Key Big East showdowns ahead for women's soccer

This weekend the Huskies will play their two most important games yet as they host Big East rival Villanova Friday night and Georgetown on Sunday afternoon.

Neither game will be easy for the Huskies, as both Villanova and Georgetown are in the midst of successful seasons.

Villanova currently holds a record of 8-1-2 (1-1-1 Big East). The Wildcats are currently riding a three-game unbeaten streak and in their last game, Villanova fought then No. 17 Rutgers to a 1-1 draw down in Piscataway, N.J.

Georgetown holds a record of 7-2-2 (1-1-1 Big East), though the Hoya's have been slumping recently, having not won a game since beating Villanova on Sept. 18. They have, however, played two quality opponents to draws and will likely come back with a greater intensity to start winning again.

"They're going to be very difficult," said coach Len Tsantiris. "They're both good defensive teams, they've got kids who can score goals, so we have to work really hard to defend and also find ways to score, it's not going to be easy."

The Huskies have shown, however, that they are a team capable of getting the job done. In their last outing, the Huskies crushed Syracuse by a score of 5-0. Prior to that, they had outplayed every opponent they had faced since the Penn State Tournament at the very beginning of the season, with the only blemish being an overtime loss at St. John's.

The key to the Huskies' success thus far has been consistency and the ability for a number of players to step up. This is most obvious up front, where the addition of Linda Ruutu and the ascension of Melissa Busque has transformed what had previously been a somewhat anemic offense into a highly efficient one. However, the strength of this team goes beyond just the players who are scoring goals.

Players such as Becky Gundling, Kasey Richards and Meghan Cunningham have elevated their games to new heights as well, consistently out-hustling opposing midfielders and being sure to take care of the ball. It is their consistency in the middle that has helped the Huskies' offense work as effectively as it has, as well as allow the defense to live up to its pre-season hype as one of the best defenses in the Big East.

"If we play well as a team, players will find a chance to step up, either on defense or up front," said Tsantiris. "We have some players who can get things going once the team is playing well."

The next two games will go a long way toward deciding the Huskies postseason fate.