On the heels of an impressive 2016 season, coach Paul Snape has placed a challenging spring slate in front of the Bulldogs.
 
Butler will face three Big Ten Conference opponents in addition to a match against Indy Eleven of the NASL.
 
The spring schedule kicks off Friday, Feb. 24 as the Indy Eleven visit the Butler Bowl for a 5 p.m. kick.
 
The Bulldogs meet the first of three Big Ten foes with a March 4 contest with Northwestern at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. The match is slated to begin at Noon. 
 
The team will travel to Pontiac, Mich., on March 25 to face Michigan State and Oakland. The pair of matches at Ultimate Arenas are slated for 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively. 
 
The Bulldogs then make the short trip to crosstown foe IUPUI on March 31 for a 7 p.m. start.
 
The series of games concludes at the Butler Bowl against Wisconsin on April 15 (Noon start).
 
The Bulldogs were 13-5-2 overall and 6-3-0 in BIG EAST play last fall. The season concluded with the program's first BIG EAST Championship as Butler captured the BIG EAST Tournament title.
 
The team entered the NCAA Tournament ranked No. 11 nationally and as the No. 15 overall seed before falling in the second round to SIUE.
 
The Bulldogs return a talented roster, including nine players who started a majority of the 2016 contests. That group includes keeper Eric Dick, back line players Joe Moulden, Alex Lehtinen and Kieran Geldenhuys, and midfielders Jared Timmer, Marco Charalambous, Eric Leonard, Lewis Suddick, and Isaac Galliford.