Box Score

Butler's 2016 season ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament as visiting SIUE advanced on penalty kicks Sunday afternoon at the Butler Bowl. The official result is a 0-0 tie, leaving Butler with a final record of 13-5-2. The Cougars are 10-4-7, and will face No. 2 seed Wake Forest in the Round of 16.
 
The Bulldogs entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 15 overall seed, while also being ranked No. 11 nationally in the NSCAA poll.
 
The Bulldogs controlled much of Sunday's match, out-shooting SIUE, 22-5. However, the Cougars would bend but not break and did not allow a goal through 110 minutes of play.


 
"It just wouldn't go in the back of the net today," said Butler coach Paul Snape. "We tried and tried and tried. And then we went to (penalty kicks) and it's a lottery out there at that point. Unfortunately, we didn't win it. We'll look back and say we had a great season after the pain subsides. We pushed the program forward."
 
SIUE arrived in Indianapolis off penalty kicks over Michigan State Thursday, and repeated the feat Sunday. Both teams were successful with their first two attempts before the third attempts for each team found the post. Two more successful attempts left the shootout, 4-4, heading into the sixth round. SIUE converted their attempt and then Cougar keeper Kyle Dal Santo made a save to end the match.
 
Butler had several good chances throughout the match. The best scoring opportunity of the first half came in the final minute as a David Goldsmith's shot to the left corner was pushes aside by Dal Santo.
 
The Bulldogs had four quality chances in the final 20 minutes of regulation, but three of the shots sailed just off net, and Del Santo was able to beat Isaac Galliford to a ball just outside the six after Goldsmith corralled a ball and made a touch to the center of the box.
 
The two 10-minute overtime periods were played with both teams having an eye on the shootout.
 
Eric Dick registered his seventh shutout of the season, making one save. Dal Santo turned away all five of Butler's shots on goal throughout the contest.
 
Goldsmith had seven shots, while Eric Leonard had five shots, all in the first half. The Bulldogs had a 6-5 advantage in corner kicks.
 
The 2016 season was one of the most successful in Butler history as the team captured its first BIG EAST championship and made its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance.