Women's Soccer Announces Schedule For Spring 2021

CINCINNATI – Xavier women's soccer announced the schedule for spring 2021, featuring non-conference matches against seven opponents total, including exhibitions, before starting an eight-game BIG EAST schedule.

BIG EAST Conference play this season will use divisions, with Xavier's West division featuring Butler, DePaul, Creighton and Marquette. The Musketeers will face each of those four teams twice, home and away, to determine seeding for the BIG EAST Championship which is scheduled to be hosted by Providence on April 15-18.

The Musketeers are coming off a record-breaking season in 2019, winning the program's first BIG EAST regular season and tournament championships to earn the first bid to the NCAA Championships for the team since 2000. Xavier collected its first-ever NCAA tournament win, over Virginia Tech, on the way to a school-record 17 wins.

Schedules and championship information is subject to change based on local COVID-19 developments.

^ - Denotes an exhibition match
* - Denotes a BIG EAST match

CINCINNATI ^
Wednesday, Feb 3 - 5:00 PM
Cincinnati, Ohio

The Bearcats were last in action in 2019, finishing 7-9-3 overall and 5-3-1 in American Athletic Conference action.
Xavier last played UC in 2019, a 0-0 double overtime draw held at Nippert Stadium.
Xavier is 6-23-2 overall against Cincinnati, with the last two contests between the two schools ending in ties.

GRAND VALLEY STATE ^
Saturday, Feb 6 - 5:00 PM
Grand Park – Westfield, Ind.

GVSU last played in 2019, going 25-1 overall and 9-0 in GLIAC play in 2019. The Lakers won their last 22 matches, shutting out the last 13 regular season opponents, on the way to winning the NCAA Division II National Championship.
The Lakers had three players with over 20 goals last season, and return a pair. Ava Cook led the way with 70 points on 29 goals and 12 assists and Chantel Carranza returns after a 54-point season on 23 goals and eight assists. Riko Sagara, who led the team with 23 assists and had 20 goals fore 63 points total, graduated last year.
The Lakers also have Xavier transfer Caitie Baron, who finished 2019 with 25 points on 5 goals and 15 assists.
Xavier has never faced Grand Valley.

SAINT LOUIS
Friday, Feb 12 - 1:00 PM
Grand Park – Westfield, Ind.

Saint Louis last played in 2019, going 17-4-2 overall and 9-0-1 in Atlantic 10 play. The Bilikens won a second-straight conference tournament to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. SLU's season came to a close in the first round against Notre Dame.
Xavier is 3-2-0 against Saint Louis since 2006, with the last match-up coming in 2011, a 1-0 win for the Musketeers in Cincinnati.

WESTERN KENTUCKY
Wednesday, Feb 17 - 5:00 PM
Bowling Green, Ky.

WKU last played in 2019, going 10-7-1 overall and 6-4 in C-USA play. The Hilltoppers fell to Charlotte in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament to end the season.
Xavier is 0-1 all-time against WKU in official matches, falling 3-0 to the Hilltoppers in 2012. Xavier is also 1-1 in exhibition matches on record against WKU, with the last held in 2016.

OHIO ^
Sunday, Feb 21 - 3:00 PM
Cincinnati, Ohio

Ohio will play a full MAC schedule in spring 2021.
In fall 2019, the Bobcats went 11-9-1, and advanced to the MAC Tournament Semifinals after beating Western Michigan in the quarterfinals. OU's season ended with a 5-2 loss to Eastern Michigan.
Xavier is 7-2 all time against the Bobcats. The last time the two teams faced off was in 2017, a 2-1 double overtime win for the Musketeers in Cincinnati.

BELLARMINE
Tuesday, Feb 23 - 6:00 PM
Louisville, Ky.

This is Bellarmine's first season competing in NCAA Division I, moving into the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Bellarmine went 12-5-3 in 2019, finishing 8-4-3 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference in the final year in NCAA DII.
The 2021 match-up will be the first between the two schools in women's soccer

TENNESSEE
Sunday, Feb 28 - 3:00 PM
Knoxville, Tenn.

