Butler men's soccer head coach Paul Snape has put the final pieces in place as he has assembled his 2022 side in anticipation of a challenging set of fixtures this fall. Snape is beginning his 12^th season at the helm of the program and is excited about the prospects for the program over the next few months.

"There is a real buzz within the program on what can be accomplished this season!" observed Snape. "We are returning a wealth of talent, experience and leadership to our 2022 team. We are also bringing in some new players that will help to create a culture of competitiveness and high performance."

The season opens with three exhibition matches. For these previews, two home matches – Marian (Aug. 11) and Bradley (Aug. 20) – will sandwich a road trip to Michigan State (Aug. 14). The regular-season opener will take place on August 25 when Western Michigan pays a visit to the Sellick Bowl. The Bulldogs, who have qualified for six of the previous nine BIG EAST tournaments, will be seeking their second-consecutive postseason appearance along with a berth in the NCAA tournament.

"Once again, our non-conference schedule is really strong," added Snape. "We are scheduled to play some of the best programs in the country during August and September. We are also extremely focused on performing well in the Big East Conference, which is undoubtedly one of the elite conferences in division one college soccer. I encourage the community to attend as many games as possible this fall….Go Dawgs!"

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Returning for Butler in 2022 are players who scored 80% of the team's 2021 goals and assists. The offensive attack will be led by seniors Wilmer Cabrera, Jr., a two-time All-BIG EAST First Team selection, and Hemi Nasser, along with sophomores Nick Okoro and Henri Kumwenda. This quartet combined for 54 starts last season and will be supported by redshirt junior Kyle Hagerman.

Newcomers on top are Palmer Ault, who was Indiana's Mr. Soccer after his 2021 senior season, and Jacob Jansen, who hails from Germany.

Midfielders 
Setting up the offense will be a veteran group of midfielders. Fifth-year athletes Jack Haywood and Rico Hollenkamp, along with redshirt senior Jack Streberger and redshirt junior Tommy Visser, have combined for 123 starts in their Butler careers. Haywood has received BIG EAST postseason recognition three times and is tied for seventh on Butler's all-time career list with 19 assists. Streberger led the Bulldogs with five assists last season, while Visser contributed a pair of goals.

Additional players who will be looking to contribute in the midfield are junior Nick Graziano and redshirt freshman Donovan Boone, along with newcomer Joost de Schutter, who has made multiple appearances on youth national teams in his native Netherlands.

Defenders 
Two returning starters, fifth-year player Griffin DeBolt and senior Perrin Barnes, anchored a Bulldogs defense that last season allowed only 20 goals in 19 matches and recorded five shutouts. Redshirt senior Brendan Hicks and redshirt junior DJ Hooks also contributed significant minutes to those accomplishments.

This season, redshirt junior Graham Rieg, redshirt sophomore Ben Minor, and redshirt freshmen Nick Yono will be called upon to make their own contributions to the back line.

A trio of newcomers will be looking to support the Butler goalkeeper as well. Peter Tolkin is a two-time all-state honoree from New Jersey, Lou-Kent Bosc played for Paris Saint-Germain in France, and Vygo Verkooijen brings international tournament experience from the Netherlands.

Goalkeepers 
Gabriel Gjergji, who has logged more than 6000 minutes in goal for the Bulldogs, is returning for his fifth season and will lead the corps of netminders. He currently ranks fourth on Butler's all-time career lists with 242 saves and 16 shutouts. Gjergji's supporting cast includes a pair of redshirt juniors, Caleb Norris and Owen Ranck, as well as redshirt freshmen Trevor Share.