Women's Soccer Hosts No. 4 Georgetown to Close Regular Season

Thursday, October 25

Cincinnati, Ohio

7 PM

Xavier University

Georgetown

Women's Soccer Hosts No. 4 Georgetown to Close Regular Season

10.24.18 | Women's Soccer

Live Stream Live Stats

Musketeers and Hoyas face off at 7 PM on Thursday

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – Xavier women's soccer (10-7-1; 4-3-1 BIG EAST) closes out its regular season on Thursday, hosting the No. 4 Georgetown Hoyas at 7:00 p.m. The match will be available for live stream on the BIG EAST Digital Network through the FOX Sports Go app.

Xavier has secured a second-straight bid to the BIG EAST Championships, but its seeding will be determined by the Thursday's results. The Musketeers are currently in fourth place with 13 points, with home field advantage going to the top four seeds.

THE MATCHUP

Xavier Musketeers vs.
Georgetown Hoyas
Thursday, Oct. 25 | 7 PM
XU Soccer Complex
Watch Live | Live Stats

BIG EAST SCHEDULE AND SCENARIOS

In addition to Xavier's match, three other BIG EAST matches on Thursday that could potentially impact the final conference standings.
Butler at Villanova - 3:00 p.m. - Live Stats | Live Stream
Creighton at Providence - 7:00 p.m. - Live Stats | Live Stream
DePaul at St. John's - 7:00 p.m. - Live Stats | Live Stream
With a Xavier win and a Butler and St. John's loss, St. John's is #2, Xavier is #3 and Butler is #4.
With a Xavier tie and a Providence win, Xavier is #4 and Providence is #5.
With a Xavier tie and a Providence and DePaul win, Xavier is #4, DePaul is #5 and Providence is #6.
With a Xavier loss and a Providence and DePaul tie, Xavier is #4.
With a Xavier loss and DePaul and Creighton win, DePaul would be #4, Creighton would be #5, and Xavier would be #6.

BIG EAST STANDINGS

SCHOOL	CONF	PTS.	OVERALL	STREAK
Georgetown	8-0	24	15-0-2	W14
Butler	5-2-1	16	11-5-1	L1
St. John's	5-2-1	16	9-7-1	W4
Xavier	4-3-1	13	10-7-1	L1
Providence	3-3-2	11	9-5-3	W1
DePaul	3-3-2	11	7-6-4	W1
Creighton	3-4-1	10	6-9-1	T1
Villanova	3-5	9	9-8	L4
Marquette	1-5-2	5	3-11-3	T1
Seton Hall	0-8	0	2-11-4	L8

PREVIEWING GEORGETOWN

The No. 4 Hoyas enter the final match of the season unbeaten, standing at 15-0-2 overall and 8-0 in BIG EAST play.
Georgetown is currently on a 14-match winning streak, with wins over every BIG EAST school, excluding Xavier, and Columbia, George Mason, West Virginia, George Washington and Yale. The Hoyas also had a season-opening win over Georgia and then back-to-back draws with Virginia Tech and Duke in August.
The Hoyas have only allowed six goals all season, and limited BIG EAST opponents to two, allowing one to Creighton in a 7-1 win, and one to Marquette in a 2-1 double overtime win.
BIG EAST leading scorer Caitlin Farrell was 15 goals on the season.
Kyra Carusa has a team-high seven assists to go with seven goals.
Preseason BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year Arielle Schechtman has played the bulk of the time in-frame, collecting 60 saves, with only four goals against in over 1400 minutes for a NCAA Division I best save percentage of .938, and a GAA of .257 which ranks second in the country.
Schectman is 12-0-2 overall with an NCAA DI leading 11 shutouts.
Georgetown finished 2017 at 14-3-4 overall. GU opened the season at No. 5 after earning a trip to the College Cup in 2016 and spent most of the season in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25.
The Hoyas went 6-1-2 in BIG EAST play to earn the No. 1 seed in the BIG EAST Championship. GU picked up a pair of comfortable wins, 4-0 over Marquette and 3-0 over Butler, to claim the BIG EAST Championship and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Hoyas played Wake Forest in the opening round of the tournament, playing the Demon Deacons to a 0-0 draw through double overtime. Wake Forest advanced on penalty kicks.
GU returns All-BIG EAST First Team selections Amanda Carolan and Caitlin Farrell, All-BIG EAST Second Team selection Meaghan Nally and All-Freshman Team selection Kelly Ann Livingstone.
The Hoyas graduated a number of prolific seniors after last season, including All-American and two-time BIG EAST Midfield of the Year, Rachel Corboz, All-American and BIG EAST Defender of the Year, Elizabeth Wenger and BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, Arielle Schectman.
Xavier is 0-5 all-time against the Hoyas, including a 1-0 loss in 2017.
Last season, Xavier held the Hoyas scoreless for 56 minutes before GU scored off a free kick. The Musketeers were unable to score the equalizer.

PROMOTIONS

STUDENT PROMO: Pizza in the student section at halftime!

VIDEO

WATCH | Toni Bizzarro and Claire Fisher talk about Xavier's bid to the BIG EAST Championship, the Musketeers' match against No. 4 Georgetown and what makes this Xavier team successful. #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/X1dIkHIkTf
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 24, 2018

LAST TIME OUT - ST. JOHN'S

A Red Storm goal late in the first half ended a four-game unbeaten streak for Xavier women's soccer, giving the Musketeers the 1-0 setback on Sunday afternoon.
Xavier held a sizable advantage on shots over St. John's, 19-3, during the Senior Day match, but were unable to find the equalizer, moving to 10-7-1 on the season.
In the 40th minute, SJU's Samie Scaffidi brought the ball up the right side a breakaway, crossing to Christina Bellero in the box. Bellero shot to the left corner for the game-winner.
Xavier held a 19-3 advantage on shots, including a 9-2 advantage on looks on-frame.
Grace Bahr led the Musketeers with five shots, including two looks on-frame. Claire Fisher also had two looks, both on frame and Samantha Dewey had four shots.
Xavier led 12-0 on corner kicks.
Toni Bizzarro played the full-time in-frame, collecting one save with one goal against.
Hayley Jakovich, Grace Bahr and Allison Klimkowski started on the backline for Xavier. Jakovich and Bahr played the full time, and Klimkowski played 76 minutes before Xavier increased its attack in the final minutes of the game, looking for the equalizer.
Rachel Dewey played 83 minutes in the midfield for the Musketeers.
Xavier moved to 5-2-1 at home.

XAVIER STATS

The win against Seton Hall was Xavier's 10th of the season, the first time hitting the 10-win mark since 2003's 12-8-1 season.
Samantha Dewey's goal against SHU brings her team-high total to eight, and her assist on Lewis' goal added to her team-high assist total at six, bringing her team-high point total to 22, the most Musketeer player since Dewey's own 22 point freshman season in 2015. Her total points rank third in the conference and 50th among all NCAA DI players.
Dewey is third in the BIG EAST goals and shots taken, and tied for second in assists.
Dewey also has four game-winning goals on the season, tied for the second most in the conference and for 23rd in NCAA DI.
Grace Bahr has three goals, combined with an assist, for seven points, second most on the team.
Carrie Lewis' goal was her second of the season and first of BIG EAST play. Her point total stands at four for the season, matching Molly McLaughlin and Brooke Sroka, who added a point on an assist on Emily Burton's goal, for fourth most on the team.
Brooke Sroka and Andie Kennard each have a goal and an assist for three points.
Emily Burton's tally was the first of her Xavier career. She's the 15th Musketeer to score a goal, joining Claire Fisher, Allison Klimkowski, Sabrina Kunimoto, Rachel Butler, Kenadie Carlson, Isabella Langush, Rachel Dewey and Carrie Lewis who each have two points on a goal.
Courtney Lankford, Grace Brauer, Jenna Leslie and Olivia Popovich each have a point on an assist.
Through 18 games, Xavier has 15 goal scorers. The Musketeers needed just seven games to surpass last year's total of six goal scorers. Xavier also has 19 players who have recorded points, surpassing last year's total of 11.
Kunimoto's goal against Villanova was the 20th tally of the season for the Musketeers, surpassing last year's total of 19. Xavier has 27 goals on the season, the most since scoring 28 in the 2015 campaign with two regular season matches remaining.
Xavier's offense is second in the BIG EAST in shots, goals and corner kicks earned and third in points.
Freshmen Allison Klimkowski and Hayley Jakovich have started every game in the backfield this season. Grace Bahr joined Klimkowski and Jakovich in the starting backfield in each of Xavier's past 13 matches and the trio has totaled over 1460 minutes each, helping Xavier earn shutouts in eight matches this season, the most since 2015.
Carrie Lewis and Rachel Dewey have both played over 1230 minutes in midfield for the Musketeers.
Goalkeeper Toni Bizzarro has played 16 matches in-frame, making 72 saves with 15 goals against for a GAA of 0.89 which ranks fourth in the BIG EAST. Her save percentage of .828 ranks third in the conference and 47th in NCAA DI.
Bizzarro has a record of 9-6-1 with seven shutouts to her credit. Her seven shutouts rank third most in the conference and 29th in the country.
Olivia Jenkins has appeared in-frame twice this season, collecting six saves with three goals against for a GAA of 1.50. She picked up the first win and shutout of her college career against Southern Indiana.
Xavier's eight shutouts are tied for the fourth most in the conference this season.

