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Jahmyl Telfort scored 26 points in Butler’s win over Texas Tech on Nov. 30. Photo by Andrew Buckley. CALEB DENORME | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The men’s basketball team looks to improve to 7-2 tomorrow as they take on Buffalo in Hinkle Fieldhouse. This is the second of a five game home stretch for Butler. The Bulldogs are coming off a huge victory against Texas Tech (TTU) where they bested the Red Raiders in overtime 103-95. It was a tightly contested game that was highlighted by the big shots by Butler’s offense and TTU’s ability to shoot from deep. Ultimately the Dawgs pulled away in overtime to take the spoils. The Bulldogs now have their sights set on the Bulls of Buffalo, who come to Hinkle with a dismal 1-7 record this season. Here is what you need to know as Butler faces off against Buffalo. Who: Butler vs. Buffalo When: Dec. 5, 8:30 p.m. Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse How to watch/listen: FS1, WXNT 1430 AM Offensive efficiency and improvement One of the biggest changes this season is how well the Dawgs’ offense has been able to generate points. Butler currently is 40th in the nation when it comes to scoring offense, averaging 83.4 points per game, up from last season’s average of 65.3. The main reason for this uptick is the influx of quality transfers into the program. Additions like DJ Davis, Jahmyl Telfort and Pierre Brooks are proving their worth on the offensive end of the floor. Each one of them is averaging over double digits in points per game, and all have field goal percentages above 42%. In the game against Texas Tech, Butler shot 54.5% from the field and 44.4% from three, scoring 103 points on the way to an eight point victory. The Bulldogs are averaging a 48.6% field goal percentage this season, a slight improvement from last season when they averaged 43.6%. While the offensive improvement is noticeable, so is Butler’s win total. Through eight games last season, the Dawgs were 5-3. A one win improvement is not a lot, but it is the fashion in which Butler won these games that is impressive. These early season wins are giving the fanbase hope and drawing even more people to pack Hinkle. Buffalo scouting report Buffalo is part of the Mid-American Conference and is currently 1-7 on the year. Last season they were 15-17, getting knocked out of the MAC Tournament by Akron in the quarterfinal. The Bulls’ lone win on the season came against Roberts Wesleyan on Nov. 15, but since then they have been on a five game losing streak. The player to watch for Buffalo is fifth-year Sy Chatman. The 6’8” forward is averaging 15.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game this season, leading the team in scoring. The height of Chatman can pose a challenge for Brooks and Telfort to deal with, but with a lack of offensive options for the Bulls, the Dawgs should be able to manage. Another contributor for Buffalo is senior Isaiah Adams. The 6’6” forward averages 11.8 points per game and can be a factor opposite of Chatman. Adams began his career at UCF before transferring to Buffalo for his junior year. He was the only player for the Bulls to start all 32 games last season. The key for Butler will be dealing with Buffalo’s size. They have some forwards and centers who can pose a threat on the glass if the Bulldogs have a bad day boxing out. The Dawgs should win this game handedly, but winning the rebound battle is the first step to grabbing the victory. These are the games that Butler has to win if they want to be playing in late March. If they continue to stack victories, they will be in good shape heading into the Big East portion of their schedule.

Senior forward Jahmyl Telfort had 15 points in the loss to Michigan State. Photo courtesy of Butler Athletics. CALEB DENORME | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The men’s basketball team fell to Michigan State (MSU), falling to 3-1 on the season. The Spartans handled the Bulldogs easily, winning 74-54. This is the first loss for the Dawgs after winning their first three games at home. Butler’s hot shooting start came to an end in East Lansing, shooting a dismal 28.8% from the field. Before tonight the Bulldogs were shooting 50% from the field and averaging 88.7 points per game. The level of opposition was not on the same level as MSU, but shooting that poorly will not win games at any level. Senior forward Jahmyl Telfort led the Dawgs in scoring with 15 points but only shot 33% from the field. The only other Bulldog who scored in double digits was junior guard Pierre Brooks with 13 points. On the other hand, MSU was led by graduate Tyson Walker’s 21 point explosion. Butler was able to hang around for the opening part of the first half, but ultimately made too many mistakes which allowed the Spartans to pull away. At halftime Michigan State led by 12 and never looked back. From there it was smooth sailing for MSU, cruising to a 20 point victory. Butler was never able to get a foothold in this game, opting to play most of their starters for a majority of the game. Rotation was a big key in the first three games for the Dawgs, but that was not the case tonight. Sputtering offense sinks the Dawgs If there’s a glaring issue from this game: the Butler offense. Even in the opening moments when the Bulldogs were hanging around, the offensive end of the floor looked disjointed and filled with mistakes. The most glaring problem was the shooting. The Dawgs hit only 15 out of 52 attempts to shoot only 28.8% from the field. The only player who seemed to get going on the offensive end was Telfort, but Michigan State’s defense did a good job of shutting the rest of the team down. Shot selection was also something that was lacking. Out of Butler’s 52 shots, they took 25 attempts from beyond the arc. Even worse, only seven of them found the bottom of the net. For a team that shoots that many threes, that percentage is not going to help them beat a team like MSU. Outside of the scoring issues, the team just looked rusty on the offensive end. Michigan State was quick on defense which seemed to take the Dawgs by surprise. This led to misplaced passes, poor ball handling and unfruitful offensive possessions. Of the 64 possessions Butler had, they only scored on 24 of them. Every team will have games like this, especially a team that is only returning three players. This was a wake up call to the Bulldogs, pointing out some things they need to work on to compete with the bigger programs again. This squad still has a lot of promise, but these next few games are going to test them. Lack of rotation Up until tonight coach Thad Matta has kept a philosophy of high rotation and going “ten deep” into his bench. The Bulldogs had ten players touch the court tonight, but not with the usual rotation that fans are used to. First off, Butler’s starters racked up significant minutes. Telfort, Brooks and senior guard Posh Alexander all played upwards of 30 minutes on the night, followed closely by senior guard DJ Davis with 29 minutes. Fifth year center Jalen Thomas started but only played 16 minutes total. There was still heavy rotation at the center position, with senior center Andre Screen and first-year center Boden Kapke getting time in the double digits. An absent member on the night was sophomore Connor Turnbull, who only saw the court for two minutes. First-year guard Finley Bizjack and sophomore guard Landon Moore both came off the bench, but only had three points total between the two of them. The Dawgs bench as a whole contributed ten points, too small of a total for a team who wants to go deep into their bench. This top-heavy rotation can be explained by the competition. Michigan State is a harder team than any of the first three teams Butler played, so the starters getting a bulk of the minutes is not a huge surprise. Despite this, the Bulldogs still need to be able to rely on their bench when they need them, and tonight they could not. Butler returns to action on Nov. 23 against Florida Atlantic in the first game of the ESPN Events Invitational.

First-year Norah Jacomen led the Bulldogs with nine goals this past season. Photo by Delaney Hudson. CALEB DENORME | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu One year ago, Norah Jacomen was midway through her senior year at Hardin Valley Academy in Knoxville, Tennessee. Today, the first-year midfielder is an integral part of the women’s soccer program at Butler and has already taken the Big East by storm. Jacomen played in all 20 games this season as a first year, starting in 19 of the contests. She registered a team-high nine goals and finished third in the Big East in scoring, something that co-head coach Rob Alman knew she could do from the start of her career as a Bulldog. “She’s a fantastic finisher,” Alman said. “Just a deadly finisher in and around the box and some of the finishes this year [have been] top level goals. Really good composure in those moments especially for a young player.” Those “deadly finishes” are something that Alman noticed a few years back, when the Butler coaching staff began evaluating Jacomen. Ranked as the number six player in the South Region, Jacomen was a prized recruit for the Bulldog program and Alman’s coaching staff. “[She’s] one of those players that the first time we saw her play, we were like [wow],” Alman said. “There’s something about her. That attacking mentality and mindset is pretty hard to find.” That mindset won over the coaches, and eventually landed Jacomen at Butler. Despite her extensive experience in high school soccer and Elite Club National League, there was still a learning curve when it came to adapting to Division I college soccer. Even though she excelled in her first season, Jacomen recognized that there is a jump from high school to college. “The speed of play was really fast,” Jacomen said. “You’re playing with really good players, and they’re really good at getting the ball off their feet. I think that was a lot different than what I was used to, but I think by the first month when you start getting into games, you can adjust to it a little bit.” Jacomen adjusted quickly and became a starter by just the second game of the season. From there, she led the team in goals, shots, shots on goal and points. Her performance not only caught the attention of people around Butler, but also around the entire Big East. She was voted Big East Freshman of Week three times and ultimately was named Big East Freshman of the Year as well as All-Big East Third Team. “[Big East Freshman of the Year] was something that I obviously really wanted to try and work for,” Jacomen said. “And I did have my team around me. That really did encourage me. They would tell me, ‘Oh we want you to win Big East Freshman of the Year’ … so I think that’s something I had always in the back of my head.” The award was handed out to a member of the Butler women’s soccer program for the second straight year — sophomore midfielder Talia Sommer won it after the 2022 season. As a former Big East Freshman of the Year recipient and a member of the All-Big East First team this season, Sommer has high praise for her teammate. “I’d say she’s fierce,” Sommer said. “She’s someone to be scared of. If I was a center back on the other team, I’d be scared. It’s such a great tool to have a player like Norah that you know when the ball gets to that position, there is a great chance for a goal. It gives a lot of calmness and confidence to her teammates.” A promising young crop of players led by Jacomen and Sommer has set the Bulldogs up for an exciting future. After sneaking into the Big East Tournament this year before crashing out against UConn, the squad is looking forward to next year and the challenges ahead. Alman knows that his team is only getting hungrier for titles, and younger players like Jacomen excelling so early in their career is paramount for the program. “Pushing on in terms of competing for championships in the Big East is always a goal, and having those players that want to achieve that is important,” Alman said. “There’s a drive there from those players and ultimately chasing a bid into the NCAA Tournament. From a competitive standpoint those players want those things.” Despite the individual achievements in her impressive first season, Jacomen knows there is room for improvement. She is not resting on her accomplishments; she wants to get better as an individual and as a team. “I think I’m really looking forward to learning more about the game,” Jacomen said. “Also, just taking what the coaches have taught me over the past couple months and using it to produce even more than I did last season.” Production is one thing. Having a community of support is another. Luckily for Jacomen and the rest of the Bulldog soccer team, there is a balance of both that anyone can see. Jacomen did not downplay how important that aspect of college soccer is, especially having a support system from your teammates. “I think having that connection is really important for how we play,” Jacomen said. “We’ll still hold each other accountable for things, but it’s all positive, and it’s all for good meaning.” With her first season under her belt, Jacomen will take the accolades and statistics in stride, but with time another season will roll around, and it will be time to start again. The star-studded first year does not show signs of contentment or satisfaction with her game. She simply wants to be the best she can and help bring Butler championships. “We’re focusing on moving forward and getting better,” Alman said. “[Jacomen is] ready to just get back to work … and really just existing in the same place that she has been so far, which is ‘how do I help my team the most?’ If she stays committed to that, I think there’s a really bright future for her.”

Senior guard DJ Davis scored 15 points in the win over East Tennessee State on Nov. 13. Photo courtesy of Butler Athletics. CALEB DENORME | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The men’s basketball team defeated East Tennessee State (ETSU) handily 81-47 at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Nov. 13. The Bulldogs are now 3-0 to start the season after three blowout victories. Butler has been able to win games while excelling at different aspects in each contest. The squad has shown consistent improvement over these first three games despite facing inferior competition. Senior guard DJ Davis led the way with a team-high 15 points on 66% shooting. Davis added five rebounds, four assists and a steal on the night. Senior guard Posh Alexander had yet another strong performance, scoring 13 points while dishing out four assists. He also brought in two steals on a night where the Bulldogs had seven as a team. After jumping out to a huge lead in the first half, the bench players got significant playing time throughout the rest of the game. Sophomore guard Landon Moore bounced back from a rough past game and scored 12 points, all off of three pointers. Sophomore forward Connor Turnbull had seven points on the night and accounted for all of Butler’s six blocks. Stifling defense leads into explosive offense Both teams started off slow from an offensive standpoint and the game remained close for the first eight minutes. That is when the Butler offense woke up and went on a scoring spree, creating a 25 point lead by halftime. This run was spurred on by a string of ETSU turnovers forced by Butler’s defense. The Bucs turned over the ball 13 times in the first half, which led the Bulldogs to capitalize on the offensive end. Butler scored 26 points off of ETSU turnovers in the first half alone, which allowed them to create the gap. Coach Thad Matta emphasized the importance that the defense has in creating transition opportunities. “We talk to our guys about [how] really good teams score off of their defense,” Matta said. “I thought our guys did a really good job tonight with what we thought East Tennessee State was going to do.” What ETSU did was shoot 31% from the field and turn the ball over 19 times on the road to losing by 34. Those extra possessions that Butler’s defense forced resulted in 36 points and a blowout victory in front of the home crowd. The Bulldogs will have to repeat this total team effort of offense and defense on Friday if they want to beat Michigan State. ETSU was a test, but Michigan State will really show what this Butler team is made of. Consistent scoring from the starters and leaning on depth Of the Bulldogs’ five starters tonight, four of them finished with double digits in the scoring column. When thinking about this team compared to last year, that is a huge jump. Last season Butler had to lean heavily on the shoulders of Jayden Taylor and Manny Bates to put points on the board. If those two did not get going, the likelihood of a Bulldog victory decreased. The starters this year have consistently contributed and have done a good job of picking up the slack when one of their teammates is having a hard night. This offseason, Matta went into the portal and found guys that can score and play team basketball on the offensive end. The ability to go ten guys deep into the bench is something the coaching staff has utilized early in the season. It showed tonight, with Butler going ten deep in the first half. Matta highlighted how important depth will be as the season goes on. “When you come into the game, you gotta give us something,” Matta said. “You gotta give us energy, gotta give us rebounding. You know it’s funny, you think about this time last year we didn’t have ten guys.” Butler will need to lean on their depth going into the next few games against tougher competition. First on the slate is a matchup at Michigan State on Nov. 17. That game is followed by a trip down to Florida for the ESPN Events Invitational, where the Dawgs will face off against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 23.

