The Butler women’s soccer team looked to continue its winning streak with two non-conference games last weekend.

The Bulldogs (2-2) had their first away match against Eastern Michigan (1-1-1) that ended in a 1-0 loss.

“Our first away game was especially difficult because EMU has a grass field. It definitely threw off the pace of our play and it took a lot of adaptions on our part,” freshman forward Addison Schaar said.

Both teams had a scoreless first half, despite combining for a total of 15 shots in the first half.

The Eagle’s freshman forward Sarah Deakin scored the only goal of the match in the 65th minute.

“We’re using this loss as motivation to come out and beat Purdue this Wednesday, as well as giving us something to improve on during training,” said Schaar.

Three players scored their first goal of the season for the Bulldogs (2-2), propelling them to a 3-0 win over the Sycamores (1-2) last Friday.

With eight minutes remaining in the first half, Butler tallied its first goal, a long-distance strike by freshman midfielder Sophia Maccagnone.

The second half, much like the first, was dominated by physical play. The two squads combined for 24 fouls in the match.

“Going into the game we knew how the game was going to be so we just went right back at them with being physical,” sophomore forward Stephanie Kaylor said.

In the 57th minute, a well-placed corner kick by Kaylor was deposited in the back of the net off the head of sophomore defenseman Kelly Mahoney, giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 advantage.

Photo by Jaclyn McConnell

“I know that if I put the ball in a certain spot just beyond the keeper, one of my teammates will put it in the back of the net,” Kaylor said.

Moments later sophomore forward Elise Kotsakis delivered on a penalty kick, putting the game out of Indiana State’s reach.

The Sycamores were unable to record a shot attempt in the second half.

Butler will continue its non-conference schedule with a match at Purdue tonight starting at 7 p.m.

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.