Matchday Information –  Butler vs. (rv) Virginia Tech
DATE:                          Thursday, August 17 / 7PM
LOCATION:                 Indianapolis / Sellick Bowl
LIVE VIDEO:               FloSports
LIVE STATS:               butlersports.com
TICKETS:                    butlersports.com
 
Full Notes

The Butler women's soccer team opens its 2023 campaign with a stout test in (rv) Virginia Tech. The Hokies finished 10-7-2 (4-5-1 ACC) last season and were one of ten programs from the ACC that participated in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs are coming off a 7-7-4 season that saw a 4-3-3 conference record and an eighth-consecutive postseason berth in the BIG EAST Tournament.

Bulldog Bits

• Abigail Isger was selected Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year. She is joined on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team by Talia Sommer.
• Butler was chosen fourth in the BIG EAST preseason poll by the conference coaches.
  The top five includes 1st-No. 16 Georgetown, 2nd- (rv) Xavier, 3rd-St. John's, and 5th-Creigthon.
   
• Five of Butler's scheduled opponents were ranked or received votes in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll: (rv) Virginia Tech (Aug. 17), No. 3 Notre Dame (Aug. 24), No. 9 TCU (Sept. 10), (rv) Xavier (Sept. 21), No. 16 Georgetown (Oct. 22).
   
• Butler has added alumna Annika (Schmidt) Creel '19 to its coaching staff. The Zionsville, Indiana, native originally committed to UConn but transferred to Butler after two seasons. She was a three-time All-BIG EAST First Team selection with the Bulldogs, from 2017-2019. After graduation, she signed with Gotenborg FC in Sweden and then played for the Houston Dash in the NWSL for two seasons.
   

The Matchup

• Thursday's match will be the first between the programs

Scouting (rv) Virginia Tech

• 2022 Season: Finished 10-7-2 (4-5-1 ACC), losing in first round of NCAA Tournament to West Virginia (0-2)
• Notable results last season:
  No. 3 North Carolina (W, 2-1), No. 5 Notre Dame (L, 0-1), No. 13 Virginia (T, 3-3), No. 22 N.C. State (W, 1-0)
  
  Individual (2022) Statistics
• Offensive standouts for Virginia Tech include:
  #25 Taylor Price (8g, 3a)
  #12 Tori Powell (6g, 4a)
  #24 Natalie Mitchell (3g, 8a)
  #22 Taylor Bryan (4g, 2a)
  #15 Sophie Maltese (4g, 1a)
• Lauren Hargrove returns as the primary keeper for the Hokies. In 2022, she was 9-7-2, conceding 25 goals for a 1.43 GAA. She made 57 saves (0.695) and earned six shutouts.