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Women's Soccer Hosts Miami (Ohio) In Home Opener On Sunday
Aug. 31, 2006
Complete Release in PDF Format
This week in Butler Women's Soccer...
The Week Ahead: The Bulldogs kick off the home schedule this weekend when they host Miami (Ohio) on Sunday (Sept. 3) beginning at 1:00 p.m. in the Butler Bowl.
Previewing the Bulldogs: Butler enters the weekend with a 1-1 record after claiming third place at the Boilermaker Challenge Cup last weekend in West Lafayette, Ind. Senior Marianne Schilling and sophomore Jenny Southard netted the Bulldogs' first goals of the season in their 2-0 win over Western Kentucky on Sunday (August 27), while junior goalkeeper Kirby Zwickel has played all 180 minutes in two games in net. Butler features one of the most experienced teams in the conference this season, with 15 of the 20 letterwinners and nine of 12 starters returning from a 2005 squad that advanced to the semi-finals of the Horizon League Championship. Listed in that group are three all-league team members, including junior Ashley Twehues (first team), sophomore Angie Muir (second and newcomer teams) and Southard (newcomer team). Head coach Tari St. John (1-1) is in her first season as a collegiate head coach.
Bulldogs Claim Third At Boilermaker Challenge Cup: The Bulldogs claimed a 2-0 victory over Western Kentucky in the third place match of the Boilermaker Challenge Cup on August 27, giving head coach Tari St. John her first win as a collegiate head coach. The match was scoreless until the 27th minute of play, when senior Marianne Schilling found the back of the net on a cross from the left side from Molly Callon. Butler added to the lead early in the second half, as Jenny Southard scored in the 58th minute on a breakaway. Schilling and senior Julie Backscheider were both named to the all-tournament team following the match. The Bulldogs finished the tournament at 1-1 after falling in a 2-0 contest to eventual champion San Diego State in the opening match.
St. John's Comments: "Our win against Western Kentucky was a culmination of things that we trained in practice and pure will to win. Both team's were fatigued from Friday's game, so it was nice to see us come out on top. San Diego State was a very athletic and technically sound team. We did the things we needed to do not only to stay in the game but to give ourselves a chance to win. Our defense was tactically very strong and we created several goal scoring opportunities on the offensive end."
League Tabs Bulldogs Fourth: The Butler women's soccer team was picked to finish fourth in the 2006 season, according to the Horizon League Preseason Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs garnered 29 points in the poll of the league's eight head coaches, putting them behind 2005 regular season champion UW-Milwaukee (48 points), Detroit (42) and Wright State (37).
Muir Is Better: After missing the final eight games of the season due to injury, sophomore Angie Muir returns following a break-out freshman campaign, during which she paced the Butler offense (6 goals, 5 assists, 17 points). An All-Horizon League Second Team and Newcomer Team honoree, she also paced the conference with 1.42 points per game. This season, she is the team leader with 13 shots and four shots on goal. The Defense Never Rests: The Butler defensive unit has traditionally been a strong aspect of past squads, especially under St. John's tutelage. Senior Julie Backscheider returns as an anchor in the backfield after earning All-Horizon League First Team honors in 2004. Sophomore Molly Callon, a league newcomer team member in 2004, returns to action after sitting out last season due to injury. The Bulldogs held opponents to a .078 shots percentage and a .428 shots on goal percentage in 2005.
Double Your Pleasure: For the second year in a row, Butler will have the added benefit of being able to practice and play on both artificial and natural surfaces. Four of the Bulldog's home contests will be played at the artificial turf of the Butler Bowl, while the three remaining matches will be held on the natural grass Varsity Field. Butler will host its home opener in the Butler Bowl against Miami (Ohio), as well as contests against Ball State and Horizon League rivals Cleveland State and Wright State. Games against Loyola, Youngstown State and Indiana State will take place at Varsity Field.
Head Coach Tari St. John: Tari St. John, who spent two seasons on the Butler sidelines as an assistant coach, returned to Butler as the fourth head coach in the history of the women's soccer program April 7, 2006. During her time as an assistant with Butler from 2004-05, nine Bulldogs were named to All-Horizon League Teams, including current members Julie Backscheider, Molly Callon, Angie Muir, Jenny Southard and Ashley Twehues. A two-time co-captain and four-year starter as a midfielder for Purdue from 1999-2003, she earned Academic All-Big Ten, Academic All-Region and Adidas Scholar All-American honors while helping the Boilermakers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2002.
Next Up: The Bulldogs hit the road next weekend as they travel to Annapolis, Md. for the US Naval Academy Tournament from Sept. 8-10. Butler takes on Villanova at 4:00 p.m. on Sept. 8 before battling the host Midshipmen at 11:00 a.m. on Sept. 10. |
