#BEfútbol Minute – Hoyas Look To Secure Playoff Bye
BIG EAST Notes (10.25.19)
NEW YORK – Three play dates remain in the BIG EAST men’s soccer regular season. So far, Georgetown at 5-0-1 has claimed one of the six playoff spots for the upcoming BIG EAST Men’s Soccer Championship Presented by Jeep. With a win this weekend, the Hoyas could also secure up a first round bye. St. John’s is looking in at 5-1-0, one point behind Georgetown in the standings after Wednesday’s loss to the Hoyas. A win or a draw for the Red Storm would make them the second team in.
All 10 teams in are action with four games on Saturday, all on the BIG EAST Digital Network presented by SoFi. No. 7 Georgetown hosts Marquette at 1 p.m. ET, DePaul hosts Xavier at 2 p.m., Providence hosts Creighton at 3 p.m. and Seton Hall hosts No. 4 St. John’s at 6 p.m. On Sunday, Butler hosts Villanova at 1 p.m.
MARQUETTE at No. 7 GEORGETOWN (1 p.m., Saturday- BEDN)
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Saturday starts with a rematch of the 2018 BIG EAST Championship title game. The last time these two teams saw each other, Georgetown was celebrating with a league tournament title and a 2-0 win in the championship. Both Georgetown and Marquette are coming off midweek league victories. The Golden Eagles have yet to defeat the Hoyas at home in nine previous meetings. Georgetown is 8-0-1 against Marquette at Shaw Field and leads the all-time series 13-1-3. Derek Dodson leads the 2019 Hoyas in points with 16 (5G, 6A). Jacob Montes is GU’s goal leader with seven. The goalie duo of Tomas Romera and Giannis Nikopolidis have combined for just five goals against them all year. Marquette is led offensively by Josh Coan with 14 points (5G, 4A). Coan had two assists in the 3-2 win over Butler. Marquette has won two BIG EAST games in a row.
XAVIER at DEPAUL (Saturday, 2 p.m. - BEDN)
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Xavier is 2-1 in its last three BIG EAST games with wins over Creighton (1-0) and Seton Hall (2-1) and a loss to league-leader Georgetown (1-0). DePaul is 1-1-1 having tied Butler (2-2), defeated Providence (2-0) and lost to Creighton (1-0). Xavier leads the all-time series between the two teams, 14-12-1. The Musketeers are 6-1 since the two schools became BIG EAST foes. DePaul won the 2018 meeting, 1-0. Samson Sergi leads Xavier in scoring with 15 points. He scored his team-best seventh goal in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Seton Hall. DePaul’s leaders also have 10 points each as Jake Fuderer and Max de Bruijne have three goals and four assists each.
CREIGHTON at PROVIDENCE (Saturday, 3 p.m. - BEDN)
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Creighton and Providence are currently in a three-way tie (Marquette) for third in the league standings with 3-3-0 records. Creighton snapped a three-match losing streak and scoring drought of over 400 minutes with a 1-0 win at home against DePaul on Wednesday. Providence defeated Villanova 2-0. Luke Haakenson leads Creighton with five goals and five other Bluejays each have a pair of goals. Friar senior Joao Serrano leads Providence with 12 points from four goals and four assists. During league play, six different players have scored Providence’s six goals. The series between Creighton and Providence is tied, 5-5-2. The Bluejays and Friars tied 0-0 last season in Omaha and in 2017 in Providence. The last goal scored in a match between the two schools was during the 2016 NCAA Tournament as the Friars’ Danny Griffin converted a game-winning goal during the 83rd minute to claim a 2-1 victory and advance to the Elite Eight.
No. 4 ST. JOHN’S at SETON HALL (Saturday, 6 p.m. - BEDN)
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St. John’s will be looking to get back in the W column in league play after suffering its first league loss of the season to Georgetown on Wednesday. St. John’s was shutout for only the second time this season. A win or a draw against Seton Hall would clinch a postseason spot for the Johnnies. Since winning back-to-back home games over DePaul and Creighton to improve to 2-1 in league play, the Pirates have dropped three straight contests to Georgetown, Butler and Xavier by a combined score of 8-1. Seton Hall is led offensively by Stephen Elias has been the team’s leading producer this season, registering four goals and two assists for 10 points. Elias did not play on Wednesday. St. John’s is led by Tani Oluwasey in scoring with 19 points on eight goals, three assists. The goalie combo of Jan Hoffelner and Luka Gavran have allowed only eight total goals this season. Saturday will be the 41st meeting between the two programs. The Red Storm has won the last four meetings, all by the score of 1-0.
VILLANOVA at BUTLER (Sunday, 1 p.m.)
Butler and Villanova meet for the eighth time on Sunday, which is part of Butler’s Homecoming Weekend and will serve as the Bulldogs’ “Senior Day.” Butler leads the all-time series 5-1-1 and claimed a Butler claimed a 2-1 victory in last year’s meeting at the Higgins Soccer Complex. The Bulldogs are in sixth place in the league standings currently with seven points. Both Butler and Villanova are playing off a loss on Wednesday. Butler is led offensively by Wilmer Cabrera Jr. with 15 points (6G, 3A). Brandon Guhl is second in points with 14 (6G, 2A). Villanova is led by Lyam Mackinnon with eight points.
Sound Bite Of The Week:
“As a group [of coaches], we’ve been working real hard at this for the last six years. We had a great year in 2014 with four teams in the Elite Eight. That’s been the model we have been building back towards. This has been as good a year as the league has had since I can remember, especially in the (10-team) alignment ... I think each school has taken a bunch of little steps forward. It’s a credit to the BIG EAST and the commissioner, Val Ackerman. They have really made soccer a priority.”
-- Villanova head coach Tom Carlin
Upcoming #BEfútbol Schedule
** ALL GAMES WILL AIR ON BEDN **
Saturday, Oct. 26
MARQUETTE at No 7 GEORGETOWN, 1 p.m.
XAVIER at DEPAUL, 2 p.m.
CREIGHTON at PROVIDENCE, 3 p.m.
No. 4 ST. JOHN’S at SETON HALL, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 26
VILLANOVA at BUTLER, 1 p.m.