No. 6 DePaul Upsets No. 3 Butler in BIG EAST Quarterfinal

Sunday, November 3

Indianapolis, Ind.

12:00 P.M. CT

DePaul University

5-7-7, 3-3-4

Butler

10-4-5, 5-2-3

DePaul

Butler

No. 6 DePaul Upsets No. 3 Butler in BIG EAST Quarterfinal

11/3/2024 7:35:00 PM | WOMEN'S SOCCER

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Blue Demons advance to BIG EAST semifinals for first time since 2016

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – DePaul women's soccer advanced to the BIG EAST semifinals with an 8-7 penalty kick shootout following a double-overtime draw with Butler, Sunday evening. After a 3-3 finish in regulation, the squads battled it out in two overtime periods but could not come away with a result. In the shootout, DePaul and Butler matched each other, trading seven consecutive PK goals; however, after an eighth make by the Blue Demons, the Bulldogs struck the post in a win-or-go-home opportunity, falling to DePaul after a nearly three-hour battle between conference foes.

"This team continues to prove that they never give up," said head coach Michele O'Brien. "Being able to score three goals in conference play is awesome for us – I thought that was a step in the right direction. It proves to our team that we absolutely can score goals and get on top of games. We'd like to be a little more clinical and sharper in our defensive box at times, really paying attention to every moment and being a little tighter with our marking in the box," said coach O'Brien.

With the PK draw, DePaul (5-7-7, 3-3-4 BIG EAST) earned its first bid to the BIG EAST semifinals since 2016, where it received the No. 1 seed and an automatic qualification to the second round. The result is also the first time in ten years that the Blue Demons have advanced into a subsequent round following a draw or victory since 2014 when DePaul won its first BIG EAST Championship.

"To perform under the pressure of all those penalty kicks and to have eight kids take it and score eight goals is really impressive," said coach O'Brien. "That just continues to show the pressure they can handle. When they are locked into the moment, there's not a lot that's going to distract them right now. I think we are in a really good place going into the game on Thursday night."

After securing its highest conference tournament seeding since 2021, Butler (10-4-5, 5-2-3 BIG EAST) was knocked out of the first round of the BIG EAST Championships for the third straight season. The Bulldogs found themselves down 2-0 by the 49th minute but mounted a comeback, tying up the match in the 70th minute and equalizing again in the final six minutes. Still, the Blue Demons held on to take the match in the shootout.

How it Happened
The Blue Demons controlled the first ten minutes of the match, with graduate student Beth Smyth attempting two shots before the eight-minute mark.

Butler earned its first corner kick in the ninth minute, coming close to a scoring opportunity in the form of an Amelie Darey shot attempt deep in the box, but could not capitalize, missing just left of the post.

Playing more aggressively on the offensive side of the ball, DePaul and Butler both pressed in the attacking third, flipping possession for the first 15 minutes.

For a four-minute period at the 20th minute-mark, the Bulldogs rang off three shots, coming eerily close for DePaul's liking, yet each shot was either blocked or off target.

In the 32nd minute, DePaul made a switch to put in sophomore Tessa Fagerson, and just three minutes later, she netted her first career goal on a beautiful feed from freshman Katelyn Jamie, also marking Jamie's first career assist.

A 41st-minute shot attempt by Butler was blocked, putting a close on a back-and-forth half that saw the Blue Demons lead by one.

To open the second half, a pair of Butler shots came up short, with Milam securing her first two saves of the match in the 47th and 48th minutes, respectively.

On a breakaway roughly thirty seconds later, Lea Eisenring sent Freya Jupp a lead pass into the goal box. Anna Pierce tried to come forward to make a play on the ball, but Jupp tapped a roller into the net, giving DePaul its second 2-0 lead in a one-week span, after beating St. John's on Sunday, Oct. 27, at home.

At the 50-minute mark, the Bulldogs took over momentum, attempting two more corner kicks and three shots until they netted their first goal in the 58th minute. Butler's first finish came on a corner kick cross from Abigail Isger to Caitlin O'Malley, her first goal of the season, to put the Bulldogs within striking distance at 2-1.

