MSOC Notes - 10.4 Update
Weekend Ahead
Week 4 of BIG EAST men’s soccer play kicks off Friday when Georgetown visits Butler. The all-dog showdown at 7 p.m. ET is the first of three matches that will stream on the BIG EAST Digital Network this weekend. The eight remaining teams meet on Saturday, with Seton Hall at DePaul kicking the day off at 2 p.m. on BEDN. No. 8 Creighton visits St. John’s at 7 p.m. to round out the BEDN action, while Providence hosts Marquette (4:30 p.m.) and Xavier welcomes Villanova (7 p.m.) to wrap up the weekend slate.
Why We’re Watching…
Georgetown at Butler (Friday, 7 p.m., BEDN): Butler has faced the top three teams in the BIG EAST standings over its first three league contests, and in Game 4 of conference play will face the fourth-place Hoyas. The Bulldogs have averaged 2.0 goals per game over their last four outings, and with second-leading scorer Alex Lehtinen sidelined on Friday, Brandon Guhl (5g, 2a) will lead the Bulldog offense. GU has outshot its last eight opponents and are 4-2-2 during that stretch. Derek Dodson leads the BIG EAST in shots taken and is second with five goals.
Seton Hall at DePaul (Saturday, 2 p.m., BEDN): A showdown between two first-year BIG EAST coaches. The Hall owns one of the top defenses in the BIG EAST, limiting opponents to just 0.95 goals per game. Both of its setbacks in league play were 1-0 decisions, including last week at nationally ranked Creighton. Andreas Nota averages 4.25 saves per contest for the Pirates. DePaul’s Drew Nuelle is right behind Nota in the saves department at 3.70 per match and the Blue Demons’ team goals against average lists right behind SHU’s as well at 1.06.
Marquette at Providence (Saturday, 4:30 p.m., Friars.com): The Friars were on the verge of winning their third straight match, leading UConn 1-0 in the 60
th minute before lightning forced the game to be called. Prior to that, PC totaled five goals over its last two games, both BIG EAST wins, with Gil Santos tallying five points (2g, 1a) in those victories. The Golden Eagles have struggled to score the last four outings, but totaled 11 goals in the six games prior. MU is the lone team this season to hold Georgetown without a goal, as Luis Barraza shows an impressive .842 save percentage.
#8 Creighton at St. John’s (Saturday, 7 p.m., BEDN): A first-place battle rages on in Queens. The Bluejays currently hold a two-point lead over second-place St. John’s in the BIG EAST standings, so a Red Storm win would leapfrog them over the Bluejays for the top spot. Creighton is coming off a heartbreaking 1-0 double-overtime setback to No. 5 Denver, while St. John’s in unbeaten over its last four contests. Both teams average 1.30 goals per game, while Creighton has yet to surrender a score in BIG EAST play thanks to stellar goalkeeping by Paul Kruse, and league-leading scorer Sven Koenig keeping the ball on the opposite end of the pitch. For the Red Storm, Skage Simonsen has two goals over the last two league games, and Lenny Wilson boasts a .929 save percentage.
Villanova at Xavier, (Saturday, 7 p.m., GoXavier.com): The Musketeers are coming off a 3-3 draw with Santa Clara on Tuesday, the fourth time this season XU has scored three or more goals. Xavier has a BIG EAST-best 17 scores on the year, with Simen Hestnes (5g) leading a group of 10 different goal scorers. Reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Week Carson Williams will look to halt that trend as no team has scored multiple goals against the Villanova keeper since Sept. 19. The Wildcats carry a two-match unbeaten streak into Saturday’s contest, while a three-game streak would match their season high.
Weekly Schedule
Friday, Oct. 5
GEORGETOWN at BUTLER, 7 p.m. (BEDN)
Saturday, Oct. 6
SETON HALL at DEPAUL, 2 p.m. (BEDN)
MARQUETTE at PROVIDENCE, 4:30 p.m.
[8] CREIGHTON at ST. JOHN’S, 7 p.m. (BEDN)
VILLANOVA at XAVIER, 7 p.m.
All times listed are Eastern