PHILADELPHIA – Backed by a relentless defensive effort led by junior goalkeeper Greg O'Connell, the Saint Joseph's men's soccer squad battled to a 0-0 draw with Villanova in Philadelphia Soccer Six action on Tuesday evening on Sweeney Field. The Hawks now stand at 2-4-1 overall and 0-1-1 in the Soccer Six while Villanova sits at 3-3-1 and 0-0-1 in Soccer Six play.

The Hawks earned full-match efforts from O'Connell, senior midfielders Bliss Harris and Eric Jordan, junior midfielder Matt Crawford, and the defensive core of senior Mike Stuski, juniors Kevin Lockhart and Ben Zambetti, and sophomore Eddie McCusker.

"I was really proud of the guys tonight," said head coach Don D'Ambra following the match. "As the season has gone on, each game has gotten better and better. Defensively, we have been putting really strong performances together. We have been trying to focus on the offensive end, and we created five to seven really good chances. We deserved to win this game with the chances we had."

The Hawks created strong offensive opportunities early on as Lockhart and senior Sam Irvin, who played all but 10 minutes in the midfield, sent in a few long, direct passes up top to sophomore forward Derek MacKinnon, who finished with three shots for the match.

The Wildcats looked to have an excellent opportunity late in the 73rd minute, when Wildcat Zach Zandi found an opening and fired off a shot in the 73rd minute, but McCusker smothered the ball to deflect it away.

The Hawks put increased offensive pressure on late in regulation as Stuski connected on a pair of headers (82', 85') and Crawford fired off a pair of shots in the 88th minute, but nothing was able to break through into the back of the net as the match headed into overtime. 

O'Connell (2-4-1, 0-1-1 Soccer Six) made two strong saves that ultimately saved the match, beginning with a Zandi shot in the 9th minute. Zandi fired in a free kick from 23 yards out, but O'Connell made the fingertip save. O'Connell would then make the same fingertip save on a Shane Bradley shot, from a much closer distance, in the 59th minute.

O'Connell would be called upon to make one save total in the combined 20 minutes of overtime and did so in the 107th minute to earn his third collegiate shutout.

For the match, Saint Joseph's held a 17-13 edge in shots; the Hawks and Wildcats took seven apiece in the first half before SJU fired off eight and held Villanova to four in the second half. Crawford matched a match-high five shots, while senior forward Mori Diane, who saw 97 minutes up top, and Stuski landed one shot on goal apiece. Each squad earned eight corner kicks in the match. 

Saint Joseph's kicks off a three-match road stretch at Central Connecticut State this Saturday, September 24. Start time at the CCSU Soccer Field in New Britain, Connecticut is slated for 7:00 p.m.