The Vols played an eight-game SEC schedule in fall 2020, going 4-3-1 in the regular season, picking up wins over top-10 ranked teams Vanderbilt and South Carolina.
UT fell in the first round of the 2020 SEC Tournament to Vanderbilt.
In 2019, Tennessee went 9-6-3 overall and 3-5-2 in SEC play.
Xavier is 3-2-0 against the Volunteers all-time, with the last match-up occurring in 2018, a 3-0 win for UT.

CREIGHTON *
Sunday, March 7 - 2:00 PM
Omaha, Neb.

Thursday, March 25 - 1:00 PM
Cincinnati, Ohio

Creighton finished 2019 at 8-7-3 overall and 2-4-3 in BIG EAST play.
The Bluejays return 2019 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and All-BIG EAST Second Team/All-Freshman Team honoree forward Skylar Heinrich, as well as All-Freshman defender Jordy Rothwell.
All-BIG EAST First Team selection Taryn Jakubowski graduated.
Xavier last faced Creighton in October 2019, a 3-1 win for the Musketeers in Cincinnati, with tallies coming from Sydney Schembri, Rachel Butler and Brooke Sroka.
The Musketeers are 6-4 all-time against Creighton.

DEPAUL *
Thursday, March 11 - TBD
Cincinnati, Ohio

Sunday, March 28 - 1:00 PM
Chicago, Ill.

DePaul finished 2019 at 8-8-3 overall and 5-3-1 in BIG EAST play, earning the No. 5 seed in the 2019 BIG EAST Tournament. DU fell to Villanova in the first round.
The Blue Demons return All-BIG EAST selections Morgan Turner, Kristin Boos and Avery Hay.
Xavier won, 2-1, against DePaul in Cincinnati in the programs' last match-up in October 2019. Xavier took the lead on a goal from Molly McLaughlin early in the second half before DePaul equalized. Jenna Prathapa scored the game-winner in the closing seconds to give Xavier the win.
Xavier is 2-4-2 against DePaul all-time, and currently in a four-match unbeaten streak against the Blue Demons, dating back to 2017.

BUTLER *
Sunday, March 14 - 1:00 PM
Indianapolis, Ind.

Sunday, April 4 - 1:00 PM
Cincinnati, Ohio

Butler finished 2019 at 10-5-4 overall and 5-2-2 in BIG EAST play, earning the No. 3 seed in the 2019 BIG EAST Tournament. The Bulldogs fell to Providence on PKs in the first round.
The Bulldogs return 2019 All-BIG EAST First Team selection, midfielder Katie Soderstrom, Second Team Selection in forward Anja Savich and All-Freshman Team Selection midfielder Aliya Diange. All-BIG EAST First Team selection Annika Schmidt graduated.
Xavier last faced the Bulldogs in Indianapolis to close out the 2019 regular season, a 2-0 win for the Musketeers. Carrie Lewis scored the game-winner in the third minute and Brooke Sroka scored an insurance goal in the final seconds to secure the 2019 BIG EAST Regular Season Championship.
Xavier is 8-11-4 all-time against Butler.

MARQUETTE *
Thursday, March 18 - 1:00 PM
Milwaukee, Wisc.

Thursday, April 8 - 1:00 PM
Cincinnati, Ohio

Marquette finished 2019 at 6-11-1 overall and 3-5-1 in BIG EAST play.
The Golden Eagles return All-BIG EAST selections in forward Alyssa Bombacino and midfielder/defender Josie Kelderman.
Xavier last faced Marquette in Milwaukee during the 2019 season, picking up the 2-1 win at Valley Fields on the way to a conference regular season title. Grace Bahr scored the first goal for the Musketeers in the opening minutes, and Molly McLaughlin added what would be the game-winner less than two minutes later.
The Musketeers are 3-8 all-time against the Golden Eagles.

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