With memories of the team’s 1-0 double overtime loss to Louisville possibly sitting in the minds of some Butler women’s soccer players, the Bulldogs looked to avenge the defeat in tonight’s rematch.

The Cardinals (1-0) proved to be too strong for the Bulldogs (0-1) to handle, however, as Louisville made its way to a 2-0 victory. The match was the season-opener for both teams.

In a game dominated by physicality, a finesse performance by Louisville sophomore forward Casey Whitfield in the 53rd minute led to the game-winning tally.

Just moments after beating multiple Butler defenders–only to have a shot turned away by Butler junior goalkeeper Julie Burton–Whitfield threaded the ball through several of the same Bulldogs and beat Burton with a shot.

In the 84th minute, junior midfielder Angelika Uremovich put the icing on the cake for the Cardinals by firing a shot over the outstretch arms of Burton off a free kick.

Sophomore forward Elise Kotsakis recorded five shots for the Bulldogs, and freshman midfielder Sophia Maccagnone added three11 more. Butler was outshot 11-10 by Louisville.

The match also saw 16 fouls and three yellow cards between the squads.

Butler will stay at home and prepare for Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. The two teams will square off in the Butler Bowl Sunday at 2 pm.

In a game for Butler’s history books, the women’s soccer team came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Valparaiso and move on in the Horizon League tournament.

The game, played Tuesday in Valparaiso, featured 20 minutes of extra play and eight rounds of penalty kicks.

In the first 40 minutes, offense was the theme of the game, with all four goals coming in the first half.

Junior Rachel Scott scored on a rebound off a shot by fellow junior Katie Griswold, and sophomore Olivia Colosimo scored on a free kick.

After a defensive second half that featured several saves from Bulldog goalkeeper Julie Burton, the game went to overtime.

After no offensive action in two overtimes, the game went to a shootout, which Butler won by a count of 5-4.

Valparaiso had two opportunities to win in PKs, but both were shut down.

The match featured 37 shots and 37 fouls between the two teams.

Burton had seven saves in the marathon of a match.

Bundled-up fans came out to the Butler Bowl on Oct. 28 for the team’s last conference match against Loyola.

They watched the Bulldogs (8-9-1, 3-5) work to come back from a 2-0 first- half deficit.

In the 10th minute, Rambler freshman defenseman Valerie Gonyo headed a Loyola free kick into the net to put them up 1-0.

“You fall behind early, the game changes, and you have to chase it a little bit,” Butler coach Tari St. John said.

Loyola tallied another goal just less than 28 minutes later when junior forward Ana Michelini broke away on a run and chipped the ball over Burton.

“We put the effort in, we were connected, and I think we played really well with each other,” freshman foward Elise Kotsakis said. “We just couldn’t get it in the back of the net.”

Kotsakis, who had a career-high nine shots during the match, changed that in the 74th minute, scoring the only goal of the second half.

The goal-scoring play started with a pass from  Griswold to Kotsakis, who buried the ball in the net from 12 yards out.

Butler’s offense could not find the net again, and the Bulldogs finished the regular season with a sub-.500 record.

By the end of the match, Butler had outshot Loyola 18-8 and had eight shots on goal to the Ramblers’ six.

“We always like to win just for pride,” Burton said. “I think it’s good that we can come back from two goals and make those changes.”

The Bulldogs next play on Nov. 4 against Horizon League regular-season champion Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the semifinal round of the conference tournament.

The Panthers (16-2-0, 8-0-0) defeated the Bulldogs 4-1 in a match earlier this season.

In a game that was critical to conference standing, the Butler women’s soccer team got a crucial 2-0 win against Horizon League foe Wisconsin-Green Bay on Sunday.

With the win, the Bulldogs (8-8-1, 3-4-0) clinched, at worst, a sixth-place finish in the Horizon League, which guarantees them a spot in the league tournament.

“We’re good enough to be in the tournament,” freshman forward Stephanie Kaylor said.  “We shouldn’t have ended our season without being in it, and we‘re relieved to have clinched a spot.”

As they have done often this season, the Bulldogs came out as the aggressors against the Phoenix (3-10-4, 1-4-2). The team’s offensive pressure would be rewarded in the match’s 19th minute.

The goal-scoring play started when Kaylor fired the ball into the box.

Photo by Maria Porter

Phoenix senior goalkeeper Maddie Drusch attempted to break up the play, but the ball deflected off her hands and into the goal to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.

The Bulldogs and Phoenix played an evenly-matched contest for the rest of the half and took the 1-0 lead going into halftime.

The Bulldogs outshot Green Bay 7-6 in the first half and tallied five corner kicks.

“We played really well from the beginning,” junior forward Katie Griswold said.  “Our team really played as a unit.”

The second half would see no letdown from Butler, as the Bulldogs took only six minutes to notch their second goal of the match.

This time, Griswold drew a foul in the box and received a penalty kick.

“I got a pass from someone and beat a player, and a girl just took me out,” Griswold said.  “It’s really nerve-wracking when you go up there, but I never make eye contact with the goalkeeper. I just pick a corner and go for it.”

Griswold converted the opportunity, and the Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead with 38 minutes remaining.

Butler was able to hold off Green Bay for the remainder of the game and pick up its eighth victory of the season.

Freshman forward Elise Kotsakis led the Bulldogs with three shots, and sophomore goalkeeper Julie Burton had five saves for Butler.

The win got Butler back on track in conference play and broke a three-game losing streak. The third loss in the slide came on Wednesday against Valparaiso.

The Crusaders (8-6-3, 4-2-1) took the decision 1-0 on Wednesday to remain in third place in the Horizon League.

Butler was led by Griswold and junior Rachael Melendez, who each collected five shots.

Burton made four saves for the Bulldogs in the defeat.

The Bulldogs return to action one last time before the conference tournament when they host Loyola under the lights on Friday.

Loyola won their first Horizon League match on Sunday, with  a 1-0 victory over Youngstown State.

The Ramblers (5-10-3, 1-4-2) are battling Cleveland State for the sixth and final spot in the league tournament.

After enduring one injury after another, it seemed that Butler women’s soccer player Natalie Galovska would never catch a break.

“When my doctor said I should probably call it quits, I remember thinking, ‘No, not again,’” Galovska, now a senior, said.

After battling injuries through her teens, Galovska’s aspirations were realized when she was offered a scholarship to play Division I soccer at Butler.
But then the aches and pains returned.

During her junior season, Galovska, then a midfielder, suffered a pulled quadricep and was approached by coach Tari St. John about the possibility of taking a medical redshirt.

Photo by Maria Porter

Hopeful to return, Galovska declined.

However, her knee buckled during a pregame warmup, ending her season and jeopardizing her soccer career.

When she approached St. John about switching from midfield to goal, Galovska’s idea was well received.

“I just wasn’t ready to end it,” Galovska said. “I thought maybe there was one last chance. Maybe I could help out somehow if I were in goal.”

Galovska played goalie as a kid, and the Bulldogs were in need of depth at the goalkeeper position.

After working with goalkeeper coach Elise Edwards during the spring and honing her skills in the summer, Galovska emerged as the Bulldogs’ top option.

“There are special traits that make a good goalkeeper—risk taking and courageousness,” St. John said, “and Natalie has those. She’ll take a foot to the face if that means she’s going to save a goal for us.”

Galovska began the season as the Bulldogs’ No. 1 goalkeeper, starting nine games and amassing a 4-5 record.

Her first career victory was also her first shutout, a 1-0 win over Indiana State.

As Butler’s lone senior, Galovska’s career will be celebrated Friday in the Bulldogs’ final home match of the regular season.

“She is always there to offer advice or guidance when someone is struggling,” junior midfielder Kelly Grott said. “When senior night comes around, it’s going to set in that she won’t be around next year.”

While sophomore Julie Burton will move into the goalkeeper role for the Bulldogs after Galovska graduates, St. John said Galovska’s presence will be missed.

“She’s had a profound impact on this program with the inspiration she’s provided,” St. John said.