Women's Soccer to Host Creighton on Thursday

Thursday, March 25

Cincinnati, Ohio

9 AM

Xavier University

Creighton

03.23.21 | Women's Soccer

Watch ($)Live Stats

Musketeers and Bluejays face off at 1:00 p.m. ET

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier women's soccer (2-4, 1-2 BIG EAST) will host its first game of the season at XU Soccer Complex on Thursday, facing off with Creighton on Thursday, March 25 at 1:00 p.m.

A live stream of the match will be available through GoXavier.com at a cost of $10.

GAME DETAILS

vs. Creighton (BIG EAST)
Thursday, March 25 - 1:00 PM ET
Cincinnati, Ohio - XU Soccer Complex

OPPONENT INFO

Creighton is 1-4 on the season and 1-3 in BIG EAST play.
The Bluejays are 0-1 after falling 1-0 at Missouri in the season opener, their lone non-conference match-up, then opened up BIG EAST play with three straight losses, to Xavier, at DePaul in overtime and to Butler, before beating Marquette, 3-0 on March 21 in Omaha.
2019 All-Conference honoree Skylar Heinrich leads CU with four points on two goals. Ansley Atkinson and Aida Kardovic each have a goal as well.
Keelan Terrell has played the bulk of the time in-frame, including the entire BIG EAST slate so far, collecting 13 saves with eight goals against.
Xavier is 7-4 against Creighton all time, including the Musketeers' win over the Bluejays earlier this season.
In the first match-up on March 7, Xavier took a 1-0 win on a Molly McLaughlin penalty kick.

LAST TIME OUT

Xavier moved to 1-2 in BIG EAST play after falling 3-1 at Marquette last Thursday.
The Golden Eagles took a 2-0 lead into halftime, and added a third goal shortly after the break. The Musketeers cut it back to a two-goal deficit on a score from Grace Blumfeldt midway through the second half, but couldn't pull any closer in the final 20 minutes of play.
The Musketeers move to 2-4 overall, and are back in action on Thursday, March 25, hosting Creighton at the XU Soccer Complex, set for a 1:00 p.m. first touch.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

The Musketeers head back out on the road to face DePaul for the final road game of the season, facing the Blue Demons on Sunday, March 28 at 1:00 p.m. on the BIG EAST Digital Network.

XAVIER STATS

Grace Blumfeldt became the fourth Musketeer to score with her second-half goal against Marquette. Blumfeldt also has a point, on an assist on Mackenzie Tucker's goal against Bellarmine, to lead Xavier with three points for the season.
Molly McLaughlin, Gabrielle LoPresti and Mackenzie Tucker each with two points on a goal. McLaughlin's and Tuckers were both game-winners.
McLaughlin is leading Xavier with 20 shots total, with 10 on-goal.
Maddie Thiss picked up an assist on Grace Blumfeldt's goal against Marquette.
Olivia Jenkins has played the bulk of the time in-frame, starting all six games so far, making 10 saves with 12 goals against for a GAA of 2.12.
Ashley Bowles entered for the final 30 minutes against Marquette, not facing a shot.
Hayley Jakovich has played a team-high 540 minutes for Xavier's defense. She has also attempted five shots, with three 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 letter-winners 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. She 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