Box Score
As Butler prepares for the 2015 season, we take a position-by-position look at the Bulldogs, including comments from coach Paul Snape. We spent time with the coaches in their office prior to the regular season opener at Wisconsin. Up next...the defense.
The Bulldogs made it tough on opposing offenses a season ago; the 2015 Butler defense will try to continue that trend.
Butler allowed only 19 goals in 18 matches a season ago, registering seven shutouts on the season. Senior captain Mitch Ostrowski played a large role in that effort a season ago, starting 13 of the 15 matches he appeared in.
Redshirt sophomore Tanner Witsken returns to the pitch after sitting out the 2014 season. He started eight games as a freshman two seasons ago. Eli Appleby also redshirted the 2014 season and will log his first minutes at Butler this fall.
A group of talented freshmen will join those two on the back line. Joe Moulden and Michael Peay each possess good size at 6-3. Moulden is from Bolton, England. He gained valuable experience at a young age when he joined the Manchester United youth team at the age of 12. Moulden competed in AEGON Future Cup with the club as an Under 16. Moulden impressed and continued to play up touring with the Under 18s squad in Slovakia as a 16-year-old. Following his time with Manchester United, Moulden also spent time as an YTS scholar at Blackpool.
At Brophy College Preparatory School, Peay led his team in assists as the team won the 2014 Arizona Division I state title after a runner-up finish in 2012. In his final season, he was named All-Section and All-State Honorable Mention. Peay played club soccer for powerhouse, Sereno Soccer Club. Peay was a five-time state cup winner and two-time Region IV semifinalist with the club. In 2015, he was a member of the Boys IMG Academy Top 150 Player Pool.
Kieran Geldenhuys and
Jack Niestrom, Jr. provide added depth and talent in the back row. Geldenhuys brings experience from competition in both Dubai and England, while Niestrom was a member of the U18 Chicago Fire team in the US Soccer Development Academy under Coach Larry Sunderland. Niestrom had an extremely productive 2013 campaign, winning the Illinois State Cup while being named to the All-Conference, All-Sectional and All-Area team.
That talented group of defenders will help redshirt sophomore goalkeeper
Eric Dick. The 6-5 product from Carmel, Ind., returns after starting 12 matches in 2014. He posted five shutouts and a 0.81 goals against average.
While many of the faces are new for 2015, coach
Paul Snape hopes many of the results remain the same when it comes to the Bulldogs' defense.
