WASHINGTON – The No. 10 Georgetown University women's soccer team (10-0-1, 8-0-1) will face Butler University (10-1, 6-1) in the final of the BIG EAST Women's Soccer Championship Presented by Jeep on Sunday, April 18. Sophomore
Julia Leas lifted the Hoyas past Creighton on April 16, as the defender converted the decisive spot kick in overtime to ensure GU played in its fifth-consecutive BIG EAST final. For the Bulldogs, they came out on top against No. 2-seeded University of Connecticut as Alana Wood's first goal of the season in the 76th minute proved to be the game winner with the contest ended 2-1. Sunday's finale will feature Georgetown and Butler for the third time in four years. The winner of the match will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in Cary, North Carolina.
Follow the Action
The match can be viewed on FS1 at 11 a.m. and a live stats link will be available on GUHoyas.com.
About the Hoyas
- Georgetown enters the Championship final after edging Creighton 2-1 in the conference's semifinal.
- After senior Jenna Menta was brought down in the box by the Bluejay goalkeeper just 35 seconds into the overtime, Leas' penalty clinched the game for the Blue & Gray.
- All-BIG EAST First Team member and conference top-scorer Gia Vicari scored the opening goal of the semifinal, with Menta registering her eighth assist of the year to keep herself atop the conference's assist chart.
- Jenna Menta earned BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year, with Daisy Cleverley and Kelly Ann Livingston awarded BIG EAST Midfielder and Defensive Player of the Year honors, respectively.
- Vicari was selected to the All-BIG EAST First Team, while Lauren Gallagher, Julia Leas, and Jenna Royson earned spots on the All-BIG EAST Second Team.
- Erin Martin rounded off the award winners from GU with her inclusion on the All-Freshman team.
- The Blue & Gray won the BIG EAST title in 2016, 2017, and 2018, while finishing as the runner-up in the 2019 tournament.
- GU is 12-13-4 in its 17 BIG EAST Championship appearances.
- Georgetown is ranked No. 10 by the United Soccer Coaches Poll, N. 9 by the NCAA RPI, and No. 18 by TopDrawerSoccer.
About the Opponent: Butler
- The Bulldogs are the No. 1 seed from the Midwest Division after finishing their season with a 6-1 conference record.
- On April 16, Butler beat the Huskies 2-1 to advance to the BIG EAST Championship final.
- BU's goals came from Gretchen Skoglund and Wood, with the former scoring a long-range effort with five minutes to play in the first half.
- Six Bulldogs earned BIG EAST postseason awards; forwards Anja Savich and Katie Soderstrom were named to the All-BIG EAST First Team, while Aliya Diagne was selected to the All-BIG EAST Second Team.
- Goalkeeper Stephanie Rodriguez not only earned BU EAST Co-Goalkeeper of the Year, but also made an appearance on the second team.
- Rounding off the award winners were Alli Leonard and Cailtin O'Malley on the All-Freshman team.
- Butler ranks No. 12 on the NCAA RPI, and is receiving votes on both the United Soccer Coaches and TopDrawerSoccer national polls.
Series History
- Sunday's final will be the 11th meeting between Georgetown and Butler, and the third BIG EAST Championship featuring the Hoyas and Bulldogs in the past four seasons.
- The Blue & Gray are 7-1-2 against BU.
- The last meeting was on October 20, 2019, when both teams played to a scoreless draw after two overtime periods in Indianapolis.
- Georgetown is 3-0-0 against the Bulldogs in BIG EAST postseason play.
- The Hoyas set their record for most goals scored in a BIG EAST tournament game when they put four past BU in the 2016 quarterfinals.
What Lies Ahead
The winner of the BIG EAST Championship final will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
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All Georgetown women's soccer home matches are currently scheduled to be played at Shaw Field. In accordance with Washington, D.C. regulations which limit the size of in-person gatherings, fans are regrettably not permitted to attend home games at this time.