USC REGIONAL RANKINGS

After moving up to No. 9 in last week's USC Regional Rankings, Xavier moved back to No. 10 in the East, this week after going 1-1 against Seton Hall and St. John's.
The East rankings features four BIG EAST schools, including undefeated Georgetown at No.1. The Hoyas are also ranked No. 4 nationally, as well as No. 4 Butler and No. 8 Providence.

WEEKLY AWARDS

After a week where Xavier women's soccer only surrendered one goal and limited opponents to just five shots on goal through two games, defender Hayley Jakovich was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week.
In a 1-1 week for the Musketeers, Jakovich played full time in both matches, helping anchor Xavier's defense. In Xavier's 3-0 win, the Musketeers out-shot Seton Hall 15-7, including 6-3 on net, in Xavier's eighth shutout of the season.
Jakovich also helped the Musketeers also limited St. John's to just three shots, including two on target, in Sunday's setback. The native of Eureka, Mo. has started every game for the Xavier defense this season, totaling 1523 minutes of action during her rookie campaign, just a minute shy of Grace Bahr's team-high mark.
The weekly award is Jakovich's first and the fifth for the Musketeers this season, joining Toni Bizzarro, who was twice named the Goalkeeper of the Week, Allison Klimkowski, who was named Freshman of the Week on Oct. 8, and Grace Bahr, who was the Defender of the Week for the week of Sept. 17. Samantha Dewey and Sydney Schembri have also been recognized by the conference, earning BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll honors.

USC TEAM ACADEMIC AWARD

Xavier women's soccer earned the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for the fourth straight year, and eighth year overall.
The Musketeers posted a department-best grade point average of 3.67 for the 2017-18 academic year, with 22 team members earning BIG EAST All-Academic for posting a grade point average of 3.0 or above.
The USC Team Academic Award distinction is awarded to programs with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher for the academic year. In total, 773 soccer teams, including 484 women's squads and 289 men's, earned the award for the 2017-18 academic year.
Xavier was one of the 192 schools with both their men's and women's programs recognized.
Xavier women's soccer, which has earned Public Recognition from the NCAA for posting a perfect 1000 in the Academic Progress Rate score three years in a row, also earned the USC Team Academic Award in 2001, 2011-13 and 2015-17.

