No. 1 seed Xavier Opens BIG EAST Tournament Play with No. 4 Villanova

No. 1 seed Xavier Opens BIG EAST Tournament Play with No. 4 Villanova

11.06.19 | Women's Soccer

Musketeers make second-straight semifinal appearance after earning first round bye

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

OMAHA, Neb. - Xavier women's soccer (14-3-2, 7-2 BIG EAST) opens up BIG EAST Championship play on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 6:00 p.m. against the No. 4 seed Villanova Wildcats. Xavier earned the No. 1 seed and a first round bye after securing the BIG EAST Regular Season title last week with a seventh conference win.

GAME DETAILS

vs. No. 4 Villanova
Thursday, Nov. 7 | 6 PM ET
Morrison Stadium | Omaha, Neb.

BIG EAST BRACKET

SEASON NOTES

Xavier won the program's first regular season conference championship, and the first conference title since winning the Atlantic 10 Tournament in 2000.
Xavier picked up its 14th win overall, the most since winning 14 in 2000, matching the school-record set in three prior seasons. (1991, 1997, 2000). The total matches the 1991 team for the most wins in the regular season.
This is Xavier's third-straight appearance in the BIG EAST Championship and second-straight appearance in the BIG EAST Semifinals.
Xavier's 38 goals on the season are the second most goals in a single season in program history.
The Musketeers' 10 shutouts are the second most in a single season in program history.

OPPONENT INFO

Villanova enters the match at 10-6-3 overall. The Wildcats earned the No. 4 seed in the BIG EAST Championship with a 6-3-1 record in conference play.
The Wildcats advanced to the BIG EAST Semifinals after topping No. 5 seed DePaul, 1-0, on a Shannon Casey goal in the 30th minute last Sunday.
VU took the win over Xavier earlier this season in the conference opener in Philadelphia. Brice McInroy scored in the 60th minute for the Wildcats for the game-winner.
McInroy leads the Wildcats on the season with 20 points on nine goals and two assists.
Chloe O'Neill has 15 points on four goals and a team-best seven assists.
Rebecca Gartner has played 14 matches in frame, including all of VU's conference matches, with a record of 7-5-2 and five shutouts.
Xavier is 3-4 all time against the Wildcats, including the loss during the BIG EAST regular season.

XAVIER NAMED STAFF OF THE YEAR

Following a breakthrough year for the Musketeers, the Xavier women's soccer coaching staff, led by head coach Nate Lie, were unanimously selected as the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. Lie, along with assistant coaches Kelsey Hunyadi, Renee Horton and Taylor Spradling, were the unanimous choices by league coaches following the regular season.
Lie was hired prior to the 2017 season, taking over a Xavier program that went 1-8 in BIG EAST play in 2016. The staff's impact was immediate, posting a winning record in conference play and earning a BIG EAST Championship berth in his first season.
In each of Lie's three seasons, the Musketeers have improved upon their win total, final conference standing and RPI, earning a BIG EAST Championship berth in each year. The staff's efforts so far culminated with the 2019 BIG EAST Regular Season Championship, the program's first regular season conference championship and the first conference title since winning the Atlantic 10 Tournament in 2000.
Xavier also stands at 14 wins on the season, the most since 2000, which matches the school record set in three prior seasons. Xavier's 14 wins were all won in the regular season, matching the 1991 team for the most wins prior to postseason.
The 2019 Musketeers lead the league with 62 points and 20 goals over nine BIG EAST contests, while listing third in team goals against average (0.67). Over 19 total contests in 2019, Xavier has a BIG EAST-best 10 shutouts, allowing a conference-low 14 goals.
The Musketeers have posted an overall record of 32-19-9 and a BIG EAST record of 15-8-4 during Lie's tenure.

BIG EAST HONORS

Five Musketeers were named to the 2019 BIG EAST All-Conference Team, as voted on by the league coaches. Red-shirt senior Samantha Dewey and senior Grace Bahr were both First Team selections, Molly McLaughlin and Brooke Sroka earned Second Team honors and Maddie Thiss earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team. The five selections to All-BIG EAST Teams is the most for Xavier (14-3-2, 7-2 BIG EAST) since joining the conference in 2013.
Samantha Dewey was a unanimous First Team choice, marking the second-straight year she's earned First Team honors. Dewey, a midfielder/forward has started in all 19 matches for the Musketeers, leads the conference with 29 points on 13 goals and three assists, including four goals in conference play. Among Dewey's 13 goals are a team-high four game-winners.
Dewey, a native of Indianapolis, Ind., has totaled 102 points so far in her Xavier career, earning post-season conference honors in each of her four complete seasons. In 2016, she became the first Musketeer to be named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team as a sophomore, and was unanimously selected to the All-BIG EAST Freshman team in 2015.
Grace Bahr also earned First Team honors, starting in all 19 matches and playing a team-high 1768 minutes on Xavier's backline, helping Xavier to force 10 shutouts on defense, the second most in a single season in program history.
Bahr, a native of Broadview Heights, Ohio, has also played a major role in Xavier's offense from the backline, with the third highest point total on the team at 11. Bahr has scored twice this season, including a critical goal in Xavier's 2-1 win over Marquette. This is the second post-season honor of Bahr's Xavier career, earning All-BIG EAST Second Team honors following the 2018 season. She also earned BIG EAST Defender of the Week three times this season.
Brooke Sroka earned All-BIG EAST Second Team Honors after leading the Musketeers in scoring in BIG EAST action. Sroka made eight starts in BIG EAST play, leading the Musketeers with 11 points on five goals and an assist.
Sroka, a native of Raleigh, N.C., has 12 points total on the season, the second most of the team behind Samantha Dewey. She's made 13 starts on the season, with eight coming in BIG EAST play. This is the first post-season honor of the sophomore's Xavier career.
Molly McLaughlin also earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team, with three goals all coming in BIG EAST play, including one game-winner. McLaughlin has started in all eight matches she appeared in BIG EAST play.
McLaughlin, a native of Granger, Ind., has seven points on the season with an addition of an assist from non-conference play. She's started in 14 of the 15 matches she's appeared in, in midfield. This is the first post-season honor of the sophomore's Xavier career.
Maddie Thiss earned a spot on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team. Thiss has appeared in 18 matches during her freshman season, starting in 17 on the Xavier backline. She has played 1100 minutes for the Xavier defense, helping the Musketeers force 10 shutouts, which is the second most in a single season in school history.
Thiss, a native of Cincinnati, has also collected two points, on a goal, after scoring the insurance goal in the 2-0 win over St. John's. In addition to her first post-season honor, Thiss capped off the regular season of her rookie campaign by earning the final BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors.

WEEKLY AWARDS

Following Xavier's women's soccer's BIG EAST title-clinching win at Butler on Thursday, Maddie Thiss earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week, the league office announced on Sunday. Carrie Lewis also earned honors from the BIG EAST with a spot on the Weekly Honor Roll In the final week of the regular season.
Thiss played 76 minutes in the Xavier backfield against Butler, helping limit the Bulldogs to just seven shots, including only two on frame, on the way to a 2-0 win for the Musketeers, marking the team's 10th shutout of the season. Thiss also recorded two shots, both on-frame, in the match at Butler. This is Thiss' first weekly award of her Xavier career.
Lewis earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after scoring her first goal of the season in the opening minutes of the match against Butler. The goal, which was the eventual game-winner in Xavier's 2-0 win over Butler, was the first goal the Bulldogs had allowed in five matches, breaking a streak of over 500 minutes of holding opponents scoreless.

LAST TIME OUT

Xavier women's soccer claimed the 2019 BIG EAST Regular Season Championship on Thursday, Oct. 31 with a 2-0 win over the Butler Bulldogs. It marks the first regular season conference title in program history.
Carrie Lewis put the Musketeers ahead in the third minute on her first goal of the season, the eventual game-winner.
Brooke Sroka added an insurance goal in the final minute to set the score at 2-0.
Xavier defense, with Grace Bahr, Hayley Jakovich and Grace Brauer playing the full time, picked up its 10th shutout of the season, the second most in a single season in school history.
In-frame, Toni Bizzarro collected two saves with no goal against for her seventh win and sixth complete shutout.
The Musketeers closed out the regular season at 14-3-2 overall and 7-2 in BIG EAST play.

XU OFFENSE

Samantha Dewey, the team leader in goals (13) and points (29) added two more points to her total with the game-winning goal against St. John's.
Dewey leads the BIG EAST in total goal (13 - 19th in NCAA DI), goals per game (0.68 - 30th in NCAA DI), total points (29 - 29th in NCAA DI) and points per game (1.53 - 46th in NCAA DI).
Brooke Sroka added another goal against Butler to bring her total to five goals, all coming in BIG EAST play. Sroka led the Musketeers in goals during the conference regular season. Sroka all has a pair of assists for 12 points, second most on the team.
Grace Bahr collected three points against Marquette on a goal, her second, and an assist, her seventh, to bring her season total to 11 points.
Carrie Lewis scored her first goal of the season in the opening minutes against Butler, Lewis also has a team-high eight assists on the season for 10 total points.
Jackie Richards added point to her point total an assist against Seton Hall to bring her season total to seven points (3G, 1A).
Jenna Prathapa scored her third goal, and third game-winner, of 2019 against DePaul. Combined with an assist, she has seven points on the year.
Sydney Schembri collected a pair of helpers against St. John's which, combined with two goals, brings her to six points on the season.
Molly McLaughlin scored her third goal of the season against DePaul. She now has seven points on three goals and an assist for the season.
Gabrielle LoPresti added an assist against Kent State to bring her point total to five, on a goal to go with three assists.
Hayley Jakovich assisted on Molly McLaughlin's goal against DePaul, her third assist of the season. Combined with a goal, she now has five poitns.
Emily Burton picked up an assist on Jenna Prathapa's game-winner against Providence, her second of the season to go with a goal, for four points.
Grace Brauer has three points on a goal and an assist.
Maddie Thiss scored her first career goal against St. John's. She, and Rachel Butler, each have two points on a goal.
Allie Anderson picked up her first point as a Musketeer, assisting on Jenna Prathapa's game winner against DePaul. She joins Jessia Miller, Halle Rogers, Rachel Dewey, Courtney Lankford and Macy Harper who each also have a point on an assist for the season.
Overall, Xavier is second in the conference in goals (38), points (116) and assists (40).

XU DEFENSE

Toni Bizzarro has made 10 starts in frame, with a record of 8-1-1 after the Butler match. Bizzarro has collected 27 saves with five goals against for a GAA of 0.48, which is the top mark in the BIG EAST. She has six complete shutouts to her credit and is partially credited with a seventh. She leads the league in shutouts per game (0.60) and save percentage (.844)
Olivia Jenkins has made nine starts at goalkeeper, earning a record of 6-2-1 and three shutouts to her credit, with 18 saves and nine goals against on the season for a GAA of 0.96.
Xavier's goalkeepers have a combined GAA of 0.744, tops in the BIG EAST.
Grace Bahr and Hayley Jakovich have started each match in the Xavier backfield. Maddie Thiss has made 17 starts and Grace Brauer has started the last eight matches in the Xavier backfield as well. Halle Rogers has made 11 on defense for the Musketeers.
With 10 shutouts, the 2019 Musketeers lead the BIG EAST and have the second most in a single season in program history.

DEWEY SENIOR CLASS FINALIST

Xavier women's soccer red-shirt senior Samantha Dewey was named one of 10 finalists for the 2019 Senior CLASS Award® for collegiate women's soccer..
20 NCAA® men's and women's soccer student-athletes who excel both on and off the field were selected as finalists for the 2019 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate soccer. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
Dewey, who earned the honor of 2018 BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year, has been a consistent force on offense during her Xavier career, leading the Musketeers in points in each of her three full seasons leading into 2019.
Through 14 matches in 2019, Dewey has lived up to her billing as the Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year, leading the conference with 12 goals and 27 points to help the Musketeers to a 9-3-2 record.
Dewey is one of two female finalists from the BIG EAST, along with Meaghan Nally of Georgetown.

NON-CONFERENCE WRAP-UP

Xavier finished non-conference play at 7-1-2, the best mark since going 7-1-1 in non-conference play in 2013. Xavier's .800 winning percentage was the top mark in th BIG EAST during non-conference and to 30 in the NCAA.
During the 10-game non-conference slate, Xavier forced six shutouts, including a stretch of five straight.
The Lipscomb goal in the 57th minute ended a streak of 522 minutes without allowing a goal, going back to the Kent State game on Sept. 6.
Samantha Dewey led the team with 21 points on nine-goals and three assists. Through the end of Xavier's non-conference schedule, Dewey's goals ranked No. 4 in the NCAA DI and her total points (21) were also in the top five in the nation.
Toni Bizzarro and Olivia Jenkins shared time in-frame, each making five starts.
Bizzaro finished the non-conference slate with a record of 4-0-1, collecting 17 saves with three goals against. She clocked 437 straight minutes in non-conference action without allowing a goal, going back to the season opener at Murray State through the Miami match, for three complete shutouts to her credit, as well as a partial shutout against NKU.
In Olivia Jenkins' five starts at goalkeeper, she earned record of 3-1-1 and two shutouts to her credit, with 10 saves and five goals against in non-conference play.

THE MUSKETEERS

Xavier finished the 2018 season at 10-8-3, a .548 winning percentage, marking the first winning record for the Musketeers since 2013. Xavier's 10 wins in 2018 are the most for the program since 2003's 12-win season.
The Musketeers finished a program-best fourth in the BIG EAST standings, hosting a BIG EAST Championship match for the first time since joining the conference and advancing in the postseason for the first time since 2003.
Xavier's 0-0 draw against No. 4 Georgetown to close out the regular season on Oct. 25, 2018 was the first result against a top-five team in program history.
Xavier's defense forced its ninth shutout of the season in the regular season match against Georgetown, the most since 2000's school-record 11 shutouts. The Musketeers ranked third in the BIG EAST for shutouts. Nine shutouts stand as the second most in a single season in program history, matching 1985 and 1991's season totals.
Xavier 2018 finished the season with 31 goals, the most since 2006's 31-goal season. The Musketeers return 87 percent of their scoring, including BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year Samantha Dewey, who finished with 25 points on nine goals and seven assists.

MUSKETEERS PICKED FOURTH

The Musketeers are picked to finish fourth in the BIG EAST, returning 23 letterwinners, including eight starters, from last season's squad that went 10-8-3 overall an 4-3-2 in BIG EAST play.
The 2018 season marked the first winning record for the Musketeers since 2013 and the most wins for the program since 2003's 12-win season. The Musketeers finished a program-best fourth in the BIG EAST standings, hosting a BIG EAST Championship match for the first time since joining the conference.
Xavier's 2018 team advanced to the BIG EAST Semifinals for the first time since joining the conference in 2013, the first time the Musketeers have advanced in the postseason since 2003, when Xavier topped St. Joseph's, 2-0, in the Atlantic 10 tournament.
The Musketeers return 87 percent of their scoring from 2018's 31 goal season, the goals most for the program since 2006. The 2018 Musketeers also posted nine shutouts, tied for second most in program history and the most since 2000. Xavier finished ranked in the top 75 of the RPI for the first time in nearly 20 season.
The Musketeers were picked behind reigning BIG EAST Champion and 2018 College Cup Semifinalist Georgetown, which received nine first place votes, as well as Butler and Providence.

BIG EAST COACHES POLL

1.   Georgetown              81 (9)
2.   Butler 67 (1)
3.   Providence 62
4.   Xavier 55
5.   DePaul 46
6.   Villanova 38
       St. John's 38
8.   Marquette                 34
9.   Creighton 20
10. Seton Hall 9