ZACH HORRALL | STAFF REPORTER
The Butler University women’s soccer team lost on the road to No. 19 DePaul University 3-2 Thursday, moving them to 9-5-1 on the season and 2-2 in the Big East.
“Overall, I think we played well,” said senior midfielder Randi Delong. “It wasn’t our best game, but we still played the type of soccer that we like to play, and there were times during the game that we controlled the tempo. I don’t think DePaul enjoyed playing against us. We made mistakes and we were playing a very good team.”
The 2014 Big East champion Blue Demons got the first shot on the board in minute 19 as senior forward Elise Wyatt, with an assist from freshman forward Franny Cerny, shot the ball into the far post to give DePaul a 1-0 lead.
Their lead lasted less than two minutes, however. Butler’s junior midfielder McKenzie Muchow got a shot right in front of the net for her first goal of the season and putting the game at a 1-1 tie. Muchow was assisted by junior midfielder Serina Kashimoto.
In minute 29, DePaul fired back and put another ball in the net. Wyatt scored again for DePaul, this time with an assist from sophomore midfielder Lucy Edwards as she shot the ball from just outside the box.
At halftime, DePaul had a 2-1 lead over the Bulldogs. They also put up six shots, compared to Butler’s two. Each team had one save in the first half, and DePaul had one corner kick while Butler had zero.
Butler stepped up their game in the second half and played a more competitive game. Almost the entire second half went by without another score. Then, with 1:11 left in the game, DePaul’s Wyatt scored yet again for the Blue Demons with an unassisted shot to the lower right side of the net, giving them a 3-1 lead. Wyatt was the only player to score for DePaul.
Delong felt that she could have done something to prevent that shot.
“I was about a yard away from blocking her shot, so I was kind of upset about that,” said Delong.
Butler continued to fight back, and with 40 seconds left, Delong positioned herself right in front of the net and scored a goal for the Bulldogs.
“I just remember the ball deflecting off of someone, letting it bounce over my head, turning, and reaching out with my right foot to slide it between the goalie’s hands and the far goal post,” Delong said of her late-game goal.
The 3-2 score after Delong’s goal would stay, as there was not enough time for either team to produce any more goals.
Butler added four shots to their game in the second half, giving them a game total of six to go along with their five shots on goal.
Butler’s sophomore goalkeeper Madison Card had two more saves in the second half, bringing her game total to three.
Just like the first half, DePaul was able to add six shots in the second half, giving them 12 for the game, double what Butler was able to produce. They ended the game with six shots on goal.
DePaul’s senior goalkeeper Alejandria Godinez, like Card, produced two more saves in the second half to bring her game total to three.
Butler ended the game with eight fouls, five in the first half and three in the second. Senior Sophia Maccagnone was given a yellow card in minute 81.
DePaul had total of six fouls; four in the first half and two in the second half.
MuChow led the way for the Bulldogs with two shots, two shots on goal, and one goal.
Wyatt was clearly the leader for the Blue Demons on Thursday evening with eight of the team’s 12 shots, four of the six shots on goal and all three goals for the team.
Butler will be in action on Sunday at home against Georgetown University. The game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
