Sept. 22, 2005

By Mike Sheridan

Villanova Media Relations

At the end of a long afternoon of soccer on a sweltering September afternoon, Joe Taylor, was, by his own admission, nearly exhausted. In his first official college game, this Villanova freshman had spent copious amounts of it being chased, bumped and effectively marked by the University of Delaware.

Through 89 minutes of play in the baking sunshine, there was no score. Overtime appeared inevitable.

"It seemed," admits Taylor now, "kind of hopeless."

And then, suddenly, there was an opening. Sophomore Jon Wells collected the ball near midfield and lofted a perfect feed over the Delaware defenders. Sensing opportunity, Taylor made a run, timing his arrival perfectly to avoid an offside call. All that stood between Taylor and the net was Blue Hen goalkeeper Chris Jones.

"Jon Wells played a perfect ball to me," Taylor says in recalling the scene. "When I got it I was kind of surprised. They had been marking me closely all day and then there I was, with room. I just kept thinking, `I can't mess this up.'"

He didn't. Displaying the composure of a veteran, Taylor ignored the desperate Blue Hens behind him and Jones charging towards him. He calmly deposited a shot past Jones and into the back of the net. There were just 31 seconds left on the clock and when that time expired shortly thereafter, Villanova had opened its 2005 season with a victory.

If the overriding emotion among his teammates and the fans at the Soccer Complex that afternoon was joy, Taylor felt something else.

"I was relieved," he says.

And so began the Villanova career of Joe Taylor, a soccer product of the Philadelphia Catholic League who has, in six short games, made his presence known. This week Taylor was named Big East Conference Rookie of the Week and Philadelphia Soccer Seven Co-Player of the Week. He leads the Wildcats in scoring with a pair of goals and three assists.

"I think he's energized our team, especially the seniors," says Villanova head coach Larry Sullivan. "Joey creates a positive energy out there for us because he makes things happen."

That dynamic cannot be undersold. Coming off two successful seasons in 2003 and 2004, Sullivan understood that 2005 would be something of a transition campaign. Much of the burden would be shouldered by a talented sophomore cast and a promising crop of newcomers with a few key leaders, such as seniors Pat Gallagher, Charlie Rowan and Brett Stassfurth, sprinkled into the mix.

But the summer months were not kind to the Wildcats. Perhaps the most damaging blow came in June when Danny DeMasters, a third team All-Big East choice as a freshman in 2004, suffered a torn ACL in his knee. That meant that Villanova would be without its scoring leader and most creative offensive weapon for the balance of the campaign.

The DeMasters injury wasn't the only one. Sophomore Mike Del Guercio, who was projected to have an expanded role at forward, has yet to play this season. Classmate Neil McNulty missed much of the preseason and has only recently returned to the lineup as he has dealt with an ankle injury. Gallagher missed one full game and parts of two others while freshmen Dan McKenna and Sean Lundbeck have battled injuries as well.

"The seniors were a little down after all those injuries," Sullivan says. "Joey has really helped fill the void left by Danny and I think the entire team has responded to that. Not only does he know how to make good things happen, he recognizes when others do so and jumps in to help.

"Joey just loves to play soccer. He is like a kid in a candy store right now."

Taylor's affinity for the game began early. At the age of five he was already kicking the ball around and, though he played some basketball and baseball, it was soccer that occupied his thoughts.

By the time he was a teenager, Taylor had graduated to the club circuit, starting in Council Rock. That typically involves plenty of time commitment on part of the entire family, especially parents.

"My parents and little brother were great," states Taylor. "They encouraged me to take soccer as far as I could."

At Archbishop Wood High School Taylor enjoyed a brilliant senior season, sparking his squad to the Catholic League title while garnering most valuable player honors.

But not everyone was convinced Taylor could thrive in the Big East. One school told him that they liked his skill but not his size. Others simply did not recruit him. Yet Sullivan, who had first watched Taylor as a sophomore, thought he was an excellent fit for Villanova.

"I never questioned the size of his body because I knew the size of his heart," says Sullivan. "I coached a lot of kids like him in the 1980s. He's a throwback. Every time I watched him I liked him a little bit more than the last time."

Taylor considered other Big East schools but in the end he narrowed his choices to Villanova and Penn. It's no coincidence that both are located near his home.

"I'm kind of momma's boy," he says with a laugh.

Villanova was the choice in the end.

"I always liked Villanova and it really seemed like a great fit," says Taylor. "It offers the major I wanted (communications) and I get a chance to play soccer in the Big East."

Taylor also appreciated Sullivan's straightforward approach.

"He told me that I would have a great chance to contribute but that it was up to me," he says. "It would all depend on how hard I was willing to work and I liked that."

Of course, Taylor's ability in the midfield became that much more valuable without DeMasters.

"I was really looking forward to seeing those two work together in the midfield this season," Sullivan states. "I see that combination as being very productive for us next year. But in the interim Danny's absence has given a Joey a little more freedom and an opportunity that he might not have otherwise had. He's a very competitive guy and really understands the game.

"All I can say is, `Thank you, God.'"

Taylor's goal against Delaware wasn't his only timely play thus far. In a 2-0 win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 16 he set up both goals, crossing the ball to Stassfurth and Rowan, who finished the plays. Then, his feel for the game helped the Wildcats rally to a 2-1 victory over West Virginia on Sept. 18 at the Soccer Complex.

With the Mountaineers seemingly in control with a 1-0 advantage in the second half, Taylor nearly stole a pass from one West Virginia defender to another in the 49th minute. Less than 10 minutes later, he found himself in a nearly identical spot and this time he timed his move perfectly. Taylor deflected the pass, raced in on goalie Nick Noble and beat him with a low shot.

"He stole the same pass he nearly got the first time," says Sullivan. "He's just so crafty."

Later, it was Taylor's corner kick that ended up on the foot of Gallagher, who knocked a shot past Noble with 4:35 left to lift the `Cats to a win and a 3-3 record overall, including 2-0 in the Big East.

"I've gotten a lot of help from my teammates, especially the seniors," Taylor says. "Charlie Rowan is really helpful because he's always telling me the best ways to get open up front and some of the things the opponents will do. It also helps that teams tend to focus a lot of attention on Brett Stassfurth."

There remains more work to do. Sullivan would like to see Taylor improve some of his passing and has plans to work on that at practice. He also frets about fatigue because of the energy Taylor typically expends in games. Yet he is convinced that Taylor's makeup is well suited to the long haul.

"His personality is so easy to work with," explains Sullivan. "He's a very cooperative kid and a quick learner. You show him something once and he's got it."

This weekend there comes another step in Taylor's Villanova evolution. The club takes its first Big East road trip of the season. On Friday it meets Georgetown, the squad which eliminated the `Cats from the 2004 Big East Tournament. On Sunday it travels to face Seton Hall, a nationally ranked unit that edged Villanova in a physical battle last season.

"I'm looking forward to it," he says. "My teammates tell me it's fun to be on the road together. They've told me about how cool it is to score a goal on the road and listen to the silence of the crowd."

If his first six college games are any indication, there's a good chance the opposing crowd will take note of Joe Taylor.