Matchday Information – Butler at Villanova
DATE:                          Friday, September 15 / 3PM
LOCATION:                 Villanova, Pa. // Higgins Soccer Complex
VIDEO:                        FloSports/BEDN
LIVE STATS:               StatBroadcast
 
Full Notes

The Butler men's soccer team opens BIG EAST competition on Friday, traveling to Villanova for an afternoon match. The Bulldogs (0-3-1) are coming off a 1-0 loss to Ohio State while the Wildcats most recently tied FDU, 0-0.

Bulldog Bits
          (as of 9/12/23)

• With an average of 5.50 saves per match, Caleb Norris leads the BIG EAST and is 15th nationally.
  
  vs. Ohio State
• Four Bulldogs created shots against the Buckeyes. Tommy Visser and Palmer Ault each produced a pair, leading Butler. Visser, Jack Streberger, and DJ Hooks each had one shot on goal.
• Ohio State outshot Butler, 19-6, and the Buckeyes put eleven of them on frame.
• Caleb Norris made a career-high ten saves in the match.
   
• Palmer Ault was named the 2023 Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year and to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. He finished the 2022 season with the following BIG EAST and (national) rankings: game-winning goals-1st (6th), goals-2nd (25th), points-3rd (22nd), assists-6th (98th), .442 shot accuracy-8th, 2.26 shots per game-10th
   
• Butler has faced one ranked opponent in 2023, losing 2-1 at No. 24 Saint Louis. Currently ranked opponents remaining on the schedule include at No. 23 Indiana (Sept. 19), vs. No. 13 Marquette (Sept. 23), at (rv) Georgetown (Sept. 29), and vs. No. 3 Akron (Oct. 28).
• In 2022, the Bulldogs were ranked as high as No. 12 in the Sept. 4 poll. Butler went 1-2-1 vs. ranked opponents: No. 14 Marshall W, 1-0, No. 15 Indiana L, 1-2, No. 19 Xavier T, 3-3, No. 17 Georgetown L, 1-2 (2OT).
   

The Matchup
SERIES RECORD: Butler leads, 8-2-0
LAST MEETING: Oct. 12, 2022 - Indianapolis - Butler 2, Villanova 0

• Villanova won the 2021 match, 1-0, in Villanova, Pa.
• Butler won six straight matches from 2015 through 2019, one in overtime (Sept. 2016) and two in double-overtime (Nov. 2016 & Oct. 2019). The November 2016 win was a BIG EAST Tournament semifinal.
   

Scouting Villanova

• Previous match: vs. FDU  T, 0-0
• In addition to FDU, Villanova also had a 1-1 draw with Michigan State. The Wildcats have losses to Albany (0-2) and the New Jersey Institute of Technology (1-4).
  
  Individual Statistics
• Offensive standouts for Villanova include:
  #9 Balthi Saunders (1g, 1a)
  #19 Vincent Petrera (1g)
• #1 Kent Dickey (0-2-2) has logged all of Villanova's minutes in goal. He has allowed 7 goals (1.75 GAA) and has made 15 saves (.682 SV%).