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INDIANAPOLIS – The Bulldogs are headed to the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in program history, and for the first time as an at-large bid. Butler will travel to Evanston, Ill. on Sunday to face the Northwestern Wildcats. The match will get underway at 2 PM.
 
Gameday Information
Date: Sunday, November 12, 2017 / 2:00 PM EST
Location: Evanston, Ill. / Martin Stadium
Live Stats: NUSports.com
Series History: Northwestern leads the all-time series against Butler 4-0
Last Meeting: Northwestern defeated Butler 2-1 during the 1999 season
 
Bulldog Bits
- Butler is going to the NCAA Tournament for just the 2nd time in program history
- BU's first trip to the NCAA Tournament came in 2015 when they played Ohio State
- BU won the BIG EAST Tournament in 2015 making this their first at-large bid
- Butler lost 3-0 at #19 Georgetown in the 2017 BIG EAST Championship match
- Butler ranks #45 in the current NCAA RPI Rankings; Northwestern is #33
- Both Butler and Northwestern are receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll
- BU's 17-match unbeaten streak went down as a school record (Aug. 24 - Nov. 2)
- BU has only allowed seven goals this season; four in the 1st half, three in the 2nd
- BU uses two goalkeepers; Luedtke starts the match and Doege plays the 2nd half
- Doege ranks 1st in the NCAA in save pct (.935) and 3rd in Goals-Against Avg. (0.277)
 
Scouting Northwestern
The Wildcats will play in the NCAA Tournament for a program-record third consecutive season. NU finished runner-up in the Big Ten Tournament after taking a loss to Penn State. The Wildcats also finished second in the conference standings after the regular season. The team heads into the weekend with a 12-7-2 overall record. Players to keep an eye on include Marisa Viggiano and Regan Steigleder, a pair of All-Big Ten First Team selections. The defense is highlighted by Kayla Sharples, Hannah Davison and senior goalkeeper Lauren Clem.
 
Home Field Advantage
Northwestern will host Butler at Martin Stadium where the Wildcats are 7-2-1 on their home turf. Home field advantage is important in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Butler went undefeated at home this year by posting a 9-0-2 record at the Sellick Bowl, but they were 4-2-3 on the road. The Wildcats posted a similar road record to Butler in 2017 going 4-4-1 when playing as visitors.
 
One-Two Punch
Paige Monaghan and Caitlyn DiSarcina combined to score 18 of Butler's 33 goals this season. The duo has recorded nine of Butler's 13 game-winning goals. DiSarcina made an immediate impact at Butler by scoring the first two goals of the regular season. Monaghan got hot against conference opponents to net eight of her team-high 10 goals against BIG EAST foes. The only other players to score a goal for Butler during the conference season were Gabrielle Lemkuil and Julia Leonard.
 
Tournament Resume
Butler's tournament resume included a 13-2-5 overall record. They went on a 17-match unbeaten streak that stretched from August 24 to Nov. 2. Quality results during that time frame included a 2-0 win at #10 Texas A&M (Sept. 8) and a 3-0 victory at home vs. Marquette in the BIG EAST opener. Butler also tied #18 Notre Dame at the start of the regular season and tied Georgetown 0-0 (Oct. 22).
 
NCAA Tournament History
Butler won the 2015 BIG EAST Championship Tournament in 2015 to earn the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament field. They won the tournament title as a four-seed with victories over Marquette (1-0), St. John's (2-1) and Providence (1-0). Their first trip to the NCAA Tournament featured a matchup against Ohio State. The Buckeyes would advance by claiming a 2-1 win in double overtime. Paige Monaghan led the team with five shots that day. She started the match as a true freshman.
 
We Meet Again
Butler and Northwestern took the field at the Sellick Bowl this year in exhibition action. The Bulldogs walked away with a 3-2 win on Aug. 8.
 
Six Bulldogs Earn All-Conference Awards
Paige Monaghan was tabbed BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year and goalkeeper Leonie Doege earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Year accolades. Tari St. John and Rob Alman were voted as the Coaching Staff of the Year. Monaghan doubled up as a First Team All-BIG EAST selection. Joining Monaghan on the first team was defender Annika Schmidt. Caitlyn DiSarcina and Shannon McDevitt each earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST Second Team. DiSarcina and Doege were joined on the All-Freshman team by Julia Leonard.
 
Up Next
The winner of Sunday's match will advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament to face the winner of the match between #4 UCLA (15-2-2) and San Diego State (12-7-2). Second and third round games will be played on Nov. 17 and 19 at campus sites. The quarterfinals will also be played at campus sites on either Nov. 24 or 25. The 2017 Women's College Cup will be held at Orlando City Stadium the semifinals will take place on Dec. 1 with the championship match slated for Dec. 3.