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Senior forward Patrick McCaffery had 20 points in the Bulldogs’ win over Eastern Illinois. Photo by Andrew Buckley.  CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The Bulldogs seek to improve on their six-game win streak on Saturday as they travel to Houston to take on the 17th ranked Cougars. Butler won its last game at home in a solid showing against Eastern Illinois 73-58 . The Dawgs will hit the road for their matchup with Houston on Dec. 7 in the Big East – Big 12 Battle with a chance to take down another ranked opponent.  Here is what you need to know as the Bulldogs take on the Cougars. Who: Butler vs. Houston When: Dec. 7, 5:30 p.m. Where: Fertitta Center How to watch: ESPN2 Playing up to the competition The common theme of Butler’s season so far has been its tendency to play down or up to whatever opponent they are facing. Some of the Bulldogs’ best performances came against stronger opposition such as Northwestern and Mississippi State . On the other hand, the Dawgs’ worst showings came against seemingly inferior teams like Austin Peay and Missouri State. Butler lost to Austin Peay and escaped with a narrow seven-point victory over Missouri State .  The key to this game against Houston is playing up to their competition once again. On paper the Cougars are a better team than Butler, but the Bulldogs have a habit of showing up in big games and capturing the victory.  The Dawgs will need their two stars — fifth-year Jahmyl Telfort and senior Pierre Brooks — to show out on the offensive end. Butler also needs sharpshooter Patrick McCaffery to continue his hot shooting stretch to give the Bulldogs a perimeter presence. On the defensive side, the Dawgs need to be tough. Too many teams this year have been able to penetrate the Butler defense and get good looks inside, although the Bulldogs’ defense has improved in recent weeks. Butler will need somewhat of a perfect storm to beat Houston, but it has shown an ability to grind out tough games away from home before. Saturday will be the time to prove that resilience once again against a ranked opponent.  Houston scouting report The 17th ranked Cougars sit at 4-3 this season , with losses to No. 2 Auburn , No. 10 Alabama and No. 24 San Diego State . Houston has been through its fair share of early season struggles, but they have played a much harder schedule than a majority of teams. The Cougars are led by their two guards in graduate L.J Cryer and junior Emanuel Sharp . Both Cryer and Sharp average upwards of 14 points per game and take the most shots out of any other Cougar. The key for Butler will be to stay tight with these guards and rebound the basketball. In a game against a team as good as Houston, you cannot give its players extra possessions on offense. It will be interesting to see how coach Thad Matta ’s men perform against one of the elite teams away from home.

Senior forward Patrick McCaffery had 20 points against Eastern Illinois. Photo by Andrew Buckley. CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The men’s basketball team improved to 7-1 with a 73-58 win over Eastern Illinois . After returning to Hinkle as the Arizona Tip-Off champions , the Dawgs kept their noses out in front of the Panthers to capture another victory. Forwards Jahmyl Telfort and Patrick McCaffery led the scoring charge for the Bulldogs, each pouring in 20 points . Let’s go beyond the box score for Butler’s seventh win of the season. Another slow start Butler put up 36 points in the first half, but it was not smooth sledding. The Bulldogs turned the ball over on the first possession, continuing a worrying trend of carelessness with the basketball, notching 17 turnovers by the end of the night.  Coach Thad Matta was adamant the turnover numbers need to go down and his team needs to protect the basketball  “I mean 17 turnovers is mind-boggling to me,” Matta said. “Every night we take the court we need to be as sharp as we can possibly be.” This is not an uncommon occurrence through the first eight games of this season for the Bulldogs. Butler tends to start games on the slow side and then pull away in the second half. The Dawgs seemed to buck this trend in the Arizona Tip-Off wins over Northwestern and Mississippi State , but the issues returned against Eastern Illinois. Butler had six turnovers in the first half and took 25 shots compared to the Panthers’ 35 .  Another issue early on was the Bulldogs’ tendency to give up offensive rebounds. Butler allowed six offensive boards in the first half , but luckily Eastern Illinois only converted those giveaways into two points. Had this been a better opponent, the Dawgs could have been caught out due to their slow start. They will not get away with any falters off the line against Houston on Saturday. A team-oriented offense Out of the ten players that got onto the floor for Matta, eight of them got into the scoring column. Telfort, McCaffery and junior guard Kolby King finished with double-digits in points . Butler’s ability to get scoring input from all-around is a bright spot. Having multiple players who can put the ball in the basket regardless of if they start or not is a good problem for Matta to have. One of the best shooting performances of the night came from McCaffery. The Iowa transfer went 6/14 from the field and a blistering 5/8 from beyond the arc , with many of those threes coming from the corner. No matter where the shot is on the court, McCaffery always likes a good look at the rim. “I just like open threes,” McCaffery said. “Let it rip [and] shoot a lot of them from all over.” Butler now sets its sights on a massive matchup with Houston on Saturday. Beginning a stretch of tougher games, the Dawgs will need to limit mistakes heading into this portion of the schedule. “We know we have a big test on our hands,” McCaffery said. “We know that’s going to be a dogfight.”

Butler takes the 2024 Arizon Tip-Off crown after beating Mississippi. Photo courtesy of Butler Athletics.   CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The Butler Bulldogs grabbed a massive top-25 victory over Mississippi State to win the 2024 Arizona Tip-Off Challenge. After besting Northwestern on Thanksgiving , the Dawgs rolled into the championship game and captured a ranked win to move to 6-1 on the season. Fifth-year forward Jahmyl Telfort and senior forward Pierre Brooks led the offensive charge for Butler, tallying 46 points between them. Junior guard Landon Moore also contributed off the bench, adding 13 points and two assists. Despite Mississippi State’s late surges, the Dawgs were able to keep their noses out in front to get over the finish line. An early-season marquee win for coach Thad Matta and the Bulldogs will go a long way down the stretch. Let’s go beyond the box score for Butler’s championship performance against Mississippi State. The dynamic duo The combo of Brooks and Telfort was an enigma that Mississippi State could not solve. The two forwards poured in 52.9% of the Dawgs’ total points on the night and were two out of three Bulldogs along with Moore in double-digits. This is the expectation Butler fans had for the wing pair coming into the season. If both Telfort and Brooks could score in double digits on the offensive end, the Bulldogs would be in good shape to win those games. Both Brooks and Telfort were 8/15 from the field while playing upwards of 35 minutes each. Their efficiency from beyond the arc was also a stat to marvel at — Telfort shot 57% from deep , and Brooks hit 50% of the time .  Despite the explosion from his forwards, everyone on the floor for Matta got onto the scoresheet. Butler had nine players contribute to the scoring effort, a complete team effort to seal the championship. The Bulldogs will want to carry this momentum and playstyle into their coming games, especially as the Big East schedule looms. Defensive toughness On the other end of the floor, Butler kept Mississippi State at bay to keep the lead throughout the game. The Dawgs had several different players step up and contribute on defense, often making it hard for Mississippi State to get open shots. The Bulldogs limited Mississippi State to shooting just 37.7% from the field and 25.9% from three . The Dawgs also dominated on the boards, securing 11 more rebounds than their opponents to help them close out the victory. Despite the win, Butler did not force many turnovers on defense and gave the ball away 14 times on offense. There was a turnover disparity, but the Bulldogs’ ability to contest shots and make Mississippi State uncomfortable resulted in missed shots. These contests forced those misses and limited Mississippi State getting points off of turnovers. There is still room for improvement though. Butler had troubles on the interior of its defense on some of Mississippi State’s drives, allowing easy layups throughout the game. The Bulldogs cleaned this problem up later on to secure the win, but it was a persisting issue during the matchup. Butler will take this win and head into a matchup against Eastern Illinois on Tuesday, Dec. 3 back home in Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Fifth-year forward Jahmyl Telfort had 19 points in the Bulldogs win over SMU last week. Photo by Andrew Buckley. CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu Butler looks to win its third game in a row on Friday, taking on Merrimack College at home. The Bulldogs come into this game off an 81-70 win over SMU last week to improve to 3-1. Fifth-year forward Jahmyl Telfort led the scoring charge for the Bulldogs with 19 points , and the Dawgs had six players finish with double digits in the scoring column. Merrimack is a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conferenc e (MAAC) and is currently 1-3 on the year.  Here is what you need to know as the Bulldogs prepare to battle the Warriors. Who: Butler vs. Merrimack College When: Nov. 22, 7 p.m. Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse How to watch: FS2   Playing consistent basketball After a rocky start to the season that included a shocking loss at home to Austin Peay , Butler turned it around and put together a complete game against SMU.  The Bulldogs combined offensive efficiency and defensive toughness against the Mustangs which ultimately resulted in the victory. On offense, the Dawgs shot 41% from the field and a blistering 46.2% from beyond the arc . After their early season struggles to be creative on offense, Butler has seemingly figured it out. On defense, the Bulldogs held SMU to only two players scoring in double digits . The Dawgs’ team defense and ability to get stops would give Butler chances to go on runs. Two of those big runs came in the second half when the Bulldogs built their lead. After the loss to Austin Peay, the Dawgs know that no game is guaranteed. They will need to keep their foot on the pedal on both ends of the floor to continue to stack victories. The key word for Butler is consistency. The Bulldogs cannot revert back to when they played careless, turnover-prone offense and weak defense.  One of the biggest catalysts for this team’s improvement will be Telfort. The Canada native has been the number-one scoring threat for Butler but also has provided a strong defensive presence. Butler goes as Telfort does, so his play will be key heading into this next stretch of the season. Merrimack College scouting report The Warriors currently sit at 1-3 with a win over Vermont and losses to VCU , Princeton and Rutgers . They finished last season with a 21-12 record but fell short of an NCAA Tournament bid in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Final, losing to Wagner College . Merrimack would move from the NEC to the MAAC over the summer. The Warriors are led by sophomore guard Adam “Budd” Clark . Clark averages 21 points per game on 43.4% shooting and grabs 4.3 rebounds per game as well . Sophomore guard Finley Bizjack will need to be at the top of his defensive game to limit Clark’s scoring ability. The weakness of this Merrimack team is their inability to hit threes regularly. The team shoots 22% from downtown and only has two players shooting above a 30% clip  from beyond the arc. The Dawgs will be content to sit deep and give the Warriors those long-range looks because history says Merrimack will not hit them.   It should be another intriguing matchup for the Bulldogs as Thad Matta ’s squad looks to improve to 4-1 on the season.

Fifth-year forward Jahmyl Telfort had 19 points in the win over SMU. Photo by Andrew Buckley.  CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The Bulldogs stacked another early-season win on Friday night, besting SMU 81-70 thanks to a second half of runs. Let’s go beyond the box score. A comprehensive performance Of Butler’s four games this season, this matchup was its best performance. The Dawgs coupled physical defense with purposeful, highly efficient offense to take down the Mustangs. The Bulldogs shot 41% from the field , but the stat that will pop out is their three-point percentage. 42% of the shots Butler took were beyond the arc and they hit 46.2% of those shots . SMU on the other hand shot just 33.3% from deep . The other bright spot on the offensive side was the scoring distribution. Six Dawgs finished with double-digits in the scoring column, with fifth-year forward Jahmyl Telfort leading the charge with 19 points . Telfort attributed the scoring boom to Butler’s mentality throughout the game. “We just wanted to keep punching,” Telfort said. “We knew that we were going to make a run.” The Bulldogs certainly made runs. A pair of 16-2 and 8-0 runs in the second half gave Butler the cushion it needed. The Hinkle crowd got behind them in raucous fashion and did not let up until the final buzzer sounded. That noise was mainly generated by play at the offensive end, but the Dawgs were stellar on the defensive side as well. While Butler was outrebounded and lost the turnover battle, the Dawgs were able to limit the scoring distribution. Only two Mustangs got into double digits, and role players such as fifth-year center Andre Screen and junior guard Kolby King played a massive role defensively. Screen and King both grabbed several crucial rebounds to limit SMU’s possessions down the line. Butler’s defense only allowed the Mustangs to grab the lead for three minutes and 16 seconds throughout the game. On the other hand, the Bulldogs led for over 31 minutes. Head coach Thad Matta was impressed with how his team executed tonight. “We were very specific in our gameplan going into tonight,” Matta said. “We kept talking in every timeout [saying] ‘Do your job.’” This is the performance that Butler fans were looking for from this team. It took four games, but it seems like the Bulldogs have most of their early-season issues sorted. Time will tell if they can keep them that way.  Chuck Harris’ homecoming Senior guard Chuck Harris spent three seasons at Butler before transferring to SMU prior to Matta’s second year back with the Bulldogs. He made his official return to Hinkle Fieldhouse in front of a packed house, and he did not disappoint. Harris had 21 points on 8/15 shooting, grabbed three rebounds and three steals . He was greeted with boos from Dawg Pound and the Butler faithful upon his entrance into the game. Harris responded by playing with a palpable energy and intensity at both ends. Frustration set in during the second half though. Harris slapped at Telfort after the play was whistled dead and was hit with a technical foul. In the waning moments of the game, he also took a hard foul on sophomore guard Finley Bizjack when the contest was essentially over. This garnered more boos and catcalls from the fans. Nevertheless, Harris showed up. He led his team in points despite coming off the bench. He was able to prove he could still play, but ultimately was unable to propel his team to a victory. Butler will take the win over their former star and move on to a matchup with Merrimack College on Friday, Nov. 22.

