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Match Notes
 
INDIANAPOLIS – The 2017 women's soccer regular season will come to a close Thursday night when #20 Butler hosts Villanova on BEDN. The Bulldogs will look to stay undefeated at home when they host the Wildcats at 7PM. Admission to the contest is free of charge courtesy of ButlerBulldogGear.com!
 
Bulldog Bits
- BU hasn't lost since Aug. 20... Their 15-match unbeaten streak is a school record
- BU has only allowed three goals this season; two in the 1st half, one in the 2nd
- Only six teams in BU women's soccer history have recorded more than 11 wins
- BU has never finished higher than fourth in the BIG EAST standings
- Butler is ranked in two polls (#20 United Soccer Coaches & #25 Soccer America)
- Butler leads the NCAA in save percentage, shutout pct. and goals-against avg.
- Butler uses two goalkeepers... Luedtke typically gets the start, Doege plays 2nd half
- Doege ranks 1st in the NCAA in save pct (.974) and in goals-against avg. (0.10)
- Leonie Doege was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week (10/23)
- Paige Monaghan made the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (10/23)
 
BIG EAST Standings
1) Georgetown 5-1-2, 11-3-3
2) Butler 4-0-4, 11-1-5
3) Providence 5-2-1, 10-6-1
4) Xavier 4-2-2, 8-6-4
5) Marquette 4-4-0, 11-6-1
6) St. John's 4-4-0, 8-8-1
7) DePaul 2-2-4, 6-7-4
8) Villanova 2-6-0, 6-11-0
9) Creighton 1-5-2, 3-11-3
10) Seton Hall 0-5-3, 0-11-5
 
Tournament Talk
The regular season BIG EAST Champion will be crowned on Thursday night! Georgetown, Providence, Butler and Xavier can all still win the regular-season title. The Hoyas will host the Musketeers at 2PM on Thursday so both Providence and Butler will know the result of that match before taking the field. The rest of the tournament field will include Marquette and either St. John's or DePaul. If the Blue Demons win, they're in, if the Red Storm win or if there is a tie then St. John's is in the tournament field. Villanova, Creighton and Seton Hall have all been eliminated from the postseason.
 
Bulldogs Break into National Poll
Butler moved into the United Soccer Coaches Top-25 Poll last week for the first time since 1996. Their initial ranking came in at #22, this week however the team moved up to #20.
 
Home Field Advantage
Butler is 7-0-2 at the Sellick Bowl this year. Each tie came against a BIG EAST opponent (Xavier 0-0 and Georgetown 0-0). The Bulldogs have not allowed a goal at home this season. They average 15 shot attempts per game at home compared to just 10 on the road. The defense does their part as well. Opponents average eight shots per game at Butler. On the road, BU allows 14 shots per game.
 
Doege Tabbed BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Doege continued to be the BIG EAST's stingiest goalkeeper last week, dropping her goals against average to 0.11 on the year following 110 minutes of scoreless soccer. The freshman made a pair of saves in 45 minutes of action at Creighton on Thursday before stopping five shots against RV Georgetown in 65 minutes in the cage on Sunday. No. 22 Butler stretched its unbeaten streak to 15 games while remaining in second place in the BIG EAST standings.
 
Monaghan Makes The BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Monaghan netted a pair of goals in Thursday's 3-0 win at Creighton, while tallying eight shots in a 1-0-1 week for the nationally ranked Bulldogs.
 
Scouting Villanova
Villanova has lost four-straight matches, moving their overall record to 6-11. Their 2-6 record against conference opponents has eliminated their chances of making the upcoming BIG EAST Tournament. The Wildcats did notch wins against Marquette and Seton Hall, each of which came on the road. Emily Kuefler is the top offensive threat on the team. The senior is listed as a defender, but enters Thursday night with a team-high eight goals. Kristin Barbour is another player to keep an eye on. She leads the team and ranks second in the BIG EAST with five assists. Goalkeeper Emily Harris will also be in action for the final time in her collegiate career. Harris has 50 saves on the year to go along with three shutouts.
 
Up Next
Butler has clinched a spot in the upcoming BIG EAST Championship Tournament, but the final day of the regular season will determine seeding for the postseason. Butler heads into Thursday night tied for second in the conference standings along with Providence. Both the Bulldogs and the Friars have 16 points. Georgetown sits alone in the top spot with 17 points. The Hoyas will face the Xavier Musketeers in the regular season finale. Xavier heads into that contest with 14 points, good enough for fourth-place in the standings.