Bulldogs Face Big Challenge At #7 Louisville

TRAVEL GEAR:  Butler will continue a stretch of six matches away from home when it heads to Louisville to face the #7-ranked Cardinals on Saturday, Sept. 17.  The match against Louisville will be played at Cardinal Park, starting at 7 p.m. (ET).  The Bulldogs will be making their first visit to Louisville since 1998, when then captured a 4-1 decision, and the two teams will be meeting for the first time since 2003, when Louisville posted a 2-1 victory at the Diadora Challenge.  Butler leads the all-time series with the Cardinals, 6-1.  Louisville (4-1) was 20-1-3 and national runner-up a year ago, and the Cardinals boast a 26-match unbeaten streak at home.  The defending Big East champions are 3-0 at home this season and 40-7-8 at home under head coach Ken Lolla.  Butler (3-1-1) is coming off back-to-back wins and a tournament championship at the Dayton Marriott Classic.  The Bulldogs, under first-year head coach Paul Snape, are unbeaten in their last four matches.  Butler will conclude its six-match road stretch at IPFW on Wednesday, Sept. 21.                    
      
TOURNAMENT CHAMPS:  Butler handed Paul Snape his first championship as a head coach by sweeping through the four-team Dayton Marriott Classic, hosted by the University of Dayton.  The Bulldogs defeated Western Illinois, 3-2, in the opening round of the tournament and then concluded the event with a 2-1 victory over Houston Baptist.  Dayton defeated Houston Baptist, but lost to Western Illinois in the tournament’s other two matches.  It was Butler’s third visit to the Dayton tournament in five years, and the Bulldogs claimed their second title, while remaining unbeaten in the event.            

Butler is unbeaten in its last 16 regular season tournament contests.

LEAGUE RECOGNITION:  Sophomore Austin Oldham was named Horizon League Men’s Soccer Player of the Week for his performance at the Dayton Marriott Classic.  Oldham led the tournament in scoring, while helping the Bulldogs the team championship.  He contributed to four of Butler’s five goals in the two-day event and was named the tournament’s Offensive MVP.  The Butler forward scored Butler’s second goal against Western Illinois to tie the match at 2-2, and then he picked up an assist on Adam Glanzer’s game-winner.  Two days later, Oldham scored both Butler goals in a 2-1, title-clinching victory over Houston Baptist.  

Austin Oldham leads the Horizon League in scoring with 11 points.

ALL-TOURNAMENT:  Austin Oldham was one of four Butler players named to the All-Tournament Team at the Dayton Marriott Classic.  Joining the sophomore on the honor squad were teammates Brandon Fricke, Zach Steinberger and Justin Sass.  Steinberger had three assists in the tournament, including one on Oldham’s game-winner against Houston Baptist.  Fricke, who was named the tournament’s Defensive MVP, and Sass played key roles on Butler’s back line.

BULLDOG BITS:  Butler improved to 46-8-10 since the start of the 2008 season.  The Bulldogs are 22-3-5 in the past 30 matches...Redshirt-freshman Brandon Fricke recorded his first collegiate goal during the Dayton Marriott Classic.  He scored Butler’s first goal of the tournament to tie the match against Western Illinois, 1-1...Sophomore Austin Oldham leads the Horizon League is goals scored (5).  He’s doubled his career total (10) for goals in Butler’s first five matches this season...Butler used two different goalkeepers at the Dayton Marriott Classic, and each posted a victory.  Redshirt-freshman Andy Holte went the distance against Western Illinois and improved to 2-0-1 on the year, while sophomore Jon Dawson played 90 minutes against Houston Baptist and evened his record at 1-1.