Bulldogs Begin Horizon League Play At Home
LEAGUE FOES: Butler will begin Horizon
League play at home with a pair of matches against the
league’s two Wisconsin members. The Bulldogs will host
Milwaukee in a 5 p.m. (ET) contest at the Butler Bowl on Friday,
Sept. 25, and then meet league-leading Green Bay at 3:30 p.m., on
Sunday, Sept. 27. Butler (4-1) is opening Horizon League play
against Milwaukee and Green Bay for the second consecutive
year. Last season, the Bulldogs battled to a 0-0 tie in
double-overtime at Green Bay, before posting a hard-fought 4-3
victory at Milwaukee. The four goals against the Panthers
matched Butler’s highest single match scoring total for the
season. Milwaukee enters this weekend’s play with a 1-6
record, while Green Bay boasts a league-best 5-0-2
mark.
Butler was the lone Horizon League team to finish the 2008
season with an unbeaten league record (5-0-3).
NARROW DECISION: The Bulldogs suffered their
first setback of the season, dropping a 2-1 decision at Ohio State
on Sept. 18. The host Buckeyes built a 2-0 lead on a pair of
goals by Chris Hegngi, before Butler mounted a late charge.
Sophomore Kyle Pateros cut the margin in half with
his first goal of the season at 80:08, and he later had two more
scoring attempts in the closing minutes. The first was
stopped by Ohio State goalkeeper Ryan Dalton, while the second
missed wide to the right. Both teams had 10 shots in the
match, while Butler had a 5-3 edge in shots on goal. The two
goals were the most allowed by the Bulldogs since Oct. 7, 2008,
when #23 Indiana handed Butler a 2-0
setback.
Butler had not allowed more than a single goal in 13
consecutive matches prior to the loss at Ohio
State.
A YEAR AGO: Butler was held scoreless for
110 minutes at Green Bay a year ago, but it wasn’t for lack
of effort. The Bulldogs attempted 17 shots in the match,
including eight shots on goal. Green Bay goalkeeper Adam
Stikl had five saves in regulation play and then added three more
in the two overtime periods. Boris Gatzky
led Butler’s attack with four shots, including three shots on
goal, and eight different Bulldogs had at least one shot in the
match. Two days later, the Bulldogs unleashed 21 shots,
including 11 shots on goal, and scored a season-high four goals at
Milwaukee. Forward Kyle Pateros scored
back-to-back goals to give Butler and early 2-0 lead.
Frank Patano and Matt Hedges
added first half goals, and Butler took a 4-2 lead at
halftime. Milwaukee cut the margin to one with a goal in the
final five minutes of the contest, but the Bulldogs held on for the
win. Patano had seven shots in the victory, while Gatzky
added five.
NATIONAL LOOK: Despite the setback at Ohio
State, the Bulldogs continue to receive votes in both the Soccer
America and the College Soccer News polls. Butler is listed
at No. 42 in the Top Drawer Soccer Tournament 48. The
Bulldogs are ranked tenth in the Great Lakes Region.
BULLDOG BITS: Senior Fabian
Knopfler surrendered his first two goals of the season in
Butler’s match at Ohio State. Knopfler had posted
shutouts in his first two starts this season, as well as his last
start a year ago. He’s had five shutouts in his last
seven starts...Senior Boris Gatzky continues to
lead the Horizon League in shots per game. Gatzky has
attempted 22 shots in Butler’s first five matches
(4.40/match)...Boris Gatzky is tied for second in
the league in goals (3) and goals per game (0.60). He’s
tied for third in the circuit in points (7)...Senior goalkeeper
Nick Hegeman leads the Horizon League in goals
against average (0.50), and he’s tied for second in the
league in save percentage (.857). has allowed a single
goal in two starts for the Bulldogs this fall.
