Kickoff To 2019
The 2019 women’s soccer season gets under way this week and all 10 BIG EAST teams will take the pitch for a combined 18 matches. Eight squads kick off the campaign on Thursday, with Creighton beginning Friday (vs. Kansas State) and Seton Hall holding off until Sunday (at Loyola, Md.). Of the combined 17 opponents (No. 7 Georgetown and St. John’s both face James Madison), five are coming off NCAA Championship berths and three are either ranked or receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll. Two matches will stream live on the BIG EAST Digital Network presented by SoFi on Thursday, with Villanova hosting No. 24 LSU at 4 p.m. ET and Providence welcoming future BIG EAST member Connecticut at 7 p.m.
Other notable matches this weekend include a top-25 showdown between No. 7 Georgetown and No. 21 NC State on Sunday at 1 p.m., DePaul hosting Horizon League champion Milwaukee (Thursday, 5 p.m.) and RV SMU (Sunday, 2 p.m.), and Xavier against a pair of reigning conference champions in the OVC’s Murray State (Thursday, 3 p.m.) and the MAC’s Bowling Green (Sunday, 1 p.m.). Other openers include RV Butler at Morehead State (Thursday, 7 p.m.), Marquette at Colorado State (Thursday, 6 p.m.) and St. John’s versus Cincinnati at JMU (Thursday, 4:30 p.m.).
BEDN Debut
A total of 35 regular-season women’s soccer matches will stream on the BIG EAST Digital Network this fall, including two during opening week. Villanova lifts the lid on the 2019 campaign at 4 p.m. ET Thursday when No. 24 LSU comes to town. The Wildcats went 9-9-0 overall last year, 3-6-0 in BIG EAST play, and were picked to finish tied for sixth in the Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Tigers went 13-7-4 in 2018, winning the SEC Championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament Second Round. The nightcap features UConn at Providence. Members of the BIG EAST Conference from 1979-2013, it was announced this summer that the Huskies would return to the BIG EAST beginning in the 2020-2021 academic year. In 20 seasons of BIG EAST women’s soccer, UConn won at least a share of eight regular-season titles and claimed two conference postseason championships. Providence beat Connecticut in the first ever BIG EAST Women’s Soccer Championship in 1993. The Friars went 11-6-3 in 2018, advancing to the semifinals of the conference championship as the No. 6 seed, while UConn went 4-14-0.
The two BEDN streams on Thursday night can be watched on both Caffeine.TV and YouTube. See the direct links below for access to each match.
Villanova vs. LSU (Live - 4:00 PM ET)
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WQE0Q6_oWI
Caffeine:
http://caffeine.tv/BEDN
Providence vs. UConn (Live - 7:00 PM ET)
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bebUrM42sDQ
Caffeine:
http://caffeine.tv/BEDN
United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll
Winners of three-straight BIG EAST Championships and coming off its second trip to the College Cup in three seasons, Georgetown was tabbed No. 7 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll. Finishing as runner-up in the last two seasons, Butler received votes in the Coaches Poll. The Hoyas were ranked every week last season, peaking at No. 2 on Nov. 6. Butler spent three weeks in the top 25, climbing to No. 22 on Sept. 4.
Preseason Recap
Winners of three consecutive BIG EAST Championship titles, Georgetown is predicted to make it four straight as the Hoyas were unanimously picked atop the 2019 BIG EAST Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll. GU claimed all available nine first-place votes and 81 points. Georgetown senior Meaghan Nally, the reigning BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, garnered the preseason honor, while 2018 Midfielder of the Year Samantha Dewey of Xavier was voted BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Junior Shelby Hogan rounded out the major award winners as the BIG EAST Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year. BIG EAST Championship and regular-season runner-up for the past two seasons, Butler was slotted second behind the Hoyas with the remaining first-place vote and a total of 67 points. Providence landed third with 62 points, followed by Xavier in fourth with 55. DePaul rounded out the top five with 46 points, while St. John’s and Villanova tied for sixth with 38 points apiece. Marquette was picked eighth with 34 points, followed by Creighton (20) and Seton Hall (9).
Thursday
Xavier at Murray State, 3 p.m.
#24 LSU at Villanova, 4 p.m.^
St. John’s vs. Cincinnati, 4:30 p.m. (at James Madison)
Milwaukee at DePaul, 5 p.m.
UConn at Providence, 7 p.m.^
RV Butler at Morehead State, 7 p.m.
#7 Georgetown at James Madison, 7 p.m.
Marquette at Colorado State, 7 p.m.
Friday
Kansas State at Creighton, 8 p.m.
Sunday
St. John’s at James Madison, 1 p.m.
#21 NC State at #7 Georgetown, 1 p.m.
Marquette at Ball State, 1 p.m.
Seton Hall at Loyola (Md.), 1 p.m.
Saint Joseph’s at Villanova, 1 p.m.
Bowling Green at Xavier, 1 p.m.
RV SMU at DePaul, 2 p.m.
UMass at Providence, 6 p.m.
IUPUI at RV Butler, 7 p.m.
^BEDN
All times Eastern