Game Notes
 
Gameday Information                                                                                  
Date: Thursday, August 24, 2017 / 7:00 PM EST
Location: East Lansing, Michigan / DeMartin Stadium
Live Stats: MSUSpartans.com
Series History: Michigan State leads the all-time series 4-1-1
Last Meeting: Butler defeated Michigan State 1-0 in 1996
 
Date: Sunday, August 27, 2017 / 1:00 PM EST
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana / Sellick Bowl
Live Stats: ButlerSports.com
Series History: Butler leads the all-time series 3-0-0
Last Meeting: Butler defeated Bowling Green 2-0 in 2015
 
INDIANAPOLIS – The Bulldogs will return to action on Thursday night when they travel to East Lansing to challenge the Michigan State Spartans. The 2017 home opener will follow on Sunday with Butler hosting Bowling Green at 1 PM.
 
About the Bulldogs
Butler tied #18 Notre Dame 0-0 in the season opener, but dropped a 1-0 decision at Ohio to move to 0-1-1 overall. Paige Monaghan and Halle Stelbasky rank first and second on the team in shots taken with eight and six respectively.
 
Two different goalkeepers saw playing time over opening weekend with Leonie Doege earning the start at #18 Notre Dame. The true freshman earned BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week honors by keeping the Fighting Irish off the scoreboard. She made four stops over 110 minutes of action.
 
Hannah Luedtke was the starting keeper for BU at Ohio. The 2016 BIG EAST All-Freshman Team selection made seven stops against the Bobcats, but an early header goal just four minutes into the action would give Ohio the 1-0 victory.
 
Bulldog Bits
- Leonie Doege was named BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week (8/21)
- The Bulldogs have posted five-straight winning seasons
- Butler was picked sixth in the 2017 BIG EAST Preseason Poll
- Shannon McDevitt and Paige Monaghan were named Preseason All-BIG EAST
- Butler defeated Northwestern 3-2 in their first exhibition match
- The Bulldogs ended the preseason with a 3-1 win vs. Morehead State
- BU went 7-2-1 against non-conference opponents during the 2016 season
- The 2016 team only allowed five goals over the first ten games of the year
- Hannah Luedtke ranks 9th all-time at Butler with 88 career saves
- The Bulldogs have won four-straight home openers
 
About the Opponent: Michigan State
The Spartans won their first game of the season 2-0 against Niagara, but were most recently defeated by Washington 4-0. Kristelle Yewah and Lexy Warner were each responsible for a goal in the win over Niagara. Yewah scored off a rebound in the 54th minute of action and Warner added the insurance goal in the 68th minute. Warner took a pass from Danielle Stephan to create the scoring opportunity. Stephan was the only freshman to start for MSU.
 
Series History vs. Michigan State
Butler and Michigan State will go head-to-head for the first time since 1996, a match that Butler won 1-0. The all-time series however favors Michigan State who has four wins over Butler. The two teams also tied once back in 1992.
 
About the Opponent: Bowling Green
The Falcons erupted for five goals in their season opener at Oakland to defeat the Golden Grizzlies 5-1. Skylar Fleak came up with four of the five goals against Oakland. Her first goal came off an assist from Mareen Kennedy while her second, just three minutes later, came off an Oakland turnover. Alexis Fricke made the game 3-0 with a goal off a corner kick, but the shutout would expire just before the half with Oakland scoring from 20 yards out.
 
Fleak would once again increase the lead early in the second half by scoring a goal off an assist from Marissa Swindell. Her fourth and final goal came from 10 yards out off a rebound. Bowling Green will play at Morehead State on Friday, Aug. 25, a team that Butler defeated during the preseason. The Falcons will then turn their attention to Michigan State who comes in for the BGSU home opener on Sept. 1.
 
Series History vs. Bowling Green
Butler is a perfect 3-0 against Bowling Green in the all-time series. The Bulldogs posted a 2-0 win in 2015, a 5-0 victory in 2014, and a 2-1 overtime win in 2013.
 
Home Openers
The Bulldogs have won four-straight home openers. The streak started in 2013 with Butler defeating Northern Kentucky 3-0. In 2014, Butler beat Fort Wayne (IPFW) 4-0 and yet another shutout would follow in 2015 with Butler knocking off Eastern Michigan 3-0. The shutout streak would come to an end in 2016, but Butler would hold on to win against Ohio 2-1 in single overtime.
 
BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week
Leonie Doege's collegiate debut was a stellar one as the rookie earned a four-save shutout at No. 18 Notre Dame. Doege played all 110 minutes of the double-overtime clean sheet, making two saves in each half of regulation.
 
Twitter Updates
Follow the Butler Women's Soccer Team on Twitter @ButlerWSoccer.
 
Up Next
Butler will host two games over Labor Day weekend when they welcome Eastern Michigan and Cleveland State to the Sellick Bowl. The Eagles will come in on Friday, Sept. 1 for a 7 PM kick-off. The Vikings and Bulldogs will go head-to-head on Sunday, Sept. 3. The match features a 4 PM start.