The UConn women’s soccer team’s season has been defined by the draw.
Finishing a program-record nine games in a tie, the Huskies are just one draw shy of tying the NCAA Division I women’s soccer record for the most draws in a season at 10.
UConn will have one final chance to match the peculiar record on Saturday, though the team will need a win should it hope to continue its season.
The Huskies (4-4-9, 2-2-5 Big East) will head to Pennsylvania on Saturday to face Villanova (11-1-5, 6-1-2 Big East) with their season on the line.
The Wildcats are 15th in the nation with 7.35 points per contest, almost five more than the Huskies’ 2.59 per contest average, according to the NCAA website. The Huskies are tied for 281st in Division I in the category.
While the Huskies have scored 16 goals on the year, the Wildcats’ three top scorers — forwards Avrie Nelsen, Dez Zapata and Morgan Kotch — have combined for 19 on their own. As a team, the Wildcats have scored nearly three times as many goals as the Huskies with 40.
Kotch leads the Big East with 3.82 shot attempts per game, while Zapata is second in the conference with 19 points, according to the Big East stats page. Zapata’s mark is aided by a Big East-leading seven assists.
UConn’s best hope for overcoming the staggering scoring difference may very well be the continuing reemergence of senior midfielder Anaya Johnson. After missing the start of the year and not making her season debut until Sept. 25 against Vermont, Johnson has hit her stride since Big East play began against St. John’s on Sept. 30.
Johnson has scored three goals in that span, including the game winner against Georgetown last Saturday. Johnson is now tied for the team lead in goals with three alongside freshman midfielder Maeve Staunton.
Villanova has allowed just seven goals in the net this season, with graduate goalkeeper Hannah Dickinson picking up a pair of Big East Goalkeeper of the Week awards and a conference-leading 10 shutouts.
Beyond just the Huskies’ scoring struggles and the Wildcats’ success on both halves of the field, a win may be hard to come by for UConn based on recent historical results.
The Huskies have not won on the road against the Wildcats since 2012. Across the 20 seasons prior to 2026, UConn won just one away contest against Villanova, going 1-1-4.
Even if it does come away with a win, UConn would need some help from the rest of the Big East to make the conference postseason tournament.
In addition to a victory over Villanova, the Huskies would need DePaul (5-6-6, 2-4-3 Big East) to either win or draw on the road against Creighton (7-7-3, 3-4-2 Big East).
The Huskies would also need either St. John’s (3-10-4, 0-6-3 Big East) to win or draw against Seton Hall (7-2-6, 3-2-4 Big East) or Providence (5-4-9, 3-3-3 Big East) and Marquette (7-3-8, 3-2-4 Big East) to finish their contest in a draw.
St. John’s has yet to win a game in Big East play and has lost five straight contests, part of a 10-game winless streak dating back to Sept. 19. That makes a Providence and Marquette draw far more likely, though Marquette also needs a win to make the tournament.
The Huskies can clinch as high as the No. 3-seed should all three of the above scenarios occur.
Xavier (12-2-3, 6-0-3 Big East) and Villanova have each already claimed the top two seeds. Marquette and Seton Hall are currently tied for third, while Providence also sits ahead of the Huskies in the standings.
Butler (7-5-5, 2-3-4 Big East) and Creighton are each in the hunt, with the Bluejays sitting tied with UConn in the standings. DePaul, Georgetown (5-7-5, 2-5-3 Big East) and St. John’s have been eliminated.
Kickoff at the Higgins Soccer Complex is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. The contest will stream live on ESPN+.