XU LINEUP

Xavier returns 75 percent of its scoring from last season, including the scorers of 14 of the team's 19 goals.
Leading scorer Sydney Schembri is back after finishing with 12 points on six goals as a rookie, earning BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and All-Freshman Team honors.
Emma Westwater returns as a senior after a nine-point junior season, scored on four goals and an assist.
The Musketeers' attack is bolstered by the return of two of the program's most prolific scorers in recent years, redshirt junior Samantha Dewey and redshirt senior Kenadie Carlson.
Xavier also adds a pair of transfers up front, Sabrina Kunimoto, a sophomore from Delaware, and Raechel Eck, a grad transfer from Akron with two years of eligibility remaining.
Four freshmen also join Xavier's offensive attack, Grace Brauer, Makenna Jordahl, Reagan Norvell and Brooke Sroka
Xavier returns the core of its midfield with Carrie Lewis and Courtney Lankford who, combined, accounted for six of Xavier's 14 assists on the season.
Lewis led the Musketeers with four in a season where she started every match, while Lankford added a pair.
Jessica Miller, who started two of the first three games last season before sitting out due to injury, also returns. Emily Burton and Abby O'Keefe combined to make 16 starts last season after Miller's injury. O'Keefe assisted on a pair of goals and Burton added an assist as well. Makayla Kolberg, who made multiple starts in 2017, and Megan Sullivan, who appeared in 15 matches, also return.
The Musketeers brought in a pair of experienced transfers in the midfield for the 2018 spring season, Claire Fisher, a sophomore transfer from Tennessee, and Grace Bahr, a junior transfer from Wisconsin.
Rachel Dewey, younger sister of Samantha Dewey, makes up part of a quartet of freshmen midfielders, which also includes Jordan Reddington, Molly McLaughlin and Rachel Butler.
Xavier returns defender Andie Kennard for her senior season after a junior campaign where she was second on the team in minutes played. Kennard also recorded her first career goal in 2017, the game-winner against Ohio.
Redshirt-freshman Abi Janszen also returns for the Musketeers after being limited to three appearance due to injury.
Five newcomers join the backfield, freshmen Hayley Jakovich, Isabella Langusch, Jenna Leslie, Allison Klimkowski and Olivia Popovich.
Goalkeeper Toni Bizzarro, who started all 19 games she appeared in last season, returns for her junior season. Bizzarro collected eight wins, including four shutouts last season, making 106 saves for a .828 save percentage with a GAA of 1.09.
Xavier added a pair of freshmen goalkeepers, Olivia Jenkins and Caroline Welsh, to join Bizzarro.

DEWEY NAMED PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST

For a second-straight season, Xavier women's soccer's Samantha Dewey was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.
The red-shirt junior forward is the first Musketeer to earn preseason conference honor in back-to-back years since joining the conference. Last season, her nomination was the first preseason nod for a Musketeer since Xavier joined the BIG EAST in 2013.
Dewey, a native of Fairland, Ind., appeared in the first five matches in 2017 before sitting out the remainder due to injury. In her shortened season, Dewey still tallied three goals, fourth most on the team. Dewey led the Musketeers in scoring during the first five games of the season, tallying a pair in a win against Cleveland State and scoring the game winner against Ball State. She was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll twice in the first two weeks of the season.
Prior to the 2017 season, Dewey led the Musketeers in points in each of her two previous seasons at Xavier. After posting 20 points on eight goals and four assists in 2016, Dewey was named Second Team All-BIG EAST, making her the first Musketeer to earn first or second team honors since joining the conference. Dewey was also named to the All-Ohio Second Team after the 2016 season.
As a freshman, Dewey was a unanimous selection to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team after a 22-point rookie campaign. She was twice conference rookie of the week and has earned BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll honors fives times in her career.

2017 IN REVIEW

The Musketeers, picked to finish seventh in the BIG EAST, are coming off a fifth-place finish in the 2017 season, which earned the program's first berth to the BIG EAST Championship since joining the conference and the program's first conference championship appearance since 2003.
In Nate Lie's first season as head coach, Xavier finished the season 8-8-4 overall, marking the first season at .500 or above since 2013, when Xavier finished 9-8-1. The Musketeers' record of 4-3-2 in BIG EAST play, posting a winning conference record for the first time since 2005. Xavier finished the regular season with a program-best 14 points in the BIG EAST standings.
The Musketeers limited 16 of 20 opponents to a single goal or less, including every BIG EAST regular season match-up.
In addition to Sydney Schembri's Freshman of the Year and All-Freshman Team honors, seniors Tori Doss and Carly Alfano both earned Second Team All-BIG EAST and CoSIDA Academic All-American after last season.