
