Bulldogs Continue To Climb In National Polls

SUCCESS STREAK:  Butler, boasting the highest ranking in school history, will seek to extend the nation’s longest winning streak when it hosts crosstown foe IUPUI on Wednesday, Oct. 20.  The non-league match at the Butler Bowl is scheduled for a 4 p.m. (ET) start.  The Bulldogs improved to 12-0-0 (5-0-0 Horizon League) and remained the nation’s only unbeaten, untied team with back-to-back wins last week.  Head coach Kelly Findley’s squad posted a 5-0 win at home over non-league foe Bowling Green in a mid-week match and then closed the week with a 2-1 Horizon League victory at Wright State.  The two wins helped boost the Bulldogs to No. 7 in this week’s National Soccer Coaches of America Association (NSCAA) poll.  Butler cracked the “Top 10” in the coaches’ poll for the first time in school history with a No. 9 ranking last week.  The Bulldogs, who have won 11 consecutive regular season home matches, will close out a brief two-match homestand on Sunday, Oct. 24, with a 3 p.m. (ET) contest against Horizon League foe Loyola.         

Butler is 21-1-1 in its last 23 regular season matches.
    
WINNING WAYS:  The Bulldogs took two different routes to reach the same destination in last week’s competition.  Butler jumped to a 3-0 halftime lead and went on to post a 5-0 victory at home over Bowling Green in the week’s first action.  The five goals matched a season-high for the Bulldogs and equaled Butler’s output in its previous three contests.  Five different players contributed to Butler’s offensive showing, and redshirt-freshman goalkeeper Jon Dawson recorded the shutout in his first collegiate start.  Three days later, the Bulldogs went right to the closing minutes before pulling out a 2-1 victory at Wright State.  Senior Jacob Capito found the back of the net with just 5:29 left on the clock to break a 1-1 tie and lift the Bulldogs to their school-record 12th consecutive win.  All three goals in the Horizon League match were scored in the final 13 minutes.

POLL WATCH:  Butler has moved up again in the national soccer polls, and the Bulldogs now stand at #9 or higher in each of the college soccer rankings.  The Bulldogs are ranked #5 in the Top Drawer Soccer Tournament 48 poll and #9 by both Soccer Times and College Soccer News.  Goal.com lists Butler at #4.  The Bulldogs are tied with Louisville for #2 in the Great Lakes Region, behind the nation’s top-ranked team, Akron.    

SCORE SHEET:  Senior Ben Sippola, who picked up a goal and an assist in Butler’s two wins last week, currently ranks second in the Horizon League in both points (20) and assists (6).  He’s tied for second in the league in total goals (7).  Sippola, who has two game-winning goals this season, ranks 18th in the NCAA Division I in total assists, 21st in total points and 27th in total goals.  

Butler is tied for third in the NCAA Division I in team scoring offense (2.5).  

BULLDOG BITS:  Butler continues to lead the Horizon League in goals scored with 30.  The Bulldogs are ranked sixth in the NCAA Division I in total goals...Senior goalkeeper Fabian Knopfler leads the Horizon league and ranks 13th in Division I in goals against average (0.53).  Knopfler continues to lead the Horizon League in shutouts (5)...Butler ranks seventh in Division I in goals against average (0.49)...Freshman Adam Glanzer scored his first collegiate goal in Butler’s home victory over Bowling Green.  He scored his second, three days later, to help the Bulldogs defeat Wright State...Sophomore Tyler Pollock tallied his first goal of the season in Butler’s win over Bowling Green.  He also picked up his first assist of the season in the win.