NEW YORK – RV Xavier claimed its first BIG EAST women’s soccer regular-season title with a 2-0 win over Butler on Thursday night in Indianapolis. The Musketeers finished regular-season play with a 7-2 conference mark to clinch the BIG EAST Championship No. 1 seed, while the Bulldogs will be the No. 3 seed and host a First Round match on Sunday. Nineteenth-ranked Georgetown clinched the No. 2 seed by way of its 3-2 overtime win over St. John’s. In the final match of the night, Villanova won at Creighton 1-0 to clinch the No. 4 seed and hosting duties in Sunday’s first round. With Seton Hall defeating Providence, 4-1, DePaul clinched a spot in the championship field despite not playing on Thursday and will be either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed.
The full BIG EAST postseason bracket will be solidified after the DePaul-Marquette tilt, which got postponed until Friday at 2 p.m. ET due to winter weather conditions at Wish Field on Thursday. The BIG EAST Digital Network will provide complete coverage of Friday’s finale. Providence and Marquette remain in contention for the final slot. The Golden Eagles get in with a win (No. 5 seed) or a draw (No. 6 seed), while the Friars get in as the No. 6 seed with a DePaul win. No. 3 seed Butler will host the No. 6 seed Sunday at 1 p.m., while No. 4 seed Villanova will host the No. 5 seed, also Sunday at 1 p.m. Xavier and Georgetown earn byes directly into the semifinal round, which is set for Nov. 7 in Omaha, Neb. Creighton will serve as host of the semifinals and final as all three matches will be played at Morrison Stadium. The final is set for Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. ET on FS1.
The Hoyas put the pressure on the night game between Butler and Xavier to end in a decision after its afternoon result against the Red Storm. Paula Germino-Watnick scored all three of GU’s goals, including the 93
rd minute golden goal penalty kick. Georgetown held the top spot and a two-point lead over Xavier in the standings after the win. Three hours after the Georgetown-St. John’s game went final, Carrie Lewis scored what proved to be the game winner for Xavier in just the third minute of the contest. Despite a late push by Butler, Xavier found the back of the net in the 89
th minute as Brooke Sroka provided the insurance score.
Seton Hall stunned Providence as four different Pirates scored on the night, including a pair of seniors in their final game. The Hall used two goals in the first half and two more in the second to give head coach Ciara Crinion her first BIG EAST victory and the Hall's first conference win since 2016. In the nightcap which Creighton needed to win to remain in contention, Villanova scored just 3:51 into the contest with Brice McInroy’s ninth score of the season. Rebecca Gartner had three saves to earn the shutout as the Wildcats locked up their first winning season in BIG EAST play since 2012.
Thursday’s Results
Upcoming Schedule
Friday, Nov. 1
Marquette at DePaul, 2 p.m.*^
Sunday, Nov. 3
BIG EAST Championship First Round – No. 6 seed at No. 3 Butler, 1 p.m.^
BIG EAST Championship First Round – No. 5 seed at No. 4 Villanova, 1 p.m.^
All times Eastern
*BIG EAST contest
^BEDN