WSOC Notes - BEC First Round
NEW YORK – Postseason play begins Sunday as the BIG EAST Women’s Soccer Championship presented by Jeep kicks off with a pair of First Round matches. Two trips to Omaha, Neb., are on the line as No. 4 seed Villanova hosts No. 5 seed DePaul, and No. 3 seed Butler welcomes No. 6 seed Providence. Both matches will kick off at 1 p.m. ET and stream on the BIG EAST Digital Network presented by SoFi. Awaiting the winner of the 4-5 matchup is regular-season champion and top seed Xavier, while the 3-6 winner earns a date with three-time reigning champion and No. 2 seed Georgetown. Semifinals are set for Nov. 7 at 6 and 8:30 p.m. ET, while the final will be Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. The semifinals and final will be played at Creighton’s Morrison Stadium in Omaha. BEDN will provide coverage of the first round and semifinals before FS1 takes over for the title match.
BIG EAST Championship First Round – No. 6 Providence at No. 3 Butler, 1 p.m.^
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Series Record: Butler leads, 8-3
Postseason Series: Butler leads, 3-0 (2018SF – BU, 3-2; 2017SF – BU, 3-0; 2015F – BU, 1-0)
The Friars (8-8-2, 3-5-1 BIG EAST) capitalized on DePaul knocking off Marquette in Friday’s finale to clinch the last spot in the BIG EAST Championship field. A setback to Xavier in the regular-season finale forced the Bulldogs (10-5-3, 5-2-2) to play one more match before potentially heading to Omaha. Butler should be on upset alert, however, as twice in the past four years Providence as the No. 6 seed has upset the No. 3 seed in the first round (2018, 2015). Butler-Providence has been a common pairing in BIG EAST postseason play as of late – they’ve met in the semifinals in the last two years and in the 2015 title game, which just so happened to be in Omaha, Neb. The Bulldogs have taken all three BIG EAST Championship meetings with the Friars, including last year’s 3-2 decision in Indianapolis.
Providence and Butler met a week-and-a-half ago in regular-season play, with the Bulldogs stealing a 1-0 win in Friartown thanks to Macy Miller’s 67th-minute score. Butler’s defense kept all but one PC shot off target as Stephanie Rodriguez earned the shutout with one stop. Shelby Hogan finished with five saves for the Friars.
BIG EAST Championship First Round – No. 5 DePaul at No. 4 Villanova, 1 p.m.^
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Series Record: Even, 8-8-3
Postseason Series: DePaul leads, 2-0 (2013FR – DePaul, 1-0; 2012FR – DePaul, 3-0)
The Wildcats (9-6-3, 5-3-1) are in the BIG EAST Championship for the first time since 2014 and hosting a match for the first time since 2012. The Blue Demons (8-7-3; 5-3-1) punched their eighth consecutive BIG EAST Championship ticket and will look to knock off the Wildcats in postseason play for the third consecutive time. Villanova and DePaul met in the first round of the 2013 and 2012 tournaments, with the Blue Demons winning both in shutout fashion. DePaul won the 2014 BIG EAST Championship, but has been back to the semifinals just once since (2016). Only three BIG EAST postseason matches have been decided on penalty kicks in the last three tournaments and DePaul has been on the short end of all three – 2018 to Xavier, 2017 to Providence and 2016 to Georgetown. The Blue Demons have gone into PKs in four of the last five BIG EAST Championships. Like DePaul, Villanova has one BIG EAST crown to its credit – coming in 2003 over Boston College in PKs.
The Wildcats won this year’s regular-season meeting with DePaul back on Oct. 13 at Higgins Soccer Complex, ending a string of eight consecutive Blue Demon wins in the series. Villanova scored twice in the first 10 minutes and a third in the 49th to take an early 3-0 lead. Bina Saipi got DePaul on the board in the 58th, but it was too little too late. Chloe O’Neill, Kristin Barbour and Niki Molina all scored for Nova, while Rebecca Gartner made three saves to pick up the win. DePaul outshot Villanova, 15-9.
Upcoming Schedule
Sunday, Nov. 3
BIG EAST Championship First Round – No. 6 Providence at No. 3 Butler, 1 p.m.^
BIG EAST Championship First Round – No. 5 DePaul at No. 4 Villanova, 1 p.m.^
Thursday, Nov. 7 – Omaha, Neb.
BIG EAST Championship Semifinals – No. 1 seed Xavier vs. 4/5 winner, 6 p.m.^
BIG EAST Championship Semifinals – No. 2 seed Georgetown vs. 3/6 winner, 8:30 p.m.^
Sunday, Nov. 10 – Omaha, Neb.
BIG EAST Championship Final, 4 p.m.#
All times Eastern
*BIG EAST contest
^BEDN
#FS1