Women's Soccer Opens Conference Play at DePaul

Sunday, September 25

Chicago, Ill.

2 p.m.

Xavier University

DePaul University

Women's Soccer Opens Conference Play at DePaul

09.23.16 | Women's Soccer

Live Stats Watch Live Xavier Season Stats (PDF)DePaul Women's Soccer Info Game Notes (PDF)

Musketeers close out non-conference with 6-3-1 record

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier women's soccer stays on the road for a fourth straight match, opening conference play at DePaul on Sunday, Sept. 25. The Musketeers are set to take on the Blue Demons at 2:00 p.m. ET on the BIG EAST Digital Network.

THE MATCHUP

Xavier Musketeers at
DePaul Blue Demons
Sunday, Sept. 25 | 2 PM ET
Wish Field / Chicago, Ill.
Live Stats / BEDN Live Stream

FROM COACH SHERWOOD

SCOUTING THE BLUE DEMONS

• The Blue Demons (3-4-2) are coming off a 4-1 win against Loyola Chicago on Wednesday, marking a second straight win for DePaul, including a 3-1 win at Western Michigan. The Blue Demons also picked up a 5-0 win over Army at the Army West Point Fall Classic in early September.

• DePaul also picked up results on a pair of double overtime draws, including a 1-1 tie with Fordham in the season opener and a 1-1 draw with Hofstra in the opener at the Army West Point Fall Classic.

• Two of DU's three losses occurred during a West Coast-road trip, falling in double overtime to San Diego, 3-2, and losing 5-1 at Long Beach State. The Blue Demon's third loss was a 2-1 setback at home against Northwestern.

• Through nine games, senior Ana Greik has a team-high five goals in seven appearances for 10 points, which matches Abby Reed for the most on the team. Reed's 10 points come off four goals and a pair of assists.

• The Blue Demons have 19 goals from eight different players through nine matches.

• Through nine games Lauren Frasca has played the majority of the minutes in-goal for the Blue Demons, totaling over 500 minutes and collecting 53.8 percent of the shots she's faced. Frasca has allowed 12 tallies for a GAA of 2.15 and a record of 2-3-1.

• Jaimie Leas has appeared in four game as goalkeeper, totaling nearly 400 minutes. Leas has collected 50.0 percent of the shots faced, allowing four goals and earning a record of 1-1-1.

SERIES HISTORY

• The Musketeers trail the all-time series with the Blue Demons 0-3-0, dating back to 2013. The series began when the Musketeers joined the BIG EAST Conference in 2013, with the first match between the two schools ending in a 1-0 win for DePaul in Cincinnati.

• In last season's matchup in Cincinnati, DePaul took the 4-0 win. The two teams were scoreless through 36 minutes before then-freshman Franny Cerny scored the first of her two goals in the match. Junior Jessie Schmidt also scored for the Blue Demons in last season's match.

LAST TIME OUT

• The Xavier offense pressured early, with Kenadie Carlson getting a pair of good looks in the opening minutes. The third chance was the charm for Carlson, who gave the Musketeers a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute with a shot to the inside far post. The goal marked her third of the season.

• Xavier controlled the ball early, owning a 10-2 advantage on shots when the Jags broke into the scoring column on their third shot of the day, tying the game 1-1 in the 21st minute. The Musketeers led IUPUI 13-6 on shots at the break.

• After Xavier took the early lead, the Musketeers limited IUPUI on defense for much of the first period, before the Jags found the goal on IUPUI's third shot of the day, tying the game 1-1 in the 22nd minute on a Sierra Bryant goal. After going into the halftime tied 1-1, IUPUI struck quickly in the second half, with Catherine Raster shooting from eight yards out to put the Jags up 2-1 in the 48th minute.

• Xavier pressured for the equalizer until the final minute, taking four corner kicks in the second half, including two in the final six minutes. Both corners turned into good looks that missed narrowly for the equalizer.

• Carlson led the Musketeers with six total shots. Samantha Dewey had three, including a pair on-frame.

• Toni Bizzarro played the first complete game of her college career, collecting three saves with two goals against. Courtney Kobashigawa and Ellie Eckerle played the full 90 minutes on the Musketeer back line that limited the Jags to five shots on goal.

XU STATS

• Through 10 games, Samantha Dewey, the leading points scorer from 2015, has posted a team-leading 14 points off a team-highs in goals (5) and assists (4).

• Tori Doss and Kenadie Carlson have each posted eight points through 10 games, the second highest total on the squad. Doss has four goals on the season after she scored the game-winner against Ohio. Carlson scored the lone goal for the Musketeers at IUPUI to bring her season toal to three to go with a pair of assists.

• Xavier's 17 goals through 10 games have come from eight different Musketeers. Eight Musketeers have also dished out assists.

• Rachel Piccus has played a team-high 650 minutes in goal, starting eight of Xavier's 10 matches. Piccus has allowed only nine goals against while collecting 79.1 percent of shots against her for a total of 34 saves. Piccus has picked up four wins on the season, including a pair of shutouts.

• Toni Bizzarro played the first full game of her college career at IUPUI, marking her fifth appearance in goal for the Musketeers. Through 270 minutes of action, Bizzarro has 13 saves for a 81.3 save percentage while only allowing three goals for a 1.00 GAA. In five appearances, Bizzarro has a record of 2-1-0.

• In the backfield, Carly Alfano is averaging over 86 minutes of action in eight appearances including 102 minutes in the double overtime match at Ball State. Courtney Kobashigawa chips in over 86 minutes per game as well and Ellie Eckerle is averaging just over 83 minutes through 10 games as part of a defense that is holding teams to 1.20 goals per game.

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 last week.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

• Following DePaul match, the Musketeers close out a five-game road swing at Providence on Thursday, Sept. 29 at 7:00 p.m.

• Xavier hosts Georgetown for its BIG EAST home opener on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 1:00 p.m. The venue of the match has been changed, the Musketeers will now be hosting the Hoyas at the NKU Soccer Stadium on the campus of Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Ky. Please stay tuned to GoXavier.com and @XavierWSOC, the official Twitter account of Xavier women's soccer, for potential changes to time and venue.