2017 Schedule

Coach Paul Snape released the 2017 schedule for the reigning BIG EAST champions on Monday, May 1. The fall campaign features 10 home matches and the always-challenging BIG EAST schedule. Butler looks to continue momentum after capturing the program's first BIG EAST title with a 2-1 win over Creighton at home in the 2016 BIG EAST championship match to earn an NCAA tournament bid.
 
The season kicks off with three exhibition games against Big Ten schools Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State. The Michigan game will be played at the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl, formerly known as the Butler Bowl before being renamed in April.
 
The team opens the regular season at home Aug. 25 against UIC before traveling to Louisville a few days later for their first regular season road contest. The Cardinals concluded the 2016 season ranked No. 6 and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for the fourth time in seven seasons.
 
Non-conference games continue in Bloomington, Ind., as Butler will face South Florida and San Francisco.
 
The Bulldogs face Western Michigan, Evansville and rival Indiana at home. The Oct. 10 match-up against Indiana comes after Butler lost 3-2 in overtime in Bloomington last season. The 2016 match-up featured the two programs ranked in the Top 10 at the time of the contest. 
 
Conference play begins Sept. 16 at Butler's Varsity Field in a rematch of the BIG EAST Championship match with Creighton. That is Butler's lone contest scheduled for Varsity Field this season.
 
BIG EAST play features nine games. In addition to the opening match with Creighton, Butler will also host St. John's, DePaul, Villanova and Xavier at home. The Xavier contest marks the team's last regular season game. The top six teams in the BIG EAST standings advance to the conference tournament.
 
The Bulldogs return a quality core including All-BIG EAST performers Jared Timmer, Lewis Suddick and Isaac Galliford. Keeper Eric Dick and midfielder Eric Leonard joined Timmer on the All-BIG EAST Tournament Team. Butler will look to find a way to replace standout forward David Goldsmith, who signed with the Indy Eleven in March after earning BIG EAST Co-Offensive Player of the Year accolades a season ago.