Last Night In #BIGEASTwsoc – 10.4.19
No. 11 Georgetown, Providence remain on top while a logjam forms in third as DePaul, St. John’s and Xavier win on Thursday.
NEW YORK – The second round of conference play for BIG EAST women’s soccer teams wrapped up Thursday night as No. 11 Georgetown, Providence, DePaul, St. John’s and Xavier picked up wins. The Hoyas and Friars remained the lone league unbeaten teams and the two will square off in the Ocean State on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Along with PC-GU, four other matches will take place on Sunday, including two streaming on the BIG EAST Digital Network presented by SoFi. Seton Hall eyes its first conference win when it visits the Musketeers at 1 p.m., while a third-place battle between the Blue Demons and Red Storm is set for 2 p.m. in Chicago.
#11 Georgetown 2, Villanova 0
After a scoreless opening half, the 11
th-ranked Hoyas needed less than a minute out of intermission to break the deadlock as Jenna Menta scored her first of the year. Paula Germino-Watnick added the 80
th-minute penalty kick insurance score, her fifth goal of the season, scoring for the second time in the last three games. Anna Leat made three saves to earn the shutout as the Hoyas extended their winning streak to a BIG EAST-best six matches. GU finished with a 15-6 advantage in shots and 5-2 edge in corner kicks. Rebecca Gartner had three saves for Villanova.
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DePaul 2, Butler 1
The Blue Demons picked up their first BIG EAST win in a physical battle with Butler on Thursday afternoon in Chicago. All three of the game’s goals were scored in the opening half, with DePaul’s Kristin Boos kicking things off in the 17
th before Morgan Turner’s game-winner in the 35
th. Katie Soderstrom halved the Blue Demons’ lead in the 41
st minute, but Butler was unable to come up with another score. Mollie Eriksson had one save in the victory, while Stephanie Rodriguez made four stops in the setback. DePaul outshot Butler 10-6, while the Bulldogs held a 6-3 advantage in corner kicks.
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Xavier 3, Creighton 1
Three different Musketeers scored, including the first of the season for Rachel Butler and Brooke Sroka, as Xavier won its BIG EAST home opener. Sydney Schembri started the scoring in the 13
th minutes before Butler gave XU a 2-0 lead midway through the first. Freshman standout Skylar Heinrich notched her ninth goal of the season to get the Bluejays within one before halftime, but Sroka’s 68
th minute score put the game out of reach. Olivia Jenkins made three saves in the win. Heinrich matched Butler for a game-high four shots, but the Musketeers outshot Creighton 19-10 on the night.
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St. John’s 1, Seton Hall 0
Maia Cabrera’s first goal of the season proved to be the only one St. John’s needed as the Red Storm picked up their first BIG EAST win and second shutout victory in the last three outings. Cabrera struck in the 42
nd minute with Jessica Garziano being credited with the assist. Meredith Reinhardt made four saves to pick up the win, while Harpa Johannsdottir had five saves for Seton Hall. The Pirates had a 5-4 edge in corner kicks but St. John’s won the battle of shots, 14-9.
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Providence 2, Marquette 1 (2OT)
Elayna Grillakis recorded her third golden goal of the season, leading Providence to a 2-1 double-overtime win at Marquette on Thursday night. The victory sets up a battle of the only two remaining unbeaten teams in BIG EAST play on Sunday as the Friars host No. 11 Georgetown. Grillakis also had overtime winners at Texas and against Hartford earlier this year. After Kelsie Cummings gave PC the lead in the final minute of the first half, MU’s Alex Campana knotted the game in the 80
th minute. Shots finished even at 12 apiece, but the Friars outshot MU 4-1 in overtime, including the Grillakis winner. Shelby Hogan made five saves to pick up the win, the fourth straight for Providence. PC improved to 5-0-1 in overtime games this season while Marquette fell to 1-4-0 in games decided in extra periods.
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Upcoming Schedule
Sunday
#11 Georgetown at Providence, 1 p.m.*
Seton Hall at Xavier, 1 p.m.*^
Villanova at Butler, 1 p.m.*
St. John’s at DePaul, 2 p.m.*^
Creighton at Marquette, 2 p.m.*
All times Eastern
*BIG EAST contest
^BEDN