The Dawgs won their first regular season game on Nov. 6 against Eastern Michigan. Photo by Andrew Buckley. CALEB DENORME | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The men’s basketball team returns to Hinkle Fieldhouse on Nov. 10 for a matchup against Southeast Missouri State. The Dawgs are looking to improve to 2-0 after winning their first regular season matchup against Eastern Michigan (EMU) 94-55. Butler started out slow against EMU, allowing the Eagles to hang around until they pulled away in the second half to win by 39 points. After getting their first taste of Division I competition in the 2023-24 season, the Bulldogs have shifted their focus to the Redhawks of Southeast Missouri State. Who: Butler vs. Southeast Missouri State When: Nov. 10, 8:30 p.m. Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse How to watch/listen: FS2/WXNT 1430 AM One game under the belt Butler’s game against Eastern Michigan (EMU) was a tale of two halves. In the first half, EMU was able to hang around due to lackluster shooting by the Bulldogs. Going into halftime, the Dawgs only led by eight points but eventually hit their stride later in the half. The second half was when it all came together for Butler. The Bulldogs outscored the Eagles 60-29, led by Jahmyl Telfort’s 18 points and Pierre Brooks who added 16 more. The Dawgs had 10 players contribute to the score — six of them scored double figures. One offensive category they will have to improve is shooting from deep. Butler shot a dismal 27.3% from three in the game, hitting six out of their 22 shots. Those numbers will likely improve as the team plays together more, but a bad shooting night can make an easy game become tight. Butler had one major problem throughout the night: rebounds. The Eagles pulled down 12 offensive rebounds which posed a problem for the Bulldogs early on when the score was tight. Luckily for the Dawgs, Eastern Michigan cooled down and only shot 32.2% from the field after their hot start, which allowed Butler to build up a lead. This is still a very new team with lots of new faces. Until they have more playing time under their belt against Division I opponents, the Dawgs will continue to be up and down at times. Southeast Missouri State scouting report The Redhawks are a part of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), a Division I conference that consists of teams from Illinois, Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, Arkansas and Missouri. The men’s basketball team went 19-17 last season and went on to win the OVC Tournament to gain a spot in the NCAA Tournament. They crashed out of the tournament in the First Four to Texas A&M Corpus Christi, ending their season. The Redhawks lost their three top scorers from last season in Phillip Russell, Chris Harris and Israel Barnes. The key returner is Josh Earley, who averaged 7.7 points and 5.1 rebounds last season in the magical run to the NCAA Tournament. Another player to watch out for will be TJ Biel, a 6’7” guard who averaged 9.3 points last season at Triton College. The focus for the Bulldogs defense will be chasing the Redhawks off the three point line. Southeast Missouri State shot from beyond the arc on 39.9% of their shots last season. If they come out hot and Butler can not defend the perimeter, it could be a closer game than many might think. This will be another early-season test for Butler as they continue to build chemistry before the bigger matchups they have coming up. The Redhawks made it to the big dance last year, so they should not be overlooked.

Pierre Brooks had 14 points against Franklin College on Nov. 1. Photo by Delaney Hudson. CALEB DENORME | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The men’s basketball team will be back in action at Hinkle Fieldhouse Nov. 6 as they take on Eastern Michigan. This is the first official game the Dawgs will play this season after winning two exhibition games against Ohio Northern and Franklin College. Butler took down the Polar Bears 78-46 in the first exhibition game and dominated the Grizzlies 91-54 in the second. With the exhibitions over, the Dawgs shift their focus to getting the first real win of the season. Here’s what you need to know before Butler takes on the Eastern Michigan Eagles. Who: Butler vs. Eastern Michigan When: Nov. 6, 8 p.m. Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse How to watch/listen: FS1/WXNT 1430 AM Where was the three point shooting? In a game where Butler shot 54.7% from the field and 87.5% from the free throw line, the Dawgs were only able to hit on 25% of their three point shots. While it is not time to panic, the lack of production from the three point line against a Division III opponent is a bump in the road. After an offseason where Thad Matta went after shooters like DJ Davis and Pierre Brooks in the portal, the three point conversion rate will have to be better down the stretch. The Dawgs made up for the lack of production by shooting well from the field, but it will be something to watch as the season kicks off and progresses. It is still early and the team is still learning how to play with each other. With time and practice those numbers should go up, but it is a worrying stat to see for the coaching staff, especially considering the opposition. Eastern Michigan scouting report The Eastern Michigan Eagles are a member of the Mid-American Conference. They finished last season at 8-23 overall. The Eagles performed decently at home, going 6-7, but struggled on the road, going only 2-13. The key loss for Eastern Michigan is guard Emoni Bates. Bates left the Eagles after last season to enter the NBA Draft, where he was picked in the second round by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Bates led the team last season in points, averaging 19.2 a game, and rebounds, averaging 5.8 a game. The player to watch out for will be junior guard Tyson Acuff. Acuff averaged 14.3 points last season and was named Second-Team Preseason All-MAC. His breakout game last season was against Toledo, where he dropped 36 points on the Rockets. Acuff shoots a solid 36.5% from three, so the Dawgs will have to be vigilant to chase him off the three point line. Eastern Michigan will prove to be a solid early season test for Butler, given that they will be the first Division I program they play. The good news is regular season Butler basketball is back from now until March

The Columbus Crew split the team’s last two games. The Crew won at home 2-0 against a dismal Toronto FC squad before going on the road to fall 2-0 to the Houston Dynamo in the Texas heat. Despite head coach Wilfried Nancy rotating his team for the game in Houston, the Black & Gold used similar tactics in both games. The style of play in both matches yielded different results. Let’s dive into what tactical choices Nancy made. A fluid front three With the addition of forward Diego Rossi, Columbus is more versatile in the attacking half than before. When midfielder Lucas Zelarayan played, he was a true No. 10 with forwards Cucho Hernandez and Christian Ramirez playing as No. 9s. Hernandez dropped deeper at ties and had a sense of free roaming to his game, but it was a more structured front three. With Rossi now inserted into the lineup, the attacking front three has become more fluid. The Uruguayan is multi-faceted and can play as a striker, attacking midfielder or winger if needed. Nancy has allowed his attackers to have a sense of freedom about their positioning, with general guidelines on where they start on the pitch. Out of the gate against Toronto, Ramirez and Hernandez started as strikers, with Rossi playing underneath as a No. 10, but that soon changed. Rossi was a bombarding attacking midfielder, meaning he likes to make runs in behind the defense like a striker. Once he vacated the attacking midfielders’ space, Hernandez dropped and picked up the role of a No. 10. Ramirez roamed up top, but was mostly side-to-side instead of dropping deeper like a midfielder. This is why the Black & Gold’s attack was so hard to pin down with these three on the field. Opposing teams can’t lock down one area of the pitch that they think Rossi or Hernandez will be in because the South Americans will just recognize that and move into space. If the Columbus attackers can find the open space, the midfield duo of Darlington Nagbe and Aidan Morris will play to their feet and allow them to either turn or pass quickly. This is why the Crew continues to be exciting and score so many goals. Of course, against Houston with a rotated squad, the Black & Gold lost some of that versatility. Attacking midfielder Alexandru Matan and forward Jacen Russell-Rowe are talented young players, but they are set positionally as a No. 10 and No. 9 respectively. The transition across the pitch to be able to take up different positions has not quite developed for them, which is part of the reason why Columbus struggled on Wednesday. For only being in the first season of the Nancy era, the Crew attack looks as potent as ever. It will only continue to get more dangerous as that front three builds more chemistry. Columbus’ pressing aiding the possession The entire league knows that the Crew loves to have possession. In fact, Columbus leads the league in possession at 57 percent. This high rate of possession helps the Black & Gold create good chances and break an opponent down, but it’s largely due to their press. Columbus is a high-possession team that plays a high defensive line because the team likes to press. This is not an all-out press like the New York Red Bulls, it’s a methodical pressure that makes an opponent sweat. This press starts with the front three. The attackers take away and man mark most of the defenders in a resisted press. This means they will play off by about 19 yards until they get the ball, which at that point the Crew pushes up. Behind these attacker, the two central midfielders mark the cutoff opponents. This typically is the other team’s midfielders. The Black & Gold want to take away any split balls that can make their way into the midfielders. Columbus’ wing backs will push high to mark either the opposing outside backs or dropping wingers. Typically, a lone center back may move up to mark a stray midfielder or winger, leaving two center backs dropped at all times. These two remaining center backs mark the striker. How does this relate to possession? The idea behind the press is to take away all of the opponent’s “comfort options” and force them to play dangerous passes to get out of their defensive half. The Crew takes away the easy, short and split passes as much as the team can and attempts to make the opponent go long to the striker. This worked well against Toronto on Saturday. The Canadian side could not find a sustainable way to play through the Black & Gold’s press, so TF had to play the ball long for the striker. The two center backs marking that striker had a numbers advantage and be able to win the ball. Once Columbus won the ball back, the Crew already had most of their players high up the field from the previous press. Then the Black & Gold can either try to counter quickly while the opposing defense is regrouping or opt to start possessing at a high volume in the attacking half. This press has been the pinnacle of Nancy’s defensive structure. Even though it does have some pitfalls (getting overextended and outnumbered on the break), it has worked really well for Columbus. Steven Moreira, the midfielder Moreira wears many hats for the Crew and has since he came to the Black & Gold. The Frenchman started as a right back but was moved to center back this season in Nancy’s three-center-back system. He is multifaceted, but over the past few games, he moved into the midfield more than he has much of the year. Make no mistake, Moreira’s true position is right center back, but on offense, he regularly moved into the midfield. This could be a result of Columbus going down a goal early in the match against Houston, but this move played a specific role on the offensive side. In a recent tactical review, it was highlighted how Nagbe tends to shift over to the right side to be a connecter to wing back Julian Gressel. Against the Dynamo, Gressel didn’t start, but Moreira bridged the gap between the middle of the field and his replacement, Mohamed Farsi. By Moreira shifting into midfield on the right side, Nagbe was able to step up higher into attacking spaces and be another option on the inside. This left the Crew more vulnerable at the back, but at team has to take risks when chasing the game and Moreira has proven to be an offensive contributor. As the Black & Gold moved higher up the field, so did the Frenchman. At one point, he waited for a cross at the top of the penalty box like an attacking midfielder, This is the brand of soccer Nancy wants to endorse. It’s not positionless, but a free-flowing offensive buildup that varies on the opponent’s condition. If Moreira sees and opening to join the attack, he has full authorization to get up the pitch. It may not happen every week, but Moreira may be hunting for more goals in the future.

Graduate student Florian Le Pallac led the way for Butler, finishing third at the Big East Championships. Photo courtesy of Butler Athletics. CALEB DENORME | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The men’s cross country team ran away with the Big East Cross Country Championship on Oct. 28, capping off an impressive season. This is the third Big East Conference title for the Bulldogs in the past four years, returning to glory after placing fourth in the 2022 Big East Championships. The Dawgs were led by graduate student Florian Le Pallec, who placed third with a time of 25:05.45. Redshirt first-year William Zegarski and junior Matthew Forrester came in close behind Le Pallec, finishing in fourth and fifth, respectively. Butler edged out Villanova by a score of 36-42. The Wildcats had runners take home the first and second place finishes, but only had one more runner take home a spot in the top 14. Butler had five runners finish in the top 14 spots, demonstrating a strong team showcase to bring home the Big East title. Le Pallec, Zegarski, Forrester, redshirt junior Will Minnette, redshirt junior Jesse Hamlin and redshirt senior Jack McMahon earned All-Big East honors for their performance in securing the Big East title for the Dawgs. Butler will continue their race towards the national championship in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional in Verona, Wisconsin on Nov. 10.

The women’s soccer team beat Creighton 3-1 on Oct. 26 at the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl. Photo by Delaney Hudson. CALEB DENORME | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The women’s soccer team defeated Creighton 3-1 on Oct. 26 to clinch the final spot in the Big East Tournament. Not only did the Bulldogs need to win, they also needed Seton Hall to lose, DePaul to tie or lose and Marquette to tie or lose on the final day of play to sneak into the tournament. Luck favored Butler on the day, with all the results going their way. Redshirt senior forward Abigail Isger opened the scoring in the 25th minute and from there the Dawgs never looked back. Graduate midfielder Becky Dean dispatched a penalty to make it 2-0 and then Isger scored again to put Butler up 3-0. The Bluejays would pull one back, but it would be too little, too late. The Bulldogs won the game and clinched the sixth seed in the Big East Tournament. That sent the squad to Connecticut to take on the UConn Huskies. The last time Butler matched up with UConn it turned out to be a highly physical game, ending in a 0-0 draw. The Bulldogs had knocked the Huskies out of the Big East Tournament in the 2021 and 2020-21 seasons, so UConn was looking for revenge. The Huskies jumped out to an early lead courtesy of graduate midfielder Jessica Mazo’s shot that was deflected by a Butler defender into the back of the net. The hosts doubled their lead 20 minutes later when sophomore forward Chioma Okafor chipped redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Anna Pierce. Despite the two goal deficit, Butler fought back. Sophomore midfielder Talia Sommer capitalized off a quick freekick on the stroke of halftime to bring the Dawgs back within one. In the second half, first-year forward Norah Jacomen hit a right footed curler into the top corner to equalize. It was not the Bulldogs’ night in the end. With about a minute to go in the match, Okafor received a long ball behind the Butler defense and replicated her finish from the first half, chipping Pierce and winning the game for the Huskies. The Dawgs end their season with a record of 6-8-6, going out in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament.

