Notes (PDF)

The Bulldogs open the home portion of the 2018 campaign Monday, hosting Drake at the Sellick Bowl for a 6 p.m. start. The match will be streamed live on the Butler Bulldogs Facebook page. Butler enters the match at 0-0-1 after tying No. 4 Akron Friday night. Drake is 0-1 after an overtime loss to Oral Roberts.

OPENING NIGHT: Butler posted an impressive result Friday night, fighting to a 2-2 tie at Akron. It was a battle of Top 10 programs as Akron was No. 4 and Butler No. 9 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll. Freshman Louie Bulger started the scoring in the 12^th minute with the first goal of his Butler career. After Akron took a 2-1 lead, junior Brandon Guhl scored the equalizer in the 60^th minute off an Alex Lehtinen assist.

YOUNG PUPS: Butler started four freshmen in Friday's season opener. Gabriel Gjergji got the call at keeper, while Butler, Jack Haywood and Eric Conerty were part of the Starting XI. Two of Butler's three reserves – Griffin DeBolt and Logan Lee – are also first-year Bulldogs. Gjergji made two saves in his 110 minutes of work, including turning away a penalty kick attempt.

DAWGS VS. DAWGS: Butler and Drake have met only once as men's soccer opponents. That was a 4-0 Butler win in 2015.

A YEAR AGO: The Bulldogs went 14-5-2 in 2017, winning the BIG EAST regular season title and advancing to the NCAA Round of 16. That performance matched the Bulldogs' best postseason finish (Round of 16) in program history.

BACK FOR MORE: Coach Paul Snape returns seven starters from a season ago. The team will also welcome back midfielders Jared Timmer and Marco Charalambous, who each missed the 2017 season due to injury.

NOT KIDDING AROUND: The Bulldogs have put together a challenging schedule for the upcoming season as the Bulldogs will face four teams ranked in the preseason Top 25: Indiana (No. 2), Akron (No. 4), BIG EAST rival Georgetown (No. 13), and Western Michigan (No. 14). Columbia, Creighton and Xavier also received votes in the preseason poll.

PRESEASON HONORS: Three Bulldogs picked up preseason BIG EAST accolades as senior Joe Moulden and juniors Brandon Guhl and Jared Timmer were selected to the preseason All-BIG EAST squad. Guhl was also named the BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.

ACCORDING TO THE COACHES: Butler has been picked to finish second in the BIG EAST Preseason Poll. The conference's head coaches voted in the preseason poll. Georgetown, which finished second to the Bulldogs in the 2017 regular season but won the BIG EAST Tournament, was picked to win the conference. The Hoyas received seven first-place votes from the coaches, while Butler picked up the remaining three nods.

IN THE POLLS: In addition to the No. 9 ranking in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, the Bulldogs come in at No. 10 in the Top Drawer Soccer poll and No. 11 according to College Soccer News. 

BIG YEAR AHEAD: Junior Brandon Guhl is a popular guy in terms of preseason honors and watch lists. Guhl is on the 2018 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. He was also selected to Top Drawer Soccer Men's Preseason Best XI Team (Third Team) and No. 31 on the TDS Preseason National College Soccer Players list, as well as being named to the College Soccer News 2018 Preseason All-America First Team.

UP NEXT: The Bulldogs travel to Western Michigan Thursday. It is set to be another match-up of Top 25 teams as the Broncos were ranked No. 14 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll.