Butler Advances To Horizon League Championship Match
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. -- It came down to the Horizon League’s
best offensive player against the league’s top goalkeeper and
the outcome lifted top-seeded Butler to a 2-1 victory over #4
Cleveland State in the second semifinal of the league tournament at
the Butler Bowl on Friday, Nov. 12. The win moves the
Bulldogs into a title game rematch with second-seeded Green Bay on
Sunday, Nov. 14.
With 0:43 left in the match, Butler’s Jacob Capito was
tripped in the penalty box, setting up a penalty kick for the
Bulldogs. Senior Ben Sippola, named Horizon League Player of
the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, lineup up against
Cleveland State’s Brad Stuver, tabbed the league Goalkeeper
of the Year. Sippola capped Butler’s comeback by
blasting a shot to the upper left corner of net, his eighth goal
this year.
“I’m pleased for Jake, being a senior. He got
himself in the right spot and drew the penalty. And then Ben
stepped up. The guy has great character. The pressure
at that moment is unbelievable and to be able to smash that thing
in the back of the net was great for our team and great for
him,” said Butler head coach Kelly Findley after the
match.
The Bulldogs (16-0-2), ranked sixth in the National Soccer Coaches
of America Association national poll, were playing catch-up for
more than 50 minutes of the tough, physical match. Cleveland
State (8-10-1) grabbed a lead just over 20 minutes into the contest
when Audric Kilroy took a long pass up-field from Manual Conde and
fired a shot past Butler goalkeeper Fabian Knopfler.
It was the first time this season that the Bulldogs trailed in a
match!
The Vikings, who tied Butler, 0-0, just a week ago at the Butler
Bowl, took the 1-0 advantage to halftime and held it through the
first 30:33 of the final period. That’s when Butler
came up with perhaps its biggest play this season.
Senior Brett Heinz started a charge up the right side of the field
and served to the middle of the field. Freshman Austin Oldham
knocked the ball down to teammate Julian Cardona,
and the sophomore forward launched a shot from 25 yards out that
eluded a diving Stuver and settled into the left corner of the
net. It was Cardona’s fourth goal this season.
“Julian is a quality, quality player. I’m not
surprised that a player of his quality had that big moment for us
today,” noted Findley.
Butler had a 17-8 advantage in shots in the match and a 9-6 edge
in shots on goal. Sippola led the attack with six total shots
and five shots on goal. Stuver finished with seven saves,
while Knopfler had five. There were nine yellow cards issued
in the contest, five on Cleveland State and four on Butler.
The Bulldogs played without their second-leading scorer, freshman
forward Adekunle Oluyedun, who suffered a mile concussion in
Butler’s regular season match against Cleveland State.
His status for Sunday’s championship match will be determined
over the weekend.
Butler will be facing Green Bay in the league title match for the
second consecutive year. The Phoenix (13-4-1) advanced
to the championship match with a 1-0 victory over Loyola in the
first semifinal match on Friday. The two teams battled to a
0-0 tie a year ago at the Butler Bowl, and Green Bay earned the
league’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament on penalty
kicks. The league title match will start at 1 p.m. (ET).
