PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The 2020-21 BIG EAST Women’s Soccer Championship presented by JEEP got off to an exciting start on Friday in Providence, R.I., as top seeds Georgetown and Butler prevailed in their respective Semifinal matches. The Hoyas used a 91^st minute penalty kick to advance past second-seeded Creighton, 2-1, while the Bulldogs staved off UConn’s late-game surge to also prevail 2-1. Georgetown, the top seed out of the East Division, and Butler, the top seed out of the Midwest Division, will square off in Sunday’s title game for the third time in the last four seasons with the BIG EAST’s automatic bid into the NCAA Championship on the line. Sunday’s kickoff at Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium is set for 11 a.m. ET and will air on FS1.
 
No. 1 seed Georgetown 2, No. 2 seed Creighton 1 (OT)
A penalty kick 35 seconds into overtime sent top-seeded Georgetown into its fifth consecutive BIG EAST Championship title game, eliminating the second-seeded Bluejays in their BIG EAST postseason debut. Jenna Menta was tripped up in the box by Creighton goalkeeper Keelan Terrell as the Hoyas were awarded a penalty kick in the 91^st minute. Julia Leas converted the attempt, leading Georgetown to the 2-1 victory.
 
Georgetown struck first during regulation as Gia Vicari scored her league-leading 10^th goal of the season off feeds from Menta and Maya Fernandez-Powell in the ninth minute. Creighton’s Aida Kardovic provided the equalizer in the 27^th minute, converting on a scramble in front of the net, with Keelie Fothergill getting the assist on Kardovic’s fourth goal of the season. Neither team scored in the second half despite a flurry of shots from Creighton, which outshot Georgetown 5-1 over the final 45 minutes of regulation. Lauren Gallagher, who entered the game for the Hoyas out of halftime, made three stops in the second half to help maintain the tied score. Creighton finished with a 9-5 advantage in shots, with Skylar Heinrich totaling a game-high four strikes. Alyssa Navarette had two saves for Georgetown in the opening 45, while Terrell finished with one stop. The Hoyas advance to their fifth straight BIG EAST Championship title game and eye their fourth crown.
 
No. 1 seed Butler 2, No. 2 seed UConn 1
Butler thwarted off a late-game rally from UConn in the day’s second semifinal to advance to its fourth BIG EAST Championship title game and third in the last four seasons. Gretchen Skoglund buried a goal from deep in the 40^th minute, catching UConn’s Randi Palacios off her line to make it a 1-0 Bulldog lead late in the first. Alana Wood’s first goal of the season seemed to be the game-clincher in the 76^th minute to give Butler a 2-0 advantage, but the Huskies would not go away. Butler held UConn without a shot on goal until the 79^th minute when Melina Couzis converted a free kick from way out, beating a diving Stephanie Rodriguez to close within one, 2-1. The Huskies continued to threaten from that point forward, but Butler hung on for the win.
 
Shots ended in an even 12-12 tie, with BIG EAST Co-Goalkeepers of the Year Palacios and Rodriguez finishing with two and one saves, respectively. Aliya Diagne was credited with the assist on Skoglund’s goal, while Abigail Isger earned the helper of Wood’s strike. UConn’s Jada Konte took a game-high four shots. Butler moves on to face Georgetown for the third time in the last four seasons in the conference final. The Hoyas have won the last two championship meetings with Butler – 1-0 in 2018 and 3-0 in 2017, both at Shaw Field in Washington, D.C. Butler won its lone BIG EAST title in 2015, edging Providence 1-0 in Omaha, Neb.
 
For more on the BIG EAST Women’s Soccer Championship presented by JEEP, visit Championship Central HERE.
 
BIG EAST Women's Soccer Championship 
Presented By JEEP
Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium – Providence, R.I.
Semifinals – April 16  –  BEDN
No. 1 Georgetown (East) 2, No. 2 Creighton (Midwest) 1 (OT)
No. 1 Butler (Midwest) 2, No. 2 UConn (East) 1
Final – April 18 –  FS1
No. 1 Butler (Midwest) vs. No. 1 Georgetown (East), 11 a.m. ET