Senior forward Jahmyl Telfort transferred from Northeastern and has two seasons of eligibility with the Bulldogs. Photo by Jada Gangazha. SARAH HOHMAN | SPORTS EDITOR | shohman@butler.edu CALEB DENORME | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The second year of head coach Thad Matta’s return to Butler basketball has been met with increasing optimism and heightened expectations. After an offseason filled with departures and additions, Bulldogs fans will soon get to see what kind of team Matta has been building. Last season, the Bulldogs finished 14-18 overall, posting a 6-14 conference record before bowing out in the first round of the Big East Tournament. Butler struggled to pick up wins away from Hinkle Fieldhouse all year, going 4-12 in games away from their home fortress. In Hinkle, though, the team posted a strong 10-6 record spurred on by a raucous crowd in Indianapolis. The Dawgs finished ninth in the Big East. However, the season had some bright spots. Matta got a signature win over 13th-ranked Xavier in a dramatic thriller at Hinkle Fieldhouse, and a victory over Villanova earlier in the season, who regularly proves to be a tough matchup. Since the end of last season, there has been a revolving door for outgoing and incoming players in Hinkle Fieldhouse. After losing nine players to graduation or the transfer portal, Butler reloaded by bringing in seven transfers and four first years to fill the holes. The only returnees for the Bulldogs are sophomore forward Connor Turnbull, fifth-year center Jalen Thomas and graduate center John-Michael Mulloy. For Thomas, this season will be about stepping up to lead this new roster into the Big East gauntlet. The 6’10” big man is excited to start the year healthy after missing time at the beginning of last season, and he is relishing the opportunity to be a leading presence in the locker room. “I’m looking forward to the season,” Thomas said. “I’m 100%, and I’m looking forward to competing with my guys. I’m ready to lead these guys and go out there because I know what it takes to win, and I’m happy to be back.” Thomas brings a physical presence down low, but he also has experience that will be vital on a newly constructed team. Having experience playing in the Big East goes a long way, especially around other players who have not gone up against that type of competition before. Players like Thomas, Mulloy and senior transfer from St. John’s Posh Alexander will provide experience and direction for the new faces around the locker room. The Dawgs have another returner in Turnbull, who gained some valuable minutes as just a first-year last season. He played in 22 of the team’s 32 games, shooting 44% from the field and 47% from three. The forward also added 15 blocks to his statline which finished third on the team. Turnbull talked about coming into the offseason with a newly built team. “[This offseason] felt kind of similar to last year, just learning [with] a whole new team,” Turnbull said. “It was easy to adjust last year. Overall, I am just excited to play with all the new guys who I get along with really well.” These “new guys” are exactly who coach Matta wanted to find this offseason to fit his mold. The coaching staff attacked the portal to find more players that fit into the team. “We felt like we really needed to go out and get more of our guys,” Matta said. “I’m really pleased with the job they’ve done in terms of coming together.” One of the guys Matta went out and got was senior forward Jahmyl Telfort. Telfort spent three seasons at Northeastern, where he won the CAA Sixth Man of the Year in 2021 and made the All-Colonial Athletic Association Third Team last season. The 6’7” forward also represented Canada’s U23 team in the 2023 GLOBL JAM event, where the Canadians took home the silver medal. Telfort explained what Matta’s message to the team has been during this offseason. “We want to get better every time we step on the court,” Telfort said. “Win the day, win the week was one of his big models, so that’s what we are going to do.” Another addition to the team is junior Pierre Brooks II, a transfer from Michigan State. Brooks was a solid role player for the Spartans, ranking seventh on the team last season in scoring and minutes. The 6’6” guard/forward is looking forward to the expanded role that being a Bulldog offers him. “We play a whole lot different from where I came from,” Brooks said. “I have a lot more freedom to do what I want with the basketball and a lot more freedom to play. This is one of the best teams I’ve been on, and I haven’t played a game yet.” Brooks will return to East Lansing alongside his new teammates to face off against a tough Spartan team on Nov. 17. Following this, the Dawgs will make a quick turnaround to Orlando, Florida to compete in the ESPN Events Invitational alongside Florida Atlantic, Penn State, Texas A&M, Iowa State, Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth University and Boise State. The team looks forward to using these early tests to prepare for Big East play, which will begin on Dec. 19 versus Georgetown at Hinkle. Matta’s new team will compete in two exhibition games before officially starting the season at home on Nov. 6 versus Eastern Michigan. The first exhibition game is Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m. versus Ohio Northern at Hinkle.

