Women's Soccer Travels to Bellarmine for Midweek Match

Tuesday, February 23

Louisville, Ky.

6 PM

Xavier University

Bellarmine

Women's Soccer Travels to Bellarmine for Midweek Match

02.22.21 | Women's Soccer

Live Stream Live Stats

Musketeers take on Knights at 6:00 PM in Louisville

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier women's soccer returns to action on Tuesday afternoon, traveling to Louisville, Ky., to face the the Bellarmine Knights. First touch is set for 6:00 p.m. The match will be live streamed.

The Musketeers are 0-1 after falling to Saint Louis in the season opener. Following the match at Bellarmine, the Musketeers will return home to host Ohio for an exhibition on Thursday, Feb. 25 and then head back on the road to face Tennessee on Sunday, February 28.

GAME DETAILS

at Bellarmine (ASUN)
Tuesday, Feb. 23 | 6:00 p.m.
Louisville, Ky.

OPPONENT INFO

The Knights are 0-1 after falling to Dayton, 2-0, in their season opener.
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

LAST TIME OUT

Xavier women's soccer opened the season on Friday, Feb. 19, falling 2-0 to Saint Louis at Grand Park just outside of Indianapolis.
Both teams finished the day with seven shots total and four on-frame, but Bilikens found the back of the net twice before the break to take a 2-0 lead into halftime. Xavier battled to create opportunities in the second half, taking three corners to one for SLU, but were unable to break through for the score.
Both team's recorded seven total shots, three before the break and four after.
Xavier created four corner kicks to three for Saint Louis, including three after the break.
Brooke Sroka led the Musketeers with two shots, including one on-frame.
Molly McLaughlin and Jackie Richards each recorded a shot on-goal.
Newcomers Olivia Lawson, Elise Le and Grace Blumfeldt each recorded a shot in their official debut as Musketeers.
Transfers Emma Marcus and Sarah Owusu, as well as freshman Maddie Reed, each made the start in their debut as Musketeers. The Musketeers played 22 in total, including seven freshmen.
Olivia Jenkins played the full time in-frame, collecting a pair of saves. Hayley Jakovich also played the full 90 on Xavier's back line.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Xavier has rescheduled the exhibition against Ohio, originally scheduled for Sunday, February 21, for Thursday, February 25 at 3:00 p.m. The game was postponed due to field conditions.
Xavier will travel to Knoxville, Tenn. on Sunday, February 28 to face the Tennessee Vols at 3:00 pm.
The Musketeers also added a new match, hosting Findlay on Wednesday, March 3 at 3:30 p.m. at XU Soccer Complex.

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