SEASON RECAP: 2019 BIG EAST Regular Season
Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications
4/22/2020
Following a successful non-conference campaign, Xavier entered BIG EAST play at 7-1-2, the best mark since going 7-1-1 in non-conference play in 2013. The Musketeers were on a six-match unbeaten streak going into the first match at Villanova.
On the road at Villanova, the Musketeers fell, 1-0, despite holding a 10-shot advantage for the match, moving to 7-2-2 on the season.
Xavier returned home for the next two matches, moving to 8-2-2 overall and 1-1 in BIG EAST play with a 3-1 win over Creighton.
Sydney Schembri struck early, scoring on the rebound of a Brooke Sroka shot to put Xavier ahead 1-0 in the first 15 minutes. The Musketeers extended the lead to two on a goal from Rachel Butler, putting away a shot from Jenna Prathapa that rebounded off the goalkeeper to give Xavier the 2-0 lead midway through the first.
Shortly before halftime, Creighton got a goal back, sending the game into halftime with Xavier leading 2-1. The Musketeers held onto the one-goal advantage until the 68th minute when Brooke Sroka shot from the left side of the box, tucking the ball into the far corner for the 3-1
??All the goals from last night's win! #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/IElcxtAtay
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 4, 2019
WATCH | Brooke Sroka speaks with @John_Fanta from the BIG EAST Digital Network following her three-point (1G, 1A) performance against Creighton. #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/3Hy5pTxwte
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 4, 2019
Xavier closed out the homestand by moving to 2-1 in BIG EAST with a ninth win, after topping Seton Hall, 5-0, the Musketeers' largest victory over a Division I opponent in over a decade.
Brooke Sroka scored from Jackie Richards in the third minute, putting Xavier ahead, 1-0, before the match went into a weather delay due to lightning in the area less than 10 minutes into the match.
Following a 35-minute delay, Xavier picked up where it left off offensively, with Molly McLaughlin scoring on a header off a corner kick in the 22nd minute and Samantha Dewey scoring less than 10 minutes later to set the halftime score at 3-0 in favor of Xavier.
Right out of the break, the Musketeers got on the board again, with Hayley Jakovich scoring two minutes into the second half on a header. Xavier tallied again less than five minutes later, on a second for Samantha Dewey for the 5-0 lead.
WATCH | All of today's goals in the 5-0 win over Seton Hall! pic.twitter.com/9y8ZNBD99q
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 6, 2019
WATCH | Samantha Dewey speaks with @PaulFritschner of the BEDN following her third multi-goal performance of the season. #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/S5GzpGerga
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 6, 2019
Hear head coach Nate Lie's thoughts following today's win over Seton Hall. #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/RdB5QdlIPT
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 7, 2019
??Highlights from yesterday's win!
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 7, 2019
(Spoiler: There's quite a few.)#LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/cPWrXozV5c
Xavier returned to the road, falling to 2-2 in BIG EAST play after falling 2-1, at Georgetown. A pair of first half penalty kicks gave the Hoyas a 2-0 lead at the break, an advantage that held until the 86th minute when Samantha Dewey scored her 12th of the season from Hayley Jakovich to cut the lead back to 2-1.
Xavier out-shot the Hoyas 10-4, a season-low on shots for GU, which marked the first time since playing No. 1 Virginia on Sept. 5 that Georgetown was out-shot by its opponent. It was only the third time to that point in the season that the Hoyas did not hold the advantage on shots, the other coming against then No. 10 Duke.
The loss to the Hoyas was Xavier's final setback of the regular season.
WATCH | Samantha Dewey's 12th goal of the year ends No. 10 Georgetown's five-match streak of holding opponents scoreless. #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/AnqyvGJOu8
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 10, 2019
The Musketeers bounced back against Providence to remain undefeated at home with a 2-0 win over the Friars, moving Xavier to 10-3-2 on the season and 3-2 in BIG EAST play. The win marked back-to-back 10-win seasons for the Musketeers.
Jenna Prathapa scored what would be the game-winner in the 38th minute, from Emily Burton after a corner kick from Carrie Lewis. Brooke Sroka added an insurance goal, again from Carrie Lewis, less than three minutes out of the halftime break to set the final score at 2-0 in favor of the Musketeers.
?? Highlights from yesterday's win over Providence are just what you need for your Monday!
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 14, 2019
Included: All of the goals and some of the good boys from Pups at the Pitch. ????#LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/S1mwUU67AD
Hear head coach Nate Lie's thoughts following Xavier's 2-0 win over Providence on Sunday! #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/POH7TuC19f
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 13, 2019
The Musketeers went back out on the road to pick up the program's first result against St. John's, a 3-0 win at Belson Stadium. The win moved Xavier to 11-3-2 on the season and 4-2 in BIG EAST play. Xavier's 11 wins at the time were the most for the program since Xavier's 12-win season in 2003.
Samantha Dewey scored the game-winner early, off a pass from Sydney Schembri in the first ten minutes of the match, taking the 1-0 lead into the halftime break.
Brooke Sroka added an insurance goal less than five minutes in to the second half, scoring again from Schembri after Carrie Lewis intercepted a SJU goal kick with a header, going ahead 2-0.
Maddie Thiss added third goal, off a saved shot from Jessica Miller, to set the final score at 3-0 in the closing minutes of the match.
WATCH | Samantha Dewey's 13th goal of season gives Xavier a 1-0 lead! #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/EV2qmcGPR2
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 20, 2019
WATCH | Rachel Dewey gets the ball at midfield and Sydney Schembri sets Brooke Sroka up for her fourth of the season, all coming BIG EAST play! #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/fn7xsK67Ei
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 20, 2019
WATCH | Maddie Thiss scores off a rebound after Jess Miller's shot is saved! #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/h3r0CAoEuM
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 20, 2019
WATCH | Samantha Dewey speaks with the BIG EAST Digital Network after scoring the game-winner in Xavier's 3-0 win over St. John's. #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/rZ8g9GV0bX
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 20, 2019
Xavier remained on the road to pick up a then program-best fifth BIG EAST Conference win at Marquette, 2-1, to move to 12-3-2 on the season and 5-2 in conference play. The win over the Golden Eagles moved Xavier to the top of the BIG EAST standings with 15 points, which was a program-best mark since joining the conference in 2013.
Xavier took a 2-0 lead in the first seven minutes, scoring first on a penalty kick from Grace Bahr, and then added another after Molly McLaughlin finished off a corner kick. Marquette would get a tally back in the 24th minute following a corner kick to send the match to set the final score.
With the win, Xavier clinched a third-straight berth to the six-team BIG EAST Championship.
WATCH | Grace Bahr puts the Musketeers up 1-0 early! #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/22U4UT0cS5
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 25, 2019
WATCH | Molly McLaughlin is unmarked on a corner and the Musketeers' lead is 2-0 in the first 10 minutes! #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/bJDak1Fhha
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 25, 2019
Following the Marquette match, Xavier returned home to close out the regular season home schedule against DePaul. Prior to the match, Xavier honored seniors Grace Bahr, Toni Bizzarro, Samathana Dewey, Raechel Eck, Makayla Kolberg, Courtney Lankford and Jessica Miller.
?? Take a look back at today's Senior Day ceremony! pic.twitter.com/nWsfMezbIG
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 28, 2019
Head coach Nate Lie reflects on the 2019 senior class' impact on the program, and some of the unsung players who are making an impact on the field! #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/cyjYfY606A
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 30, 2019
Xavier added to its program-best BIG EAST win total against the Blue Demons, winning 2-1 at XU Soccer Complex. Xavier moved to 13-3-2 overall and 6-2 in BIG EAST play, staying on top of the conference standings with one match remaining in the regular season.
After going into halftime in a scoreless draw, Xavier struck first out of the break with Molly McLaughlin scoring from Hayley Jakovich to put Xavier up 1-0 in the 48th minute. DePaul answered in the 68th minute to send the match to the closing minutes in a 1-1 draw.
In the final minute, Allie Anderson set up Jenna Prathapa for the game-winner, setting the final score at 2-1.
Xavier ended the regular season home schedule undefeated, going 6-0-1 at XU Soccer Complex. The Musketeers also picked up its 13th win overall, the most since winning 14 in 2000.
With 18 points in the BIG EAST standings, Xavier headed into the final match of the regular season in first place.
WATCH | Molly McLaughlin scores from Hayley Jakovich to put Xavier ahead, 1-0, early in the second half. #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/NXFaNI9sDK
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 27, 2019
WATCH | Jenna Prathapa scores the game-winner from Allie Anderson in the final minute against DePaul! #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/Uh1D6YNUO9
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 27, 2019
WATCH | Xavier head coach Nate Lie speaks with the BIG EAST Digital Network following the Musketeers' 2-1 win over DePaul. #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/Kh9sY4iqiK
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 27, 2019
?? Highlights from yesterday's win over DePaul. #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/Essq6BG3Dq
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 28, 2019
With a one-point lead over second-place Georgetown and Butler in the BIG EAST standings, Xavier headed to Butler looking for the program's first regular season conference championship, and the first conference title since winning the Atlantic 10 Tournament in 2000.
Head coach Nate Lie previews tonight's Butler match and talks about the team's energy as they're in the driver's seat for the BIG EAST title. #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/fCEsBsrQZ8
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 31, 2019
Playing in the snow at the Sellick Bowl in Indianapolis, the Musketeers struck quickly with Carrie Lewis putting the Musketeers ahead in the third minute on her first goal of the season.
Brooke Sroka added an insurance goal in the final seconds to set the score at 2-0, giving the Musketeers the BIG EAST Regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the BIG EAST Championship.
Against the Bulldogs, Xavier’s 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 goals against for her seventh win and sixth complete shutout.
WATCH | Carrie Lewis scores her first of the season to put the Musketeers ahead 1-0 early against Butler. #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/OsO6ZAliwM
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) October 31, 2019
WATCH | Brooke Sroka scores the insurance goal for the Musketeers' BIG EAST Championship win! pic.twitter.com/tpvpLsDQaE
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) November 1, 2019
Hear from head coach Nate Lie following Xavier's 2-0 win over Butler to clinch the BIG EAST regular season title. #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/J90oLb7D0r
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) November 1, 2019
?? Take a look back at the BIG EAST Regular Season Championship-clinching win at Butler! #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/xJdocXeobw
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) November 1, 2019
The Musketeers closed out the regular season at 14-3-2 overall and 7-2 in BIG EAST play. The 14th win was the most since winning 14 in 2000, matching the then school-record, set in three prior seasons (1991, 1997, 2000). The total matched the 1991 team for the most wins in the regular season.
Xavier scored 38 goals in the regular season, which was the second most goals in a single season in program history.
?????? pic.twitter.com/tKiNBSTIZP
— Xavier Musketeers (@XUAthletics) November 1, 2019
It's been a journey. #LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/LD5miHRaoj
— XU Women's Soccer (@XavierWSOC) November 1, 2019
