INDIANAPOLIS – The Bulldogs will play three road games over spring break with upcoming tilts against Mercer, Gardner-Webb and Presbyterian.
BIG EAST Standings
1) Denver 5-0
2) Temple 4-1
3) Florida 2-1
4) Vanderbilt 2-1
5) UConn 2-2
6) Marquette 2-3
7) Cincinnati 1-3
8) Villanova 1-3
9) Georgetown 1-4
10) Butler 0-4
About Butler
The Bulldogs are still searching for their first win of the season after taking setbacks to California and Saint Mary's last week.
Haley Hallenbeck currently leads the team with 14 goals and 16 total points. The team's assist leader is
Journey Fischbeck who has seven assists to go along with six goals for 13 points.
Ashley Lizzi leads the team with 14 draw controls while Hallenbeck serves as the team leader in ground balls (11) and caused turnovers (7). BU has split time at the goalie position between
Haley Rayburn and
Allie Storke. Numbers between the two goalies are tight with Rayburn posting 18 saves compared to Storke's 16. Rayburn has allowed one more goal than Storke in nearly the same amount of playing time.
Scouting Mercer
The Bears are 2-1 on the year with wins over Presbyterian and Gardner-Webb. They defeated PC 23-13 in their season opener and most recently recorded a 23-7 win at home vs. Gardner-Webb. Their lone setback came against Fresno State 12-10.
Lindsey Zeltwanger leads the team with 23 points. The junior midfielder has 11 goals and 12 assists in just three games. The Bears boast a balanced scoring attack that features Meghan Segreti with 10 goals, Erica Coyne with nine, Kate Leone with eight and Kelly Hagerty with six.
The starting goalie for Mercer is Haleigh Wurzel, a 5-3 junior from Chester Springs, Pa. Wurzel has 25 saves after three games and has allowed 32 goals for an 11.29 goals-against average.
Scouting Gardner-Webb
The Runnin' Bulldogs are 0-3 this year with losses to Virginia Tech, Mercer and St. Francis (Pa.). They will host Virginia Commonwealth on Friday and play at Kennesaw State on Sunday before hosting Butler on March 8.
BU will need to slow down Amanda Steinmuller and Cassidy McDowell in order to pull off the win. Those two players combine for 11 of Gardner-Webb's 15 goals on the year. The starting goalie will be Melan White, a freshman that has recorded 23 saves in three starts. She holds a 25.01 goals-against average and a .299 save percentage.
Scouting Presbyterian
The Blue Hose are 0-4 overall after taking a 17-5 loss to UC Davis on March 1. Presbyterian will face Fresno State and LIU Brooklyn before hosting BU on March 10.
Lauren Schaaf is the top offensive talent on the roster with a team-high seven goals. Alexandra Cole is another complete player for PC. Cole has five goals and three assists for a team-high eight points. Cole is all over the field with seven ground balls and four caused turnovers. The team leader in each category is Maura Talvacchia with 23 ground balls and 21 caused turnovers.
Kayla Koch will be the goalie for PC when the Blue Hose host the Bulldogs. She has 28 saves over four games and is allowing 20 goals-per game.
Team National Rankings
Draw Controls Per Game – 54th (12.25)
Assists Per Game – 78th (3.75)
Individual National Rankings
Haley Hallenbeck: Goals Per Game – 32nd (3.5)
Journey Fischbeck: Assists Per Game – 56th (1.75)
Haley Hallenbeck: Points Per Game – 55th (4)
Ashley Lizzi: Draw Controls Per Game – 71st (3.5)
BIG EAST Individual Rankings
Haley Hallenbeck ranks second in goals per game (3.5) and seventh in points per game (4.0) among BIG EAST student-athletes.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will welcome Central Michigan to Varsity Field on Thursday, March 16. The final non-conference game of the regular season will start at 4 PM. Butler will then shift gears to conference play just two days later when they host Georgetown in the BIG EAST opener. The Hoyas will face the Bulldogs Saturday at noon.
