Women's Soccer League Leaders to Clash Over Weekend

The top four teams in the Horizon League women's soccer standings will contest games against one another this weekend, as the race to host the upcoming Horizon League Tournament heats up.

On Friday, third-place Butler welcomes league-leading Loyola, while Milwaukee hosts Green Bay.  In a match that will go a long way towards determining seeding should both teams make the Horizon League Tournament, sixth-place Wright State travels to northern Ohio to face off with Cleveland State.  Sunday will see first-place Detroit host Butler, while Loyola returns to Chicago to take on Milwaukee.

Loyola, tied with Detroit atop the Horizon League standings with 10 points each, has scored just four goals in four conference matches; however, the Ramblers have allowed just three goals in the same span, allowing them to build a 3-1-1 record.  Goalkeeper Katie Groesch has been a big reason for Loyola's early success, ranking second in the conference with an .850 save percentage in five Horizon League matches.

Butler will counter with a suddenly resurgent offense and momentum from their first win in Milwaukee since 1999.  Goalkeeper Olivia Walter tallied two shutouts last weekend as the Bulldogs moved into a tie for third place in the Horizon League with a 3-0 win at Green Bay and a 1-0 victory over Milwaukee.  Holding a 3-1-0 conference mark, Butler sits a lone point behind Loyola and Detroit for the top spot in the Horizon League, along with Milwaukee and Cleveland State.

Like Butler, Detroit swept two conference matches last weekend to climb the standings; and like the other teams near the top of the Horizon League, strong goalkeeping has been key for the Titans.  Freshman goalkeeper Nora Abolins is 3-1-1 in five conference games with three shutouts.  Overall, Abolins leads the conference with six shutouts on the year.

Milwaukee's dynamic offense could not find the back of the net last Sunday, dropping the Panthers into a tie for third after their 22-match Horizon League winning streak was snapped.  Still, junior Sarah Hagen set the Horizon League career goals record last Friday as Milwaukee posted a 5-0 win over Valparaiso.

The Panther offense will be tested by a Green Bay defense that has proven to be among the nation's stingiest this year.  The Phoenix own a remarkable 0.71 goals against average.  Green Bay's 2-7-3 record is deceiving, as six of the Phoenix's seven defeats have come by a 1-0 score.  Goalkeeper Maddie Drusch has been a stalwart in net for the Phoenix, stopping 88-percent of shots on goal and tallying four shutouts.

On Sunday, Valparaiso will host Wright State in a match that will play a deciding role in arranging the league's top six teams.  The Raiders enter the weekend two points ahead of the Crusaders, holding a 2-2-0 league mark to Valpo's 1-3-1 Horizon League record.

The Horizon League Network will bring fans one match this weekend, streaming live from Chicago when Loyola hosts Milwaukee at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday.