Match Notes

Indiana State
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Fort Wayne
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INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler Bulldogs will host the Indiana State Sycamores on Thursday night and end the weekend with a road match at Fort Wayne to face the Mastodons at the Hefner Soccer Complex. Thursday night's contest will feature free admission to all fans courtesy of PPG Paints. Those not able to attend are encouraged to watch the action develop on ButlerSports.com
 
Bulldog Bits
- The match vs. Indiana State (9/8) will stream free of charge on ButlerSports.com
- Serina Kashimoto leads the team with three goals scored and seven total points
- Each goal scored by Breann Pempek this year has been a game-winner
- Four of the five goals allowed by BU this season have come in the second half
- BU took 15 shots vs. LSU tying their season-high total (15 vs. Akron, 8/28)
- Paige Monaghan returned to action last weekend after missing the previous two games
- Butler was tabbed fourth in the 2016 BIG EAST Preseason Poll
- Serina Kashimoto and Halle Stelbasky were each named Preseason All-BIG EAST
- The Bulldogs have posted four-straight winning seasons
 
Luedtke Remains Strong in Goal
Goalkeeper Hannah Luedtke played well for the Bulldogs in the 2016 Hoosier Challenge Cup. The sophomore was just one save shy of her season-high mark on Friday afternoon, making three stops against the high-powered SMU offense. She ended the weekend with four saves against LSU, tying her season-high total that was originally recorded at Eastern Michigan (8/21).
 
Bulldogs Out-Shooting Opponents
The BU offense has been overpowering the opposition in both overall shots and shots on goal thus far this season. Butler has only failed to lead both categories once this year, when they took on SMU last Friday, who also has the top ranked offense in the nation. Overall, Butler leads opponents 74/56 in shots taken, and 39/24 in shots on goal. Butler looks to continue this trend as they enter the weekend with a higher shots per game average than both Indiana State and Fort Wayne.
 
Monaghan Returns to Action
Butler sophomore Paige Monaghan has made a strong return to the field after missing games against Indiana and Akron earlier in the season. The forward has seen action in the last two games and most recently tied her season-high shot total (5) against LSU.
 
First Half Big For The Bulldogs
The first half of each game this week could be key to determining the outcome of the contest. Both Indiana State and Fort Wayne have scored the majority of their goals during the first 45 minutes of action. This quick-start style of offense will be contradictory to BU's strong defensive front. Butler has only given up one first half goal this season.
 
Offense Heating Up for BU
The last three matches for the Bulldogs have been big for the offense. In games against Akron, SMU and LSU, Butler has scored over 70 percent of their goals on the season. BU will look to continue this trend against Indiana State and Fort Wayne, a pair of teams that typically give up more than one goal per contest.
 
MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List
Serina Kashimoto has been named to the 2016 Women's MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List (NSCAA), a prestigious individual award in college soccer presented annually to the outstanding male and female players of the year. As a junior, Kashimoto was named First Team All-BIG EAST, First Team All-Northeast Region, and Second Team All-America.
 
In-State Non-Conference Battles
The Bulldogs will play half of their non-conference games against in-state competition. The Hoosiers escaped with a 1-0 win over BU on Aug. 26. Upcoming contests will feature Butler facing Indiana State, Fort Wayne, IUPUI and Evansville in consecutive order (Sept. 8-18).
 
Twitter Updates
Follow the Butler Women's Soccer Team on Twitter @ButlerWSoccer.
 
Up Next
Non-conference action will end next weekend with Butler facing IUPUI and Evansville. The match against the Jags on Tuesday night (Sept. 13) at the Butler Bowl will be free for all fans. Sunday's contest at Evansville will get started at 1 PM