Women's Soccer Opens Season Against Saint Louis in Indianapolis

Friday, February 12

Grand Park – Westfield, Ind.

1 PM

Xavier University

Saint Louis

Women's Soccer Opens Season Against Saint Louis in Indianapolis

02.11.21 | Women's Soccer

Live Stats

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier women's soccer opens the spring 2021 regular season on Friday, February 12, traveling to Grand Park outside of Indianapolis to host Saint Louis. The match is set to begin at 1:00 p.m.

The match is the first official contest of Xavier's season in which the Musketeers will play seven non-conference matches, including last week's exhibitions against Cincinnati and Grand Valley State, before starting an eight-game BIG EAST schedule. BIG EAST Conference play this season will use divisions, with Xavier's Midwest division featuring Butler, DePaul, Creighton and Marquette.

GAME DETAILS

vs. Saint Louis (A10)
Friday, Feb. 12 | 1:00 p.m.
Grand Park | Westfield, Ind.

OPPONENT INFO

SLU enters the game at 1-0 after opening the season with a 4-1 win over Kansas City. Four different Bilikens scored in the season opener.
Saint Louis was picked to win the 2020-21 Atlantic 10 Conference women's soccer title by a vote of A-10 head coaches, recieving 12 of 14 first-place votes.
SLU returns four starters and 14 additional players from its 2019 team. Among the returning starters are three A-10 postseason honorees, midfielder Hannah Friedrich was a first-team selection, defender Brionna Halverson made the second team and midfielder Anna Lawler was named to the 2019 All-Rookie team.
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.

THE MUSKETEERS

Xavier claimed its first BIG EAST title in 2019, winning both the regular season and conference championship to advance to its first NCAA Tournament since 2000. The Musketeers led the BIG EAST in shots (151), points (62), assists (22) and goals (20), while allowing less than a goal (0.67) per contest over nine league games.
In addition to winning the conference titles, Xavier collected its first-ever NCAA tournament win, over Virginia Tech, on the way to a school-record 17 wins in 2019.
Xavier returns 10 players who made regular starts in 2019, including preseason all-conference picks Molly McLaughlin and Brooke Sroka. In total, Xavier returns 21 letterwinners from the 2019 squad.
The Musketeer returnees account for 25 of Xavier's 43 total goals last season, and 65 percent (13 of 20) of goals scored during BIG EAST play. Xavier also added a pair of transfers to join deep freshman class.
Among the departures were First Team All-BIG EAST Selections Samantha Dewey and Grace Bahr.

TWO NAMED PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST

A pair of Musketeers, junior midfielder Molly McLaughlin and junior forward Brooke Sroka, were named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST as voted on by the coaches.
McLaughlin appeared in 19 matches in the midfield for the Musketeers in 2019, starting in 18, finishing with nine points on the season on four goals and an assist.
Among McLaughlin's goals were two game-winners, including the go-ahead tally in the second minute of the NCAA Tournament First Round game at Virginia Tech to help Xavier to the program's first NCAA Tournament win in program history.
Following the 2019 season, McLaughlin earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team and BIG EAST All-Tournament Team.
Sroka appeared in all 23 matches for the Musketeers in 2019, starting in 17, finishing the season with 14 points, on six goals and two assists.
Sroka led the Musketeers with 11 points on five goals and an assist during conference play, earning All-BIG EAST Second Team honors. Sroka also tallied the game-winner in the BIG EAST Championship match, scoring off a long Grace Bahr pass in the 11th minute, helping her earn Most Outstanding Offensive Player for the Championship.

MUSKETEERS PICKED TO WIN MIDWEST

Xavier women's soccer was the unanimous favorites to win its division this spring as the BIG EAST announced the results of the 2020-21 Preseason Women's Soccer Coaches' Pol.
Xavier collected 16 poitns in the Midwest Division Poll, including all four available first-place nods. DePaul followed in second with 12 points and the remaining first-place vote, edging Butler which tallied 11 points. Marquette followed in fourth with six points, while Creighton rounded out the Midwest with five points.
Georgetown topped the East Division Poll with 25 points, including all five available first-place nods. The Hoyas were followed by Villanova with 19 points, and Providence with 18 points and the remaining available first-place vote. Returning to BIG EAST play for the first time since 2012, Connecticut was slotted fourth in the East with 12 points, followed by St. John's in fifth with 11 points and Seton Hall in sixth with five.

BIG EAST COACHES POLL

BIG EAST Women's Soccer East Division Preseason Poll
1. Georgetown 25 (5 first-place votes)
2. Villanova      19
3. Providence   18 (1)
4. UConn          12
5. St. Johns       11
6. Seton Hall     5

BIG EAST Women's Soccer Midwest Division Preseason Poll
1. Xavier           16 (4 first-place votes)
2. DePaul         12 (1)
3. Butler           11
4. Marquette    6
5. Creighton     5

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Zsani Kajan, St. John's, R-Sr., F

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Jenna Royson, Georgetown, Jr., D

Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Stephanie Rodriguez, Butler, R-Jr., GK

Preseason All-BIG EAST Team^
Stephanie Rodriguez, Butler, R-Jr., GK
Anja Savich, Butler, Jr., F
Katie Soderstrom, Butler, Jr., F
Skylar Heinrich, Creighton, So., F*
Kristen Boos, DePaul, So., F
Morgan Turner, DePaul, Sr., F
Jenna Royson, Georgetown, Jr., D
Hannah McNulty, Providence, Sr., F*
Zsani Kajan, St. John's, R-Sr., F*
Brice McInroy, Villanova, Jr., M
Molly McLaughlin, Xavier, Jr., M
Brooke Sroka, Xavier, Jr., F

^extra player added due to a tie in voting
*unanimous selection