Butler (4-2-3)
Butler has had difficulties stringing together any sort of win streak so far this season, largely because it faced some generally solid programs. The Bulldogs played No. 17 Indiana to a 0-0 draw. The Indiana match was the season debut for senior goaltender Andy Holte, who earned the Big East Goalkeeper of the Week award for his efforts. He’s started every game for the Bulldogs since.
Butler sneaked into the Big East tournament at No. 6 last year, allowing the Bulldogs to upset Xavier before falling in the second round to Marquette. The Bulldogs will get a chance to earn revenge against Marquette Oct. 15.
No. 12 Creighton (5-1-1)
Creighton was hot out of the gate this season, winning its first six games. The win streak helped the Bluejays move up all the way to No. 3 in the country last week, but a 1-0 overtime loss to No. 10 St. Louis this week pushed them down in the rankings. The team held the top position in the NSCAA Great Lakes Region the past two weeks, but were leapfrogged by Marquette and Georgetown this week.
The Bluejays most impressive win was a 2-0 victory against No. 19 Stanford in their season opener. Sophomore Fabian Herbers, member of the 2013 Big East all-rookie team, leads the team in points with 10. Junior Timo Pitter, who has lead the team in points the past two seasons, is right behind him. Marquette heads to Omaha, Neb., Oct. 29 as a part of a two-game road trip.
DePaul (3-4-1)
DePaul has alternated wins and losses/ties for most of nonconference play, including a season opening loss to Wisconsin-Milwaukee and its recent loss to crosstown rival Northwestern. DePaul has seen scoring from multiple sources, as eight different players have made it on the scorecard so far this season.
The Blue Devils will see a familiar face when they head up to Milwaukee Nov. 7, as Marquette’s leading scorer David Selvaggi spent two years at DePaul before transferring. The match will be the last of Marquette’s regular season.
No. 11 Georgetown (4-1-3)
The regular season champion last season, Georgetown has continued its previous year’s success into 2014. The Hoyas’ season started off in Bloomington, Ind., at the Adidas/IU Credit Unit Classic. They enjoyed slightly more success than the Golden Eagles, playing Notre Dame and Indiana to ties.
The Hoyas most impressive outcome in non-conference play was a tie as well in a 1-1 tie against No. 6 California-Irvine. Their one loss was a bit of a surprise, as they fell 2-1 to the lowly Virginia Commonwealth Rams. Marquette faces Georgetown on the road Oct.4.
No. 13 Marquette (5-2-0)
The Golden Eagles have rattled off five straight shutout victories after losing their first two matches. Marquette has played efficiently on both offense and defense. Their backline has been rewarded for their effort in the shutouts, as redshirt junior Axel Sjoberg and redshirt sophomore John Pothast have combined to win the last three Big East Defender of the Week honors for Marquette. Their only losses have come at the hands of No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 17 Indiana.
Marquette kicks off their Big East slate Saturday against Providence. The two sides faced off in last year’s Big East Championship.
Providence (5-2-0)
Providence has gotten off to a very solid start to the season, leading to the Friars earning votes in this week’s NSCAA coaches’ poll. Their best offensive showing came against Rhode Island, when they scored five goals on 28 shots. The Friars’ most recent match was another high scoring outing, as they defeated Northeastern 3-1.
The Friars face Marquette this Saturday in its Big East opener at Valley Fields.
St. John’s (2-2-3)
After a disastrous start to their 2014 campaign, the Red Storm slowly picked up positive results the last week. Initially losing or tying its first four matches, St. John’s earned its first victory versus Harvard Sept. 13, and it seemed to get the team back on track. They tied Wisconsin-Madison six days later, and most recently picked up a 3-1 victory against Connecticut Tuesday.
St. John’s seems to be getting things together at the perfect time, as it opens Big East play Saturday against Xavier. St. John’s goes to battle with Marquette Oct. 11.
Seton Hall (2-2-2)
The Pirates record isn’t stellar, but it isn’t all bad news for Seton Hall. Their two losses were No. 23 Delaware and a 5-4 goalfest with Princeton. One of the Pirates’ victories also came against Monmouth, who is receiving votes in this week’s coaches’ poll. One of the ties came to No. 20 George Mason. Seton Hall has shown it can stick around with top teams and could make some noise in Big East play.
Like last season, Marquette plays Seton Hall in the second to last regular season game of the year. The sides match up Nov. 1.
Xavier (5-3-0)
Xavier has one of the best records in the conference in pre-season play, but has some tough losses. Its match with Wisconsin-Madison went poorly for the Musketeers, losing 4-0. Xavier was shutout by Libscomb, whose 6-1-0 record is a bit deceiving due to the quality of opponents they’ve faced. However, Xavier’s record is rather similar to the record at this point last season. At 5-3-0, they are certainly not fretting about their results yet.
Marquette will welcome Xavier to Valley Fields Oct. 25 The Golden Eagles narrowly edged out Xavier 1-0 in last year’s meeting.
Villanova (3-3-1)
The Wildcats ran into scoring issues early in their season. Villanova was shutout in its first three matches, losing 1-0 on all three outings. The Wildcats have managed to work their way back to .500, but the scoring issues still haven’t dissipated. They’ve consistently scored one goal in all but one match.
The Wildcats play the Golden Eagles Oct. 18th at Valley Fields. Villanova’s offensive woes could do them in against one of the top defensive units in the conference.