The Columbus Crew continued the team’s march towards the MLS Cup playoffs last week with two games on the road. The Black & Gold were able to come home with four points thanks to a 2-1 win against the New England Revolution and a 1-1 draw vs. Atlanta United. Defender Malte Amundsen secured all three points for Columbus against the Revs in the dying moments last Saturday. The Crew then went down to Atlanta for a midweek clash, where poor set piece defending denied the Black & Gold the win. As the postseason nears, Columbus has shown its strengths and weaknesses. Both were on display in these two games, so let’s dive into what tactically worked and did not. Steven Moreira in the midfield against New England Moreira moving from his center back role to the midfield has been a recurring theme in the past few games for the Crew. Whether it is Julian Gressel or Mohamed Farsi at the right wing back position, it’s no secret the Black & Gold want to get the ball out wide to the right. Because of this, head coach Wilfried Nancy resorted to pushing Moreira into midfield to help create more overloads. This tactical approach shifted Columbus into a 2-3-5 formation when attacking. Amundsen and Sean Zawadzki stayed back as center backs as Moreira pushed into the midfield. Darlington Nagbe and Aidan Morris stayed in their natural central midfield positions but shifted slightly to the left to make room for the Frenchman. Up top, there was a plethora of attacking firepower across the board. Yaw Yeboah and Gressel played as advanced, with Alexandru Matan, Cucho Hernandez and Diego Rossi in between. The front three attackers were fluid as usual, dropping in and switching positions whenever they felt it was necessary. This gave the Crew a real punch going forward by committing eight players into the attack. With so many bodies, it was easy to create overloads and counter-press the Revolution when the Black & Gold lost the ball. Even though committing so many men forward caused Columbus to be vulnerable on the counter attack, Zawadzki and Amundsen held their own. There were times when the Dane moved into the attack if there was space. Having an asset like Moreira is vital to this team. His defending and leadership from the back are essential in 1 v. 1 situations. On the other hand, Moreira has good ball control and can make slashing runs to gash a defense. Moving Moreira into the midfield is just another caveat for opponents to deal with defensively, so look for this to continue come playoff time. How the Crew tweaked the formation against Atlanta When the starting lineups came out on Saturday, many Black & Gold fans were confused when looking at the defensive starters. Four players who have played center back in prior games this season were slated to start, with Gressel being the lone true wing back. Once the game started, it was clear that Zawadzki was left wing back, with Yevhen Cheberko taking the left center back position. Rudy Camacho and Moreira stayed in their familiar center back spaces with Gressel on the right. This change profoundly affected the game and how Columbus was shaped. In possession, the Crew was in a 3-3-4 formation. The backline was Cheberko, Camacho and Moreira, with a midfield trio of Zawadzki, Morris and Nagbe ahead of them. Gressel pushed up high on the right, rounded out by the front three. It was just a minor shift from the previous game, with Zawadzki moving into the midfield instead of Moreira. That gave the Crew a bit more defensive stability while allowing Zawadzki to link up with his two partners in midfield. Because the left wing back space was unoccupied, Matan often shifted to the left to take that area. When the Black & Gold advanced higher up the field, the formation was tweaked again. This time, Columbus moved to a 2-3-1-4 formation, sliding Nagbe up as an attacking midfielder. Moreira moved into midfield with Zawadzki and Morris, leaving Camacho and Cheberko back. The front four remained the same, but Hernandez, Rossi and Matan all had creative freedom to drop and combine with the midfielders. Getting Nagbe into an advanced position has been something Crew fans have wanted for a long time. His ability on the ball, specifically to pull off the spectacular, is evident, so moving him closer to goal only increases Columbus’ chances of scoring. The Crew does that at the risk of being caught high, but with Cheberko and Camacho on the backline, there was security. It was just another stepping stone of building on previous tactical choices from the Black & Gold. This is Nancy’s time to tinker with formations and tactics before the playoffs start. While these games still hold importance, they also serve as an opportunity to try new things that could help later down the road.

The Columbus Crew returned home to take on the Philadelphia Union in what could be an MLS Cup playoff preview. The Black & Gold opened the 2023 campaign