The Bulldogs step out of conference play once again, hosting Akron at the Sellick Bowl Tuesday night. For those unable to make it to Indianapolis, the match will be streamed on the Butler Athletics YouTube channel.

Butler enters the contest at 5-4; Akron is 1-7-1.
 
ONE YEAR AGO: Butler and Akron played to a 2-2 draw after 110 minutes in Ohio Aug. 24, 2018. It marked the season opener for both programs, each ranked in the Top 10 nationally.

In the 12^th minute, Louie Bulger scored the first goal of his Butler career, curving a free kick from just outside the box into the goal.

Akron answered 12 minutes later as David Egbo scored off a Joe Korb assist. Egbo tallied again in the 44^th minute on a penalty kick to give the Zips a 2-1 halftime advantage.

The deficit could have been larger but Butler keeper Gabriel Gjergji turned away a penalty kick a few minutes prior to the one Egbo converted.

The Bulldogs found the equalizer in the 60^th minute as Brandon Guhl scored off an Alex Lehtinen assist. The teams would trade a few chances over the final 50 minutes, including 20 minutes of extra time, before ending in a tie.

THE SERIES: The 2018 match-up was the only previous meeting between the two programs.
 
LAST TIME OUT:  The first two goals of Brendan Hicks' Butler career propelled the Bulldogs to a 3-1 win Friday night at Providence. The Friars took a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute as Joao Serrano curved in a low corner kick that snuck just inside the near post.

The first of Hicks' two goals came in the 48^th minute. Jack Haywood launched a free kick from just outside the box that sent PC keeper Austin Aviza stretching to the upper left 90. He was able to get a hand on Haywood's attempt, but the rebound came right in front of the goal and Hicks deposited it to tie the match.

Wilmer Cabrera, Jr.'s third goal of the season proved to be his third game-winner of the season. In the 60^th minute, Alex Lehtinen sent a cross to him on the right side of the box. Cabrera, Jr., was able to settle it and fire a shot with his right foot that got by Aviza. Hicks provided an insurance goal in the 71^st minute, once again off a rebound. Cabrera, Jr.'s shot was pushed away by Aviza but Hicks was able to get to the ball first and his sliding shot found the net.
 
OF NOTE:

• Behind his two-goal performance Friday night, Brendan Hicks was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week. The two goals came on the first two shots of his Butler career.

• Akron was ranked third in the preseason United Soccer Coaches national poll.

• Butler is 4-2 at the Sellick Bowl this season.
• With a goal and an assist vs. Providence Friday, Cabrera, Jr., has tied Guhl for the team-lead with eight points on the season.
• All three of Cabrera, Jr.'s goals have been game-winners, tying him for the BIG EAST lead and placing him in a tie for 12^th nationally.
• Gjergji had eight saves Friday night at Providence, which is one shy of his career-high set earlier this season at SIUE. His 4.67 saves per game are second in the BIG EAST.
• Butler is 1-2 in BIG EAST play, but those losses have come to nationally-ranked teams St. John's and Georgetown, and those two teams are a combined 5-0-1 in conference play so far this season.
• The Bulldogs played three consecutive Top 10 opponents earlier this season. That included BIG EAST losses to Georgetown and St. John's, sandwiched around a 2-1 win over (then) No. 5 Indiana.
• Guhl is averaging 1.14 points per game, which is fourth in the BIG EAST. He has missed two of the team's nine matches due to injury (including the Providence match Friday night).
• Haywood has five assists on the season, tying for second in the BIG EAST.
• Lehtinen picked up his first goal of the season in the win over Indiana Sept. 24.
• The Sept. 17 tally against SIUE marked sophomore Griffin DeBolt's first collegiate goal; it was also the first points of DeBolt's Butler career.
• The 1-0 shutout over Wisconsin Sept. 12 was the second of the season for Gjergji, and the third of the sophomore's career.
• Eric Hollenkamp has made his first two starts of the season in the Bulldogs' most recent two matches.

• Butler has still not had preseason All-BIG EAST selection Jared Timmer on the field this season. He continues to work back from an injury sustained in the preseason.

• Butler limited Wisconsin to only four shots in the win Sept. 12; it marked the fewest shots allowed by Butler since an Oct. 12, 2012 match against Richmond when the Spiders were also held to just four shots.
• Freshmen Cabrera, Jr., Hemi Nasser, and Perrin Barnes, along with junior college transfer Rhys Myers, have all started multiple matches in their first season at Butler. Jack Streberger and Brendan Hicks, a pair of redshirt freshmen, have also played their first collegiate minutes this season.