Women's Soccer Hosts Marquette at NKU on Thursday Evening

Thursday, October 6

NKU Soccer Stadium

6:30 p.m.

Xavier University

Marquette University

Women's Soccer Hosts Marquette at NKU on Thursday Evening

10.05.16 | Women's Soccer

Season Stats (PDF)Live Stats BEDN Live Stream Marquette Women's Soccer

Match with Golden Eagles to be broadcast on BIG EAST Digital Network

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier women's soccer (6-6-1; 0-3-0 BE) hosts the Marquette Golden Eagles on Thursday, Oct. 6 at NKU Soccer Stadium in Highland Heights, Ky. The match is set to begin at 6:35 p.m. and will be broadcast on the BIG EAST Digital Network.

THE MATCHUP

Xavier Musketeers vs.
Marquette Golden Eagles
Thursday, Oct. 6 | 6:35 PM ET
NKU Soccer Stadium
Highland Heights, Ky.
Live Stats / BEDN Stream

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES

• Marquette (6-5-2; 2-1-0 BE) is coming off a 2-0 win over St. John's on Oct. 2, the Golden Eagles' fourth win in five matches.

• In that streak of play, MU picked up a BIG EAST win over Seton Hall, as well as wins over Cal Poly and Cal State Northridge, with the only loss coming to BIG EAST-foe Creighton.

• The Golden Eagles also picked up two wins early in the season, over Illinois State and Michigan, as well as results in 1-1 double overtime draws against both No. 22 Santa Clara and Milwaukee.

• Marquette opened the season with a pair of losses on the road at Nebraska and Kansas, and also suffered a pair of setbacks against No. 2 Stanford and No. 24 Northwestern.

• Through 13 games, redshirt junior Molly Pfeiffer leads the Golden Eagles with 12 points on a team-high four goals and four assists.

• Redshirt sophomore Carrie Madden stands at second on the squad with 10 points, scoring three goals and matching Pfeiffer's team high four assists.

• Freshman Maddy Henry has played 1227 minutes in goal for the Golden Eagles, allowing 19 goals for a 1.39 GAA, while collecting 49 saves for a 0.721 save percentage.

SERIES HISTORY

• The Musketeers trail the all-time series with Marquette 1-5-0, dating back to 1989. The Golden Eagles opened the series with a 2-0 win over the Musketeers, and Xavier responded with a 2-0 win the next season to even the series.

• The series was idle until the Musketeers joined the BIG EAST in 2013, with the first three match-ups in the renewal going to the Golden Eagles.

• Last season, the two teams played to a 0-0 draw through regulation before, in the second minute of extra time, a routine ball from 28 yards out slipped out of Xavier goalkeeper Rachel Piccus' grasp to give Marquette the 1-0 win.

VENUE CHANGE

• The match with the Golden Eagles has been moved to the NKU Soccer Stadium on the campus of Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Ky. The XU Soccer Complex is temporarily unplayable due to severe flooding in certain sections of campus and surrounding areas.

• Admission and parking at the event will be free. Gates to NKU Soccer Stadium open an hour prior to first kick.

• Parking for NKU soccer matches is available for in Lot O, adjacent to the NKU Soccer Stadium and The BB&T Arena. For information on accessible parking or other general inquiries regarding parking, contact NKU Parking Services.

LAST TIME OUT

• The Musketeers fell 2-0 to No. 6/3 Georgetown on Sunday at NKU Soccer Stadium.

• Georgetown took a 1-0 advantage in the 20th minute when Amanda Carolan scored off a pass from Chloe Knott.

• The Musketeers held the Hoyas to a single tally in the first half, with Rachel Piccus making the start and playing the first 45. Piccus finished with a save and a goal against.

• The best chance of the first period for the Musketeers was a shot for Samantha Dewey, a look on goal that forced GU's goalkeeper Arielle Schechtman to make the stop.

• Xavier turned up the intensity in the second period, pressing for the game-tying goal. The Musketeers continued to press until late in the game creating a number of chances and matching Georgetown with a pair of corner kicks, both coming late after the Musketeers worked the ball into the box to have the ball cleared by GU.

• The most dangerous look of the second half for the Musketeers was an opportunity for Kenadie Carlson from about 10 yards out with 15 minutes remaining, a play broken up by aggressive defense from the Hoyas.

• Toni Bizzarro played the second half in-goal for the Musketeers, collecting a pair of saves and hold Georgetown without a score until the 87th minute when the Hoyas added an insurance goal on a breakaway play for Caitlin Farrell who crossed to Crystal Thomas for the goal.

XU STATS

• Through 13 games, Samantha Dewey, the leading points scorer from 2015, has posted a team-leading 16 points off a team-highs in goals (6) and assists (4). Dewey's six total goals ranks T-6th in the BIG EAST. Her point total stands at sixth in the conference.

• Kenadie Carlson added another point to her total with an assist to Dewey against Providence, bringing her to nine points through 13 games, the second hightest total on the team. Carlson scored the lone goal for the Musketeers at IUPUI to bring her season total to three to go with three assists.

• Tori Doss has posted eight points through 13 games, the third highest total on the squad. Doss has four goals on the season after she scored the game-winner against Ohio.

• Xavier's 18 goals through 13 games have come from eight different Musketeers. Eight Musketeers have also dished out assists.

• Rachel Piccus has played a team-high 771 minutes in goal, starting 10 of Xavier's 13 matches. Piccus has allowed 14 goals against while collecting 0.745 percent of shots against her for a total of 41 saves. Piccus has picked up four wins on the season, including a pair of shutouts.

• Toni Bizzarro has rotated time at goal with Piccus, starting three games, and coming in during the second half in five others. Through 426 minutes of action, Bizzarro has 21 saves for a 0.750 save percentage while allowing seven goals for a 1.48 GAA. In eight appearances, Bizzarro has picked up a pair of wins.

• In the backfield, Courtney Kobashigawa and Ellie Eckerle have each played over 1000 minutes for the Musketeers through 13 matches. The senior defenders are joined on the back line by Carly Alfano who has played nearly 86 minutes per game in 11 appearances.

WEEKLY AWARDS

• Five Musketeers have earned weekly awards from the BIG EAST Conference. Most recently, Toni Bizzarro and Kenadie Carlson earned honors for the week of September 12.

• Bizzarro was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week after Bizzarro making her first collegiate appearance against NKU on Sept. 6, splitting time with Rachel Piccus in frame in all three of the Musketeers' matches that week to total 135 minutes. In those three appearances, she collected seven saves for a .875 save percentage while allowing only one goal on the way to a 2-0 record.

• Kenadie Carlson earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after she totaled five points through three games to help the Musketeers to a 2-1 record during that week. After the Musketeers fell behind 1-0 at NKU, Carlson scored her first of the season just out of the halftime break to tie the game which the Musketeers won on a last second goal. Carlson collected another three points in the win at Youngstown State, assisting on Samantha Dewey's goal in the 60th minute and scoring the game-winner in the 73rd. This is Carlson's first weekly award of the season.

• Bizzarro and Carlson join three other Musketeers who have earned weekly awards from the BIG EAST this season. In week one, Rachel Piccus earned Goalkeeper of the Week honors, while Maddie Tierney was named to the Weekly Honor Roll. Samantha Dewey also earned Weekly Honor Roll recognition for the week of Sept. 5.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

• Next up, the Musketeers return to the road to face Seton Hall on Oct. 9 at 1:00 p.m. in a match broadcast on the BEDN.

• Following the Seton Hall match, Xavier returns home for a pair of matches, hosting Villanova on Oct. 15 at noon in the first game of a double-header with Xavier men's soccer, who will also host Villanova. Please stay tuned to GoXavier.com and @XavierWSOC, the official Twitter account of Xavier women's soccer for potential venue or schedule changes.

• After hosting the Wildcats, Xavier hosts St. John's on Oct. 20 at 6:30 p.m.