#BEfútbol Minute: Two Teams Ranked After Successful Opening Weekend
NEW YORK -- After the first weekend of play, BIG EAST men’s soccer is 10-5-3 against non-league opponents. The 10 teams played eight matches that went into extra time. Of those overtime matches, six went to double OT. The BIG EAST turned out positive results in four matches that went to extra time.
On Tuesday, according to RPI Update Men’s Soccer website, the conference tops the league RPI rankings with an RPI of .5604. Second is the America East at .5301.
Villanova leads the conference currently with a 2-0 record. Marquette and Seton Hall finished the weekend 1-0. Creighton and Xavier are 1-0-1, while DePaul , Georgetown, Providence and St. Johns’ are 1-1. With a loss to Drake on Monday, Butler is 0-1-1.
Key Non-Conference Wins
Of the five top 25 matches on the schedule, BIG EAST teams went 3-1-1 with Creighton, Providence and DePaul pulling out victories over their ranked foes.
Creighton, receiving votes last week in the preseason poll, shut out then-No. 11 Clemson at home at Morrison Stadium, 2-0. The Bluejays scored twice during the late stages of the first half in front of a crowd of 5,473, the sixth largest in Creighton history. Junior midfielder Ziyad Fares and Senior forward Anthony Macchione scored. Defender Akeem Ward had two assists (
Full Recap). Providence defeated then-No. 8 Southern Methodist University, 2-1, in overtime in Dallas. The game was scoreless in the first half, Providence scored first in the 52nd minute with a goal from Tiago Mendonca. SMU tied it up in the 80th minute to send the game to overtime. Alex DaCosta scored the game-winner for the Friars in the 104th minute. Keeper Colin Miller had eight saves in the win (
Full Recap). DePaul head coach Mark Plotkin earned his first career win with a 1-0 victory at home over then-No. 14 Western Michigan. Senior midfielder Michael Mojarro netted the game-winner in the 69th minute. Sophomore goalkeeper Drew Nuelle made five saves in between the pipes and faced nine shots total (
Full Recap).
Then-No. 9 Butler tied it up with No. 4 Akron on the road in Ohio, with the top 10 matchup resulting in a 2-2 overtime draw. Louie Bulger and Brandon Guhl scored for the Bulldogs. Then-No. 11 Georgetown fell at then-No. 18 Coastal Carolina, 2-1, in overtime.
Villanova earned a key overtime victory over William & Mary on Monday afternoon, as the Wildcats won 3-2 over the Tribe, which was receiving votes in the preseason poll. Sophomore midfielder Yusuf Cueceoglu scored two goals, including the game winner at the 95:59 mark. Senior Zach Zandi added a goal and two assists (
Full Recap).
In the National Rankings
In the United Soccer Coaches national poll, which was released on Tuesday, Butler remained in the top half of the poll at No. 11, while Creighton made its first appearance in the national top 25 since Sept. 25, 2017. The Bluejays checked in at No. 20. Georgetown, ranked in the preseason at No. 13, fell out of the poll and is receiving 32 votes as the third team out of the top 25. Also receiving votes is Marquette (5) and Xavier (3).
#BEfútbol Weekend Results
Friday, Aug. 24
No. 9 BUTLER 2, No. 4 Akron 2 (2OT)
SETON HALL 2, Army West Point 1 (2OT)
No. 13 GEORGETOWN 1, South Carolina 0 (OT)
VILLANOVA 1, Delaware 0
XAVIER 6, Cincinnati Christian 0
RV] Kentucky 1, DEPAUL 0
[RV] CREIGHTON 2, No. 11 Clemson 0
PROVIDENCE 2, No. 8 Southern Methodist 1 (2OT)
U.C. Santa Barbara 2, ST. JOHN’S 0
Sunday, Aug. 26
Illinois-Chicago 3, PROVIDENCE 0
XAVIER 0, Northwestern 0 (2OT)
MARQUETTE 3, Valparaiso 1
ST. JOHN’S 4, Loyola Marymount 1
No. 18 Coastal Carolina 2, No. 13 GEORGETOWN 1 (2OT)
[RV] CREIGHTON 0, U.C. Davis 0 (2 OT)
Monday, Aug. 27
VILLANOVA 3, [RV] William & Mary 2 (OT)
DePaul 1, No. 14 Western Michigan 0
Drake 2, No. 9 BUTLER 1
#BEfútbol Upcoming Schedule
Tuesday, Aug. 28
SETON HALL at Central Connecticut State, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 30
No. 11 BUTLER at Western Michigan, 7 p.m.
Central Arkansas at MARQUETTE, 8:05 p.m.