Willing her team, Leila Lister attempted three shots in a six-minute span, missing on her first two but striking on her third. Her 67th-minute goal came on a deflected cross, with Lea Larouche directing the pass off her back to Lister to equalize and net Butler's second goal in a nine-minute span.

On a 2 v. 1 opportunity for DePaul, Briley Hill received a lead pass from Tessa Fagerson, and Pierce, looking to deflect and clear the ball, ran five yards beyond the goal box. Hill put just enough finesse on the shot attempt to roll the ball a couple of feet inside the right post, putting DePaul ahead yet again.

The two sides traded more shots, but the Bulldogs capitalized on their final scoring opportunity, with Talia Sommer netting an equalizer in the 84th minute. Two DePaul shots followed, but neither team could hit a game-winner in regulation.

The overtime rules for BIG EAST postseason play include a golden goal scenario, with two ten-minute overtime periods if needed.

To open overtime, what seemed like a sure-thing breakaway for DePaul in the 93rd minute saw Jupp, with just the goalkeeper to beat, tripped by the keeper in the box, but no penalty kick was awarded.

In the Blue Demons' final scoring opportunity of the first overtime period, Eisenring corralled the ball and set up for a shot, but her attempt from the PK line sailed over the goal.

With ten seconds remaining in the first overtime, Butler sent a shot at Milam off a deflection, and by the tip of her fingers, she stopped the Bulldogs from going home happy.

At the 103rd minute, Butler had its chance to advance, ringing a shot straight off the right post that went careening away. The Bulldogs missed two more shots before the horn sounded for the final time.

With time expired, the match advanced to a penalty kick shootout, with both sides netting seven consecutive attempts. Following the fifth round, the shootout entered a high-stakes phase, where any miss would be decisive to the outcome.

Tessa Fagerson, Natalie Moore, and Susie Soderstrom hit the Blue Demons' sixth, seventh, and eighth PKs. Butler's Lucia Englund lined up her kick but struck the postbar, marking the end of DePaul's longest match of the season and the end of the Bulldogs' 2024 campaign.

Match Notes

DePaul advanced to the BIG EAST conference semifinals for the first time since 2016, having received an automatic bid as a No. 1 seed.
The Blue Demons advanced in the BIG EAST Tournament for the first time following a match result since 2014, when DePaul won its first BIG EAST Championship.
DePaul advanced in the BIG EAST Tournament via a penalty kick victory for the first time in program history.
The last time a 6-seed won in the conference tournament was in 2015, when 6-seeded Providence took down 3-seeded DePaul on Nov. 3, 2015, at Wish Field, when head coach Michele O'Brien was in her seventh year as an assistant coach.
Four of Milam's seven saves came in the two overtime periods, covering just 18% of game time.
Penalty kick goals: Junior midfielder Nahla Dominguez, graduate student midfielder Beth Smyth, Eisenring, Jupp, sophomore midfielder Shayna da Silva, Fagerson, senior midfielder Natalie Moore, and senior forward Susie Soderstrom scored for DePaul.
DePaul earned its highest point total in any match this season with nine, securing three goals and three assists.
The Blue Demons allowed Butler to attempt 26 shots, the most of any opponent this season.
Tessa Fagerson scored her first career goal.
Katelyn Jamie earned her first career assist.
Touching the pitch for the first time this season, Senior Natalie Moore knocked down DePaul's seventh (of eight) PK's.
Freya Jupp scored her sixth goal of the season, a Blue Demon high.
Lea Eisenring nabbed her third assist of the season, the highest of any Blue Demon.
Leila Lister attempted ten shots, the most allowed by any one person against DePaul.

UP NEXT
No. 6 DePaul takes on No. 2 Xavier in the semifinal round of the 2024 BIG EAST Championships on Nov. 7. First touch is set for 4 p.m. CT in Boyds, Md.

BIG EAST Tournament Implications
The semifinal winners will play the title match on Sunday, Nov. 10. Sunday's match will begin at 11 a.m. at the Maryland SoccerPlex and will air on FS1. The winner of the BIG EAST Championship will earn the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. For more on the BIG EAST Championship, visit Championship Central, HERE.

FOLLOW THE BLUE DEMONS
For all the latest information on DePaul Women's Soccer, visit DePaulBlueDemons.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Blue Demons on Facebook, Instagram, X.