April 5, 2006

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - In its first match at the ECAC Championship this past weekend in College Park, Villanova (1-10) built a 6-2 lead through the end of the third quarter and defeated Gannon 7-4 to record its first win of the season.

Sophomore driver Carla Martinez (Caguas, Puerto Rico) scored two goals and had two assists, while senior driver Kim Pare (Grand Rapids, Mich.) contributed two goals, one assist and three steals. The Wildcats scored three times in the first quarter and once in the second period to lead 4-1 at halftime. Gannon scored twice in the final period, but Villanova had already built an insurmountable lead and settled for a 7-4 margin of victory.

Senior goalie Jess Wells (Newport Beach, Calif.) had four saves while facing 11 shots in goal, and the Wildcats made good on 3-of-5 man-up opportunities in the match.

Villanova wound up finishing in eighth place at the ECAC Championship, which was hosted at the University of Maryland Campus Recreation Center Natatorium. The Wildcats were defeated by eventual champion Princeton 11-6 in their second match, and fell to Brown by a score of 11-3.

On Sunday afternoon, Villanova took on George Washington in the seventh-place match and was defeated 5-4. Sophomore defender Christina Dopp (Stockton, Calif.) scored two goals and Pare added one goal, one assist and two steals while drawing two ejections. The Wildcats led 3-1 at the end of the first period and 4-2 at halftime, but the Colonials scored two unanswered goals in he fourth quarter to earn the win.

Next up for Villanova is the MAAC Games this weekend in Loudonville, N.Y. The Wildcats will play St. Francis (N.Y.), Siena, Marist and Iona in matches played on Saturday and Sunday.