Women's Soccer Continues BIG EAST Action at Butler

Sunday, March 14

Indianapolis, Ind.

1 PM

Xavier University

Butler

Women's Soccer Continues BIG EAST Action at Butler

03.13.21 | Women's Soccer

Live Stats Live Stream

Musketeers are 1-0 in BIG EAST action after picking up win at Creighton

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier women's soccer (2-2, 1-0 BIG EAST) continues conference action on Sunday, traveling to Indianapolis to face the Butler Bulldogs (5-0, 2-0 BIG EAST) at the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl.

A live stream of the match will be available through ButlerSports.com.

GAME DETAILS

at Butler (BIG EAST)
Sunday, March 14 - 1:00 PM
Indianapolis, Ind. - Sellick Bowl

OPPONENT INFO

The Bulldogs enter the game at 5-0 after opening the season with three non-conference wins, over UIndy, Marina and Dayton.
Butler also picked up wins over DePaul (3-1) and Marquette (1-0) in the Bulldogs' first BIG EAST outings.
Anja Savich has a team-high six goals, plus an assist to lead the team with 13 points. Five other Bulldogs have multiple goals on the season.
Stephanie Rodriquez has played all five matches in-goal this season, making nine saves with four goals against.
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.

LAST TIME OUT

Xavier women's soccer opened up BIG EAST Conference play with a 1-0 win at Creighton on Sunday afternoon.
Creighton opened the game creating pressure on offense, outshooting the Musketeers 7-3 and taking three corner kicks before the break, but a pair of Olivia Jenkins saves kept the Bluejays scoreless. Xavier took the lead about midway through the first half after a Creighton foul in the box set Molly McLaughlin up for the penalty kick, which shot low and to the right for the lead.
After the break, Xavier's offense increased its intensity, holding a 5-2 edge on shots, and earning five corners looking for an insurance goal. The Musketeers were unable to find the back of the net, but the Xavier defense picked up the second shut-out of the season, not allowing a look on-frame in the second half for the 1-0 win.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

The Musketeers remain on the road for their next match-up, traveling to Milwaukee, Wisc., to face Marquette on Thursday, March 18 at 1:00 p.m.

WEEKLY AWARDS

After helping the Musketeer defense pick up a second shutout on the season, junior defender Hayley Jakovich was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.
Jakovich played the full 90 minutes on the backline in Xavier's BIG EAST win over Creighton on Sunday, helping limit the Bluejays to just two looks on-frame for the match. The Musketeers picked up the 1-0 win, Xavier's second shutout win of 2021. Jakovich has played the full time in each of Xavier's four matches this season.
Jakovich has earned weekly awards twice before in her Xavier career, earning BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week in 2018 and 2019.

XAVIER STATS

Molly McLaughlin joined Gabrielle LoPresti and Mackenzie Tucker in the scoring column over the weekend, eachi with two points on a goal.
Grace Blumfeldt also has a point, on an assist.
McLaughlin is leading Xavier with 10 shots total, with six on-frame.
Olivia Jenkins has played the full time of all four matches in-frame, making seven saves with five goals against for a GAA of 1.25.
Hayley Jakovich has played a team-high 360 minutes for Xavier's defense. She has also attempted two shots, both on-goal.

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