Women's Soccer Hosts Duquesne at UC's Gettler Stadium

Friday, September 9

University of Cincinnati Gettler Stadium

3:30 p.m.

Xavier University

Duquesne University

Women's Soccer Hosts Duquesne at UC's Gettler Stadium

09.08.16 | Women's Soccer

Live Stats Xavier Season Stats (PDF)DU Women's Soccer Info

First kick moved to 3:30 p.m. on the campus of University of Cincinnati

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier women's soccer will travel across town for it's next home match, hosting Duquesne University on Friday, Sept. 9 at University of Cincinnati's Gettler Stadium. The match is set for 3:30 p.m., moved up from the original start time of 4:30 p.m. The originally scheduled stream will not be available for this match.

THE MATCHUP

Xavier Musketeers (4-1-1) vs.
Duquesne Dukes (1-2-1)
Friday, September 9 | 3:30 PM
UC's Gettler Stadium
Live Stats

SCOUTING DUQUESNE

• The Dukes come into the match coming off a 2-1 loss to Longwood at home last Friday. Longwood took the lead in the 11^th minute and held the advantage until just minutes before the break when LU added a second goal in the 42^nd minute. DU cut the advantage down to one, 2-1, in the 80^th minute on a goal from Malea Fabean. A look at the equalizer with 30 seconds remaining went wide of the goal to seal the win for Longwood.

• Duquesne's lone win of the season came against the only mutual opponent the Dukes have with the Musketeers so far. DU took down Pitt, 2-0, a week before the Panthers handed Xavier its only loss of season, a 2-1 loss at Pittsburgh.

• DU's other result on the season was a 1-1 double overtime tie with Xavier's next opponent, Youngstown State. Duquesne opened the season with a pair of loss to Kent State (3-2) and Central Michigan (2-0).

• Fabean leads DU with a pair of goals on the season. Two other Dukes, Katie O'Connor and Casey Aunkst, each have a goal.

• Kyra Murphy has played every minute in goal for the Dukes, collecting 21 saves with five goals against for a 1.18 GAA. Her record stands at 1-2-1 with one complete shutout.

SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier leads the all-time series with the Dukes 10-5-1. The Musketeers won 10 straight to open the series that dates back to 1995. The two played to a draw in 2006, DU's first result against the Musketeers, before Duquesne won five straight before the series went on hiatus when Xavier left the Atlantic 10.

VENUE CHANGE

• Xavier women's soccer's changed its home venue for its Friday, September 9, match against Duquesne to University of Cincinnati's Gettler Stadium for a 3:30 p.m. match, moved from the original time of 4:30 p.m.

• Admission to the event will be free and fans are encouraged to park in the Calhoun Street Garage, which is adjacent to Gettler Stadium, which will be available for $5. To access the Calhoun Street Garage, enter from Calhoun Street and not Corry Blvd.

• The Xavier Soccer Complex is temporarily unplayable due to flooding in certain sections of campus and surrounding areas.

LAST TIME OUT

• Against NKU, Xavier battled back from a 1-0 halftime deficit to take the 2-1 win over Northern Kentucky right at the horn. The Musketeers came out of the halftime break attacking on offense and in the 50th minute, Kenadie Carlson evened the score with her first goal of the season after Samantha Dewey worked the ball into the box and crossed to the left side where Carlson sank the ball from five yards out to tie the game 1-1.

• Xavier continued to look for the go-ahead goal until the final minute of regulation. With less than 20 seconds remaining before the match went to over time, Skylar Groth played the ball upfield into the box. Groth shot from straight on from the middle of the box to sink the game winner with less than 11 seconds remaining, her first goal of the season.

• On the defensive end, Toni Bizzarro made her collegiate debut in-goal in the second half against, facing 10 second half shots and making a pair of saves, including a sliding save off a set piece to keep NKU scoreless in the second half, giving her the first win of her collegiate career.

• Defensive mainstays Courtney Kobashigawa and Carly Alfano each played the full 90 as part of the back line, limiting the number of clean looks the Norse had at the goal.

XU STATS

• Xavier's 4-1-1 record is the best record through six games for the Musketeers since the 2013 season where Xavier started the season 5-0-1. Through NKU, Samantha Dewey, the lead points scorer from 2015, leads the Musketeers with nine points off a team-highs in goals (3) and assists (3).

• Tori Doss has a pair of goals and Maddie Tierney has a goal and pair of assists for four points each, sitting as the second highest point total on the team.

• Maddie Tierney, Kenadie Carlson and Ellie Eckerle each have a goal and an assist for three points on the season.

• Xavier's 11 goals through six games have come from eight different Musketeers. Six Musketeers have also dished out assists.

• Rachel Piccus has played a team-high 515 minutes in goal, allowing only four goals against while collecting 87 percent of shots against her for a total of 29 saves. Piccus has picked up three wins on the season, including a pair of shutouts.

• Toni Bizzarro made her college debut against NKU, playing 45 minutes, collecting a pair of saves and picking up her first win.

• In the backfield with Piccus, Carly Alfano is averaging over 91 minutes of action in her four appearances including 102 minutes in the double overtime match at Ball State. Courtney Kobashigawa chips in 86.5 minutes per game through six games as part of a defense that is holding teams to 0.83 goals per game.

WEEKLY AWARDS

• After a two-tally half for the Musketeers, helping secure the 3-1 win over Dayton last Friday, Samantha Dewey earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.

• This is the first appearance on the Weekly Honor Roll for Dewey this season, and second in her career, previously earning the honor on Sept. 7, 2015. Dewey, a unanimous choice to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team last season, was also honored as BIG EAST Freshman of the Week twice in 2015 (8/24/2015 and 10/26/2015).

• Dewey is the third Musketeer to earn a weekly award 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.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

• After hosting Duquesne, Xavier travels to Youngstown State for the first of five-straight road games. The Musketeers take on the Penguins on September 11 at 1 PM. The match will be streamed through WatchESPN.

• After Youngstown State, Xavier will travel to Ohio and IUPUI before jumping into the BIG EAST slate at DePaul and Providence.

• Xavier's next home match is scheduled for Oct. 2, when the Musketeers are slated to host the Georgetown Hoyas for their BIG EAST home-opener at 1 PM. Please stay tuned to GoXavier.com and @XavierWSOC, the official Twitter account of Xavier women's soccer, for potential changes to time and venue.