GAME NOTES

BIG EAST Women's Soccer Championship
Presented By JEEP
Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium – Providence, R.I.

Semifinals – April 16  –  BEDN
No. 1 Georgetown (East) vs. No. 2 Creighton (Midwest), 2 p.m. ET
No. 1 Butler (Midwest) vs. No. 2 UConn (East), 5 p.m. ET

Final – April 18 –  FS1
Semifinal winners, 11 a.m. ET
 
The Butler women's soccer team will face Connecticut (8-2-1, 6-2-1) in the BIG EAST Semifinals on Friday, April 16 in Providence, R.I. The Bulldogs and Huskies will be the second semifinal contest of the day, kicking off at 5 p.m., following the first game match-up between Georgetown and Creighton.

Friday's semifinal games will be streamed on the BIG EAST Digital Network and Sunday's Championship will be broadcast on FS1.

Bulldog Bits

• The Bulldogs are currently receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches national poll. Butler is also ranked 4th in the East Region poll and listed 26^th on TopDrawer Soccer.
• Butler is also ranked #14 in the current NCAA Soccer RPI rankings
• This is the seventh time in eight years that the Bulldogs have qualified for the post-season, and its sixth consecutive conference tournament appearance.
• The Bulldogs secured the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Division with a record of 6-1-0 in the BIG EAST
• Anja Savich was named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week after scoring both goals in Butler's 2-1 win over Creighton. Caitlin O'Malley earned a Weekly Honor Roll nod, as well.
• Savich leads Butler with nine goals, which also co-leads the conference.
• Katie Soderstrom has the team high in assists with five to go along with five goals.
• Savich and Soderstrom are the only two players in the BIG EAST to record a hat trick this season.
• Savich (No. 71) and Soderstrom (#89) were named to TopDrawer Soccer's Top-100 Midseason Rankings.
• O'Malley (No. 18) and Abigail Isger (#92) were named to TopDrawer Soccer's Top 100-Freshmen Midseason Rankings. O'Malley is the highest ranked BIG EAST freshman on the list.
• 14 Butler players have recorded at least one goal on the year.
• Bulldogs goalkeeper Stephanie Rodriguez has recorded five shutouts this season. She now has 14 in her career at Butler, moving her to third all-time in the record book.
• Rodriguez was selected as 2021 Preseason BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year.
• Rodriguez, Soderstrom, and Savich were all named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. With three honorees, Butler had the most representation of any team.

 
Regular Season Recap
The Bulldogs are coming off a 2-1 victory over Creighton in the regular season finale. Savich scored both goals in the win, earning BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week accolades. Soderstrom was credited with the assist on the game winner.

Butler closes the regular season with a 9-1-0 overall record and a 6-1-0 slate in the conference. The Bulldogs' only loss came at DePaul during a four-game road swing in the middle of the season. Butler led the conference in points (96), goals (36), and assists (24).
 
Scouting the Huskies
The Huskies recorded a 6-2-1 showing in the East Division of the conference this season, with their only losses coming at the hands of Providence in the BIG EAST opener and to No. 10 Georgetown. The Huskies closed the season on a four-game win streak to secure the second seed in the tournament.

The UConn offense features a balanced attack, as six players have at least two goals on the year. Three players are tied with a team-high three assists and Isabelle Lynch leads the team with four scores.

Randi Palocios will be between the pipes on Friday. She has allowed just five goals all season coming between three games. The remaining eight of UConn's contests have resulted in shutouts for the Huskies.
 
First Timers
Friday's semifinal will be the first meeting between the two teams in program history.  UConn left the BIG EAST conference prior to Butler joining in 2012. The divisional format of the conference this spring did not allow for a match-up during the regular season.
 
Same Places, New Faces
Friday's match will be the sixth consecutive post-season appearance for the Bulldogs and the seventh time in eight years Butler has advanced to the BIG EAST tournament. Butler's senior class has now been part of four consecutive conference tournament bids, including two BIG EAST Championship appearances and a 2017 NCAA Tournament selection.

The Bulldogs currently have three true freshman in the starting rotation, O'Malley, Justina Gaynor and Alli Leonard, who will play in their first conference tournament.
 
Social Media Updates                                                                               
Follow the Butler Women's Soccer Team on Twitter @ButlerUWSoccer and Instagram @ButlerWSoccer.