The Columbus Crew had their season come to a premature end on Sunday, falling in penalty kicks to the New York Red Bulls. After losing the opening game in Columbus, the Black & Gold travelled to New Jersey to try and even the best-of-three series. Substitute Max Arfsten opened the scoring for the crew, but RBNY was able to equalize when a defensive lapse led to a New York counter where they scored. A poor challenge by Rudy Camacho in the box gifted New York their second goal of the night from the spot, but Christian Ramirez would even the game deep into stoppage time to send the game to penalty kicks. Columbus had a chance to win on penalties but went on to miss their last three chances from the spot. RBNY capitalized, knocking the 2023 champions off their perch and out of the playoffs. It was another hard-fought tactical battle for both sides, but this game was yet again a combination of New York’s defensive discipline and the Black & Gold’s mental shortcomings. Let’s dive into all the tactics that went into this final Crew game of 2024. The tactics For what it is worth, Columbus played much better attacking soccer in this game compared to the first match back home. A change in mentality and tactics gave the Black & Gold an attacking edge. RBNY decided to employ the same pressure they used in the first game to try and get after the Crew’s backline. New York’s double block of five pressers and five sitting defenders looked to force Columbus into turnovers in their defensive half so the home side could counter quickly. The Black & Gold went back at RBNY in two different ways. The first way was by overloading the wide areas and combining with quick one-twos to get around the pressing defenders. Mo Farsi often pinched inside to quickly link up with Steven Moreira and Darlington Nagbe to advance the ball into the attacking phase. The second avenue was by playing a long ball into the feet of an attacker, relying on holdup play and then catching New York out with secondary runners. RBNY was trying to thwart this by having their centerbacks man-mark the dropping Crew attackers. This was a dangerous game because while they were applying pressure on the attackers receiving the ball, they were also being dragged out of position. Columbus exploited those open spaces at times and generated real attacking chances because of it. This tactic by New York was simple: they were banking on the Black & Gold to make mistakes. They saw what happened in the first game where the Crew played poorly, and they wanted to try their luck again. That did not mean they let Columbus play however they wanted to, but RBNY did not go out of their way to beat the Black & Gold. They made the Crew uncomfortable and waited for Columbus to make a mistake so they could pounce. In the second half, tactics changed. New York scaled back their press and it became more of a resisted pressure. They would jump at any poor touches or passes the Black & Gold made, but they were not applying the constant pressure like they were in the first half. This could have been for a number of reasons. One possibility is that RBNY might have been getting tired having to chase the Crew’s defense all over the pitch. The other and more logical reason is that New York’s pressure made them look exposed on the back end and Columbus was not making as many mistakes as before. RBNY coach Sandro Schwartz made the choice to call off his all-out pressure for more defensive stability. This gave the Black & Gold a foothold in the game. They were able to shift New York from side-to-side, ultimately finding the opener on a overshift. One other tactical nugget Wilfried Nancy threw in was pushing Nagbe higher up the field. The Crew kept Sean Zawadzki deeper and allowed Nagbe to make attacking runs into the box and support the attack. RBNY got back into their 5-5 press later in the match and it caused Columbus fits yet again like it did in the first game. From there the Black & Gold’s sloppiness reared its ugly head, allowing New York to grab two goals and get back into the game. If it wasn’t for a Ramirez leveler, the Crew would have gone home earlier than they did. In typical Columbus fashion they gave fans hope until the very end, but a string of poor penalties sealed their fate on the 2024 season. Beyond the tactics The Black & Gold lost this game more on the mental side than the physical side. The beginning of the end began when Moreira gave up on a play when he thought the ball went out of bounds, allowing RBNY to go down the field and equalize. It was the 2015 MLS Cup all over again except this time the fault was on the defender, not the referee. Nancy has been praised for his man-management and ability to take ordinary players and make them extraordinary. His beautiful, bold and brash style of play captivated the league and delivered the Crew a championship. Over the past few weeks though, Columbus’ mental resolve has diminished drastically. Players make mistakes. That is just the true facts of sports. Another fact is that every single goal New York scored in this series was a result of laziness or sloppy play. Those are mental mistakes, which have typically been weeded out since the days of Caleb Porter. Let’s start with the corner in the first game. The Black & Gold are beat on two headers where the defenders barely jump and RBNY is allowed to pull ahead on the road. From there the Crew could not get back into the game because their poor decisions, touches and passes allowed New York to keep them at bay. Now onto the second game, a clean slate. A chance for the defending champions to show what they are made of and the mentality to dominate inferior competition. They went up a goal, but laziness on a routine play where all Moreira had to do was either shield or pass the ball gave New York renewed life.   To make matters worse, Camacho continued his uncharacteristic run of bad form by making a shambolic challenge on Emil Forsberg in the box. It was an intervention that needed to happen, but not by the Frenchman recklessly diving at Forsberg’s legs. Camacho is a better defender than that, but he looked mentally tired. There are several explanations to Columbus’ historic collapse. The most compelling is the fixture congestion the Black & Gold have endured over the past year. After playing in MLS, CONCACAF Champions Cup, Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup, it looks like the Crew were tired. Many thought it would catch up with Columbus eventually, but no one expected the mental collapse that ended up unfolding. This loss will sting, but there are bright spots to take from this season. This was a historic year for the Columbus Crew. They set countless club records and went the distance in several competitions. Most importantly, they did it all playing their brand of breathtaking soccer that fans of the Black & Gold have grown accustomed to. This playoff loss is a reminder that it is hard to repeat as champions, but it is also a reminder that fans need to be grateful. This squad is one for the history books, and in a league like MLS where there is rampant turnover, these stories do not last forever. So, despite the collapse and frustration the year ended with, there are more good times ahead. With Nancy at the helm and the core of this squad intact, MLS will have to watch the Crew go deep into competitions. All focus now turns to next season, where impossible will continue to be an opinion.

Senior Pierre Brooks had 13 points in the loss to Austin Peay. Photo by Makenna Frias. CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu In just the second game of the season, Butler lost its first game of the year. The Bulldogs were outplayed on their own floor against Austin Peay , suffering a crushing 68-66 upset defeat in a dismal performance. Let’s go beyond the box score. Offensive ineptitude For a coach of Thad Matta ’s quality, the offensive output in the first two games of the season has been shambolic. The Dawgs have averaged only 69 points per game against seemingly inferior competition on paper. Not only has the output been below par, the archaic offense does not pass the eye test. Butler struggled to move the ball around the floor due to their lack of movement and poor decision making. Austin Peay played smothering defense from the tip, and the Bulldogs did not have any answers. “They just punched us early,” Matta said. “We’ve got to get better at taking a punch and fighting back. We didn’t handle [the pressure] well. They made us not ready to play tonight.” Fighting back is exactly what the Bulldogs did not do. In fact, they rolled over in front of a packed home crowd and continued to play sloppy basketball. Butler gave up 16 shocking giveaways which the Governors converted into 23 points . On the opposite side, Austin Peay gave up the ball only eight times which the Dawgs turned into a mere eight points . Another embarrassing spot for the Bulldogs was their presence in the paint. Out of 66 total points scored, Butler had only 26 points in the paint . The lack of a post player falls on the shoulders of fifth-year center Andre Screen , sophomore forward Augusto Cassia and sophomore center Boden Kapke . “We had no real post presence tonight,” Matta said. “They were able to neutralize [Andre Screen], and he’s got to play stronger. I thought Boden [Kapke] did a good job [and] I thought Augusto [Cassia] did a really good job… especially on the defensive end.” The combination of a stagnant offense, careless ball protection and no paint presence will continue to plague the Bulldogs if they do not change. In two games fans are not impressed, and Matta knows a mindset change is necessary. “It’s got to be team team team team team team team. That [has to be] the only thing you think about on game day.” Defensive submission Fans would hope that Butler would be better on the other end of the court, but it was more of the same poor play on defense too. The Dawgs were constantly gashed and exploited on drives. The Governors had 44 points in the paint , with those accounting for 64.7% of their total points. The Bulldogs had no answers, constantly getting beat on the drive and off the pick. The star of the night for Austin Peay was junior guard L.J Thomas . Thomas took 27 shots and scored 29 points . He was the only Governor to get into double digits in the scoring column, contributing to 42.6% of his team’s total score. “We had no answer for [L.J Thomas],” Matta said. “He’s a heck of a player. He just keeps probing… and finds a way to get the ball to the basket.” Thomas’ massive night was helped by the Dawg’s inability to get around picks and challenge at the rim. Austin Peay constantly tried to make the Bulldogs switch, which is something they have struggled with so far this season. Another blemish on the night defensively was Butler’s poor rebounding. While the Dawgs secured six more rebounds than Austin Peay, the Governors managed to grab 10 offensive boards . These rebounds gave the away side 15 second chance points . One of these offensive rebounds came at a crucial point late into the second half. Thomas shot a floater that clanged off the rim, and the Austin Peay guard got his own rebound with Butler players all around him. This rebound allowed the Governors to run 26 precious seconds off the clock and get them closer to the upset victory. At the end of the day, this game was a perfect storm of sloppy play and a poor mindset. Despite it being the second game of the season, the Bulldogs look dazed, disinterested and lethargic on both ends of the court. That attitude alone will doom a team no matter who the opposition is. Butler needs to figure out their issues and they have to do it fast because this quality of play will not fly during Big East play.

The Columbus Crew started off their 2024 playoff campaign in disappointing fashion, losing their first game at home to New York Red Bulls. After beating RBNY a few weeks ago, the visitors came out with a new game plan to combat the defending champions. This new plan worked well, allowing New York to grab a goal off a corner midway through the first half. RBNY held onto that lead due to strong defensive play and the inability of Columbus to put the ball in the back of the net. This was the first time the Black & Gold had been shut out since mid-September against FC Cincinnati. Despite the early playoff loss, the Crew will be able to rectify their title hopes starting Sunday in Red Bull Arena. Columbus is in must-win mode now, with any further slip-ups resulting in elimination from the title hunt. This game’s result was partly due to RBNY’s game plan, but it also rests firmly upon the shoulders of the players and coach Wilfried Nancy. Let’s dive into all the tactics that went into this nightmare playoff start for the Black & Gold. RBNY’s gameplan This was one of the most impressive tactical setups we have seen against the Crew in Nancy’s time in Central Ohio. New York proved that they don’t need to “out-Crew” Columbus to win, but they did manage to dominate the game without the ball. The first change RBNY made was to match Black & Gold’s formation. In the last regular season match of the season, New York rolled out a 4-4-2 diamond formation that they preferred to use throughout the year. However, in this game, the visitors came in with a 5-2-1-2/3-4-1-2 to mirror the Crew’s formation. The shape change seemed to catch Columbus off guard. In the early stages, there were lots of conversations happening on the pitch regarding defensive duties against RBNY’s new formation. The Black & Gold were not being exploited, but they did not seem comfortable by any means. The second thing New York did was implement a press that gave them the maximum output of pressure on the Crew’s backline, while maintaining defensive stability. Columbus has seen a plethora of different presses thrown at them during the season, but this one was unique. RBNY pressed with a block of five, with three players going after the Black & Gold defenders and two marking Sean Zawadzki and Darlington Nagbe. The Crew had seen this before, but New York kept their press narrow to force the hosts to hurt them out wide. For a large portion of the game, Columbus did not recognize or take advantage of what RBNY was giving them. They repeatedly tried to play through the middle and were not getting into the attack as much as they usually did. Part of this is due to the design of the press in terms of what formation New York was in. Typically, the Black & Gold can recognize the wide space is open when they are playing against a back four. In four-back defensive systems, the fullbacks usually don’t follow the Crew’s dropping wingbacks to protect their center backs from Columbus’ fluid front three. In this game though, RBNY was in a back five, which allowed their wingbacks to follow Mo Farsi and Max Arfsten when they would drop deep. If a midfielder like Zawadzki or Alexandru Matan dropped into that wide space, the New York wingback could step up knowing the defensive line would slide over to cover the Black & Gold wingback that was still high. So, while the wide space was there for one-on-one opportunities, it was disguised well by RBNY. The only space the Crew consistently exploited in the first half was the midfield gap between the New York press and backline. Although there were able to get the ball into this area, RBNY’s setup stumped them yet again when they tried to advance the ball further. Once the initial press was defeated, New York’s attack would sink back into a low block. Columbus struggled to keep going at the defense once they beat the press because they did not have any overloads available, due to the visitor’s five-back defensive setup. This allowed the midfielders to retreat and get in a defensive shape to stop the Black & Gold from going at goal. With New York now posted up in a 5-4-1, the Crew struggled to pull players out of position because the defensive area was so saturated with defenders. This game plan from RBNY did its job, and they got a set piece goal on the other end to complete the masterclass. New York head coach Sandro Schwarz proved his worth in this game, the only question now is whether RBNY can pull it off once more in the next two matches to advance. Columbus’ failures Although New York had a strong, out-of-the-box game plan to get after the Black & Gold, the home side did not live up to the billing in this game. In the first half the Crew looked lethargic, disinterested, and simply unmotivated on both ends of the pitch. On the offensive side, there were miscommunications, poor touches, wayward passes, and a lack of attacking creativity to break down RBNY’s defense. Fans have seen this Columbus team pick apart low blocks, and while New York’s structure was slightly different, the Black & Gold needed to do better than what they ended up with. On the defensive end, the lack of effort was clear on the corner RBNY scored on. The Crew are in a zonal marking scheme that leaves two men open at the back post. Not a big deal, but Yevhen Cheberko is slow getting out on the cross and gets jumped over on the initial header. Zawadzki then fails to clear the second ball and Christian Ramirez is beaten to the clearance for New York to jump ahead. Breakdowns on set pieces happen, but getting beat to the ball three times in your defensive box is inexcusable. Credit to RBNY for jumping on the opportunity, but the defense needs to do better there. In the second half, Columbus seemed to get more life. They finally began creating overloads around the pressing wingbacks for New York and generated some strong attacking chances, but they failed to convert when it mattered most. On bright spot was the way the Black & Gold were able to free up Farsi on the left side with those overloads. They started to unlock that RBNY defense later in the match, but it was too little, too late. The Crew needed a bit of luck late on, but just could not break down the wall around New York’s goal. Jacen Russell-Rowe had a few chances, AZ Jackson had his shot kick saved away by Carlos Coronel and DeJuan Jones was denied on a volley on an absolute world-class save. Sometimes the ball does not bounce your way, but when Columbus left it to the last half-hour of the match to find the tying goal, they can only blame themselves. This will be a game for the Black & Gold to look in the mirror and refocus. They missed Diego Rossi in that attacking half and will be glad to have him back on Sunday. All indications point to Nancy and his staff having a game plan to get back to winning ways. No more mistakes or poor games allowed now, or else the Crew will end their season prematurely. All to play for in New Jersey this weekend.

Butler will take on the court for an exhibition game against Illinois Wesleyan on Oct. 30. Photo by Ben Holmes.  SARAH HOHMAN | MANAGING EDITOR | shohman@butler.edu CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu Entering the third year of head coach Thad Matta ’s second stint with Butler, the Bulldogs are looking to take yet another step forward. Even in an offseason that featured a couple of departures from the Dawgs, Matta reloaded while retaining the team’s core from last season. Last season, Butler finished with a record of 18-15, going 9-11 in the Big East before being bounced in the first round of the conference tournament by Xavier . Despite exiting early and falling short of the NCAA tournament, the Bulldogs managed to grab a postseason NIT bid. The postseason did not last long for them though, as they lost against Minnesota at home in the first round. In the end, Butler would finish eighth in the Big East , only one spot above where they ended a year prior. Forward Pierre Brooks returns for his second season with the Dawgs. He looks to take a leadership role and lead this team to a more successful year as a senior. “Having that experience last year in the Big East [puts me in a leadership position],” Brooks said. “As a senior, just knowing that we need to get [the job] done because we could have had a better year last year, and [we are] kind of disappointed that we didn’t have a better year. [We know] that we could have [done better] and are trying to implement those things to be better last year into this year.” Although the season ended in disappointment, there were still areas of improvement for the Bulldogs in Matta’s second year. The Dawgs were able to get wins at Creighton and Marquette , along with beating a strong Texas Tech team in an early-season thriller to build their resume. Heading into the spring, Butler was projected to be in the NCAA tournament field, but a five-game losing streak ended their tournament hopes. While there was a stark improvement from Matta’s first season back in charge, there were also areas where the Bulldogs made head-scratching errors. An early-season loss to Providence hit hard when Butler was up three points with nine seconds left and did not foul. This allowed the Friars to hit a triple to force overtime; instead the Dawgs ended up losing by 10. Another crunch time mistake cost Butler their season after a late turnover gave Minnesota a chance at the line to win in the first round of the NIT. The Golden Gophers converted both shots, sending the Bulldogs home with a stinging loss to end their year.  As a seasoned coach, Matta is familiar with the challenges the Big East brings and knows the level his team needs to be at. “I want us to be a very smart team, [with] very high execution, defensively and even offensively,” Matta said. “We’ve got to be very, very fundamentally sound. In the Big East, you can’t beat yourself. So I think those are the things that we’re trying to get guys to understand.” Butler will have a new starting backcourt with offseason changes shaking up the lineup. Last year’s duo of guards Posh Alexander and DJ Davis transferred to Dayton and Washington , respectively. The Dawgs also lost forward Connor Turnbull and guard Artemios Gavalas to the transfer portal while centers Jalen Thomas and John Michael-Mulloy graduated.  Despite the departures, Butler also strengthened their roster. The Dawgs gained transfers in guard Jamie Kaiser Jr. , forward Patrick McCaffery and guard Kolby King . Matta believes that the additions have brought improvements to the squad. “You always want shooting [and] you always want your defense to get better,” Matta said. “Just going out and adding some size and different positions that have helped our defense. Now, we just have to continue to drill down the position that we want to be in. We’ve got to continue to work [on] our transition defense, not giving easy baskets [and] converting when we have numbers on offense. On the coaching front, the Dawgs’ former director of basketball operations Greg Oden stepped down in September . On Sept. 16, former Indiana Pacers assistant coach Connor McCaffery was hired to Matta’s coaching staff — teaming up with his brother Patrick McCaffery . The first step for the Dawgs this season is to get healthy. On Big East media day, Matta announced that Kaiser is out indefinitely to start the season. Kaiser sat out during the open practice on Sept. 28 along with guard Landon Moore , center Andre Screen and center Boden Kapke . Fans have an exciting schedule to look forward to, with early non-conference games at Houston on Dec. 7 and against Wisconsin at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Dec. 14. Butler will play their first exhibition game against Illinois Wesleyan on Oct. 30. Until then, King has a message for Bulldog fans. “Just get ready to cheer us on,” King said. “[There’s] going to be a lot of fun games to watch.”

The Columbus Crew rounded out their regular season with a road win over New York Red Bulls. This win not only cemented their spot as the second seed in the Eastern Conference, but it also set Columbus up with a best-of-three matchup against this same Red Bulls side. Wilfried Nancy threw out a half-rotated lineup for this game, but there were still major home field advantage implications at stake. AZ Jackson opened the scoring just minutes into the game before Yevhen Cheberko doubled the Black & Gold’s lead midway through the first half. New York fought back though, grabbing two second half goals to tie the game. In typical Crew fashion, they found a way to get the job done late. Malte Amundsen hit a low long-range effort to beat the goalkeeper, securing all three points for Columbus in stoppage time. This game was a glimpse of the depth, adaptability and spirit the Black & Gold have. But it also gave fans a glimpse into what could potentially trip the Crew up in the postseason. Let’s dive into all the tactics that went into the final regular season game of the season. Starting strong Straight from the kickoff Columbus imposed their will on New York. Jackson scored the first goal inside two minutes, and the attacking clinic did not stop there. Lots of what the Black & Gold did on offense had to do with the personnel on the field. The attacking front three of Jackson, Alexandru Matan and Cucho Hernandez lined up differently from how Hernandez would play with Diego Rossi and Christian Ramirez. Both Matan and Jackson sat as dueling no. 10s underneath Hernandez. This new role meant that both players were free to drop deep to help build up or play high like they normally did in that fluid front three. New York made it their goal early on to plug up the midfield. They set up in a 4-4-2 with a diamond in the midfield, but they pinched their outside midfielders to clamp down on Derrick Jones and Dylan Chambost. This obviously did not deter the Crew, because they prefer to attack down the flanks anyways. Since the Red Bulls were so compact, Matan, Jackson and the wingbacks were afforded a lot of space out wide to create. New York tried to combat the wide possession by shifting their formation towards the ball-side sideline. They did this hoping to trap Columbus against the sideline and create turnovers, but it did not work out the way they wanted it to. When this overshift happened, the Black & Gold either overloaded that side and combined to break the press or switched it to the other side of the field. The backside centerback for the Crew often moved into the midfield to help these switches go across quicker. After being under duress for the first ten minutes of the match, conceding several goalscoring chances and going down 1-0, the Red Bulls adapted. In the beginning of the match, they played a very resistant press, but still had five to six players high up the pitch. After the ten-minute mark, they began dropping eight to nine players back into a defensive shape. For Columbus this meant they had more time on the ball in their opponent’s half, but they were facing a low block. Like always, Nancy had a plan and pushed one or both of the outside centerbacks forward. Now the Black & Gold were attacking with eight to nine, making it hard on the New York defense to keep track of all the runners. On Cheberko’s goal, it is essentially a perfect storm of the Crew imposing their will and RBNY forgetting how to defend. Andres Reyes does not need to slide over on the right to help his outside back, but he does anyways. This opened up space for Cheberko, and when the midfielder does not track him there is a free path to goal. That is just one example of why Columbus is so lethal in so many different ways. They can pull out defenses and force them to make mistakes, but they also have this ability to counter quickly. The pace of play is not where the offense stops either, because the Black & Gold can combine through the middle or whip crosses into the box to create chances. Teams in the playoffs will need to figure out what parts of the offensive gameplan they want to take away to try and combat the Crew. This team is so versatile though, not just anyone can stop them. How can the Crew be beaten? This is the golden question that many teams in the Eastern Conference playoffs right now are trying to figure out. Of course, there is still Miami to worry about as the number one seed, but Columbus is not far behind, if behind at all, in terms of talent and danger. RBNY had success in the second half halting the Black & Gold offense and finding goals of their own for a few reasons.  The first was the substitution of Jones out for Jacen Russell-Rowe. Jones was the deterrent in the midfield for any New York counterattack coming the other way. A more defensive-minded midfielder, Jones did not often venture up the pitch into the attack. This gave Chambost, Amundsen and Cheberko more freedom to move up the field. So, when Nancy took him out of the game, he essentially lost that defensive safety valve in midfield. The second was RBNY’s ramped up pressure. In the first half there was not much of any press at all from New York, but they decided to go for it in the second 45 to try and make the Crew uncomfortable. The risk teams run when they press Columbus is the simple fact that they are pressuring the best on-the-ball team in MLS. That can be scary to overextend your team when your opponent is not scared of losing the ball. That same point is a double-edged sword for the Black & Gold. Yes, there is a high chance the Crew will be able to put together dangerous counter opportunities where their opponent will have to play recovery defense. On the flip side though, Columbus tends to squander possession and get complacent, forcing passes and giving the ball up in really stupid ways. If a team is able to effectively apply pressure to the Black & Gold and kill the counter, the Crew could be in trouble in an elimination game. Now, that is not to spell doom and gloom for a team that is arguably among the greatest in MLS history. Columbus has championship pedigree, mindset, talent and tactics for days, but they can be their own worst enemy at times. If the Black & Gold can avoid the self-inflicted wounds, play smart soccer and convert their chances, they will be in prime position to repeat this season

The Columbus Crew continued their winning ways, downing the New England Revolution 4-0 at home. DeJuan Jones opened the scoring against his former team in the fifth minute, cutting inside and placing a curler into the side netting. After that, the pitch became the Alexandru Matan show. The Romanian would score nine minutes later to double Columbus’ lead and then twice more in the second half to complete the hat trick. The Revolution seemingly had no answers for the Black & Gold in Caleb Porter’s homecoming, with the Crew coasting to another easy three points. This game was about Columbus’ play, but the bigger factor was how poorly New England was set up tactically to deal with the Black & Gold attack. Let’s dive into all the tactics that secured the win for the Crew. Porter’s poor defensive tactics By now, Columbus fans are well verse with Porter’s tactics from his time with the Black & Gold before Wilfried Nancy was hired. Porter likes to employ a high passive possession system, with targeted pressing in a 4-2-3-1 formation. With the right players, it works. Look at the Crew in 2020 or Portland in 2015. However, it can be calamitous if you do not have the right players for this system. In this game, it was a defensive disaster for the Revolution. In the first five minutes, everyone saw how the game was going to turn out, and how flawed the defensive gameplan for New England was. There are two ways that teams can defend Columbus’ fluid attack. One way is to drop deep and force the attackers to get the ball to their feet and turn at the defense. This approach gives the defensive line a deeper look and more defensive stability, but it allows the Black & Gold to grow comfortable with the ball and pin the defense in. Another way is to manmark and press the attackers to the touch. This would be an attempt to disrupt the attack and ramp up pressure on the attackers to make the right play. Both philosophies have ways around it, but it depends on the manager’s preference on how they want their team to defend. For Porter, he opted to go with pressure, and it cost his team. The Crew attack with five to six players across the frontline, already overwhelming the four-back system that New England plays. Now this wide attacking line forces the Revolution’s defensive midfielders to drop in and help defend, but each play is still one on one against an attacker. This meant that the entire game became a series of little matchups all across the backline. There was no real sense of team defending from New England because they all had to deal with man-marking a player for Columbus. We see evidence of this defensive breakdown in the first five minutes of the game. AZ Jackson gets the ball into his feet and with one quick turn, he beat his defender. Now because the Revolution defensive line is so high up trying to press the Black & Gold, Jackson can run into the box and force New England to play transition defense. This bombarding forward run drew Revolution players out of position, forcing them to become compact and get out of their matchups. This freed up Jones to have enough space on the right side to cut back inside and curl the ball into the back of the net. Another problem with this defensive approach was New England’s tendency to jump the gun and press too early. With a man marking the backline, it’s easy to get dragged out of position with how much the Crew attack moves. This happened on several occasions, where a defender or two would step up, but the other two would stay deep. That action opened up space in behind those vacated areas for attackers to run into and then go one versus one to goal. This happened on Matan’s second goal. Substitute Jacen Russell-Rowe pulled a center back over towards the sideline, which allowed Matan to run into the space behind that vacated defender. With a long ball in from Rudy Camacho, the Romanian simply settled the ball, dummied the defender and placed it into the back of the net. After the first two goals, you would think a coach of Porter’s quality would make changes on the defensive side, but he did not. The Revolution did not change their defensive tactics, in fact, they were the same during the entire drubbing. A few minutes after Matan’s goal, Russell-Rowe got a chance of his own. Diego Rossi dragged the other center back out of position and allowed the Canadian striker to go one-on-one against the center back marking him. Russell-Rowe hit the post, but New England had no answers for the Columbus attack. Defending the Black & Gold’s attack is no piece of cake, but the Revolution made every mistake possible on Saturday night. They got caught overshifting and left their backside defenders outnumbered, got pulled out of position by decoy runners, preemptively pressed attackers leaving space in behind, and did not track secondary runners. Typically, one of these avenues is left open for the Crew to exploit in a given game, but New England gave Columbus the keys to their defense to expose them in every way possible. The brutal fact is the Revolution was not prepared, equipped, or ready to face this Black & Gold attack. This is most evident in Matan’s hat trick goal. The Romanian drops into the midfield followed by a New England defensive midfielder. With Derrick Jones driving forward, Matan makes a run towards goal. Due to a lack of communication and preparation, the Revolution defensive midfielder does not follow Matan, assuming the right-side center back will cover him. The only problem is that center back had been pulled centrally by Russell-Rowe an easy slip pass in behind and the Crew went 4-0 up courtesy of a Matan hat trick. It is easy to retrospectively judge teams based on their performance, but this was truly defensive malpractice by Porter and New England. There was no adjustment or resistance after the first goal went in, essentially making this a game for all of five minutes. Columbus will not mind the defensive breakdowns though, allowing them to net four goals and grab three more points.

Developments in case law have prompted women’s soccer players’ anonymity to be revisited.  Photo by Jada Gangazha. AIDAN GREGG | MANAGING EDITOR | agregg1@butler.edu   CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu    Content warning: explicit references to sexual abuse, sexual harassment, sexual assault and grooming .  In response to the ongoing sex abuse case filed by four former women’s soccer players, Butler University seeks to remove the athletes’ anonymity. Since the initial filing of the suit in July 2023 , the players have proceeded under the pseudonyms Jane Doe 1, Jane Doe 2 and Jane Doe 3. Jane Doe 4 filed suit in August 2023, also using a pseudonym. The athletes allege sexual abuse, stalking and grooming by former assistant athletic trainer Michael Howell. They further allege negligence by Butler University and Ralph Reiff, the senior associate athletic director for student-athlete health, performance and well-being. However, Butler University and Reiff’s counsel argue that the prior ruling should be revisited because of recent developments in case law. New guidance states that parties seeking pseudonyms must prove “exceptional circumstances” specifically that they “[are] a minor, [are] at risk of physical harm or [face] improper retaliation (that is, private responses unjustified by the facts as determined in court).” The university and Reiff allege that the women’s soccer players have failed to prove that they meet these criteria and therefore must attend a public hearing to evaluate the use of pseudonyms.  The plaintiffs have held that revealing their identities to the public would cause further mental harm and would deter others from reporting sexual assault. Furthermore, the plaintiffs argue that public access to information is maintained while protecting players’ identities because court proceedings and case records remain public despite the players’ use of pseudonyms. A previous ruling affirmed the athletes’ use of pseudonyms. Women’s soccer players maintain need for pseudonyms The plaintiffs recently maintained their need to continue proceeding under pseudonyms. All four players have been proceeding under Jane Does 1-4 since the case was filed in July 2023, citing that a judge can “permit pseudonymous litigation when the balance of harm justifies it.” The women’s soccer players and their legal teams assert there is legal precedent to allow them to continue under the pseudonyms. It is up to the court to determine if there is a “substantial risk of harm — either physical harm or retaliation by third parties, beyond the reaction legitimately attached to the truth to events as determined in court.” If the court deems so, the athletes will be allowed anonymity.  The plaintiffs argue Howell’s abuse caused both physical and emotional harm. Should anonymity not be granted, the plaintiffs fear they will go through “embarrassment, public scrutiny, invasion of privacy, and social stigmatization, all of which place them at risk of further emotional and psychological suffering and injury.”  The women assert they would like to keep anonymity so they are known for their professional accomplishments, rather than solely being stigmatized as survivors of Howell’s abuse. If their names were to be released their information would be “easily accessible and identifiable through the Internet and follow them throughout their personal and professional lives.” At the pseudonym hearing on Oct. 28, the women’s soccer players are expected to testify about their fears regarding their career aspirations in medicine should their identities be revealed. Doe 1 is expected to speak about an exchange in which co-head coach Tari St. John told her she “was instructed not to write a letter of recommendation for [Doe 1’s] medical school applications” after Doe 1 filed the lawsuit.  The plaintiffs also argue that using public identifiers during sexual misconduct litigation would be improper. The information shared by the plaintiffs is highly sensitive, where the release of their names could subject these women to “risk of public disapproval, harassment, or bodily harm.” The women’s legal teams also argue that releasing the players’ names would deter other victims of sexual assault from “seeking judicial relief.” The plaintiffs have also been contacted by other survivors of Howell’s abuse, who shared their “reluctance to come forward because of potential exposure of their identities.” Defendants Butler and Reiff do not contest the harm the women underwent at the hands of Howell, citing the Title IX panel which said “[t]he harm to [Ms. Doe] was severe and the effects resulting therefrom are likely to be profound and lasting.” Butler University even commended the women for their courage when they came forward with their allegations. The plaintiffs pointed out that if the defense is admitting to the severity of these abuses by Howell, the women should be allowed to continue under pseudonyms.  Butler University, Reiff argue for removal of pseudonyms The university argues that the athletes have failed to prove that they demonstrate the exceptional circumstances required for pseudonymity. They claim that “plaintiffs’ claims are not special,” because there are “tens of thousands of other plaintiffs who filed personal injury suits under federal diversity jurisdiction in the past year” without pseudonyms. Federal diversity jurisdiction allows for plaintiffs to sue defendants who do not live in the same state if the amount of money at stake exceeds $75,000. Personal injury encompasses any injury to a person’s body, emotions or reputation. Sexual assault claims fall under personal injury.    The plaintiffs are not minors, nor were they at the time of the alleged abuse. Additionally, the pseudonym guidelines only allow exceptions for “risk of physical harm” and not mental harm. The defense argues that the plaintiffs’ fears of “embarrassment, public scrutiny, invasion of privacy and social stigmatization” which place them at risk for mental harm are irrelevant because the plaintiffs have not proven that they may face further physical harm.  Regarding the retaliation criterion, the university claims that Michael Howell knows the identities of the women’s soccer players, so the use of pseudonyms would not prevent possible retaliation from him. Furthermore, they claim that legal standards do not encompass reputational harm or public scrutiny and these would not be considered a form of retaliation.  The defense further alleges that the athletes have used their pseudonyms to defend themselves and make defamatory statements about Reiff. These alleged defamatory statements were made by the plaintiffs regarding the revelation that Reiff worked with serial rapist and former USA gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. The plaintiffs claim that Reiff had “direct knowledge of and role in the most notorious sex abuse scandal of female athletes in history,” concerning Nassar’s sexual abuse of hundreds of female athletes. For a statement to be considered defamation it must be proven false, be communicated to a third party, result from fault — including negligence — and cause reputational harm to the statement’s target.  Butler University and Reiff allege that the women’s soccer players have sought to “dramatize their narrative for media attention,” citing coverage of the lawsuit from WTHR , the IndyStar and The Butler Collegian . They state that “Plaintiffs have earnestly displayed their narratives, replete with anatomical detail, in an obvious quest for media attention. Plaintiffs have made it abundantly clear that they want all the attention that they can possibly garner.” The Butler Collegian could not reach former women’s soccer players for comment. The plaintiffs’ legal counsel declined to comment on behalf of the plaintiffs. Current players have declined to comment on the ongoing litigation. A hearing regarding the players’ ability to proceed with pseudonyms will be held on Oct. 28, 2024, at the Birch Bayh Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Indianapolis. The Collegian will continue to investigate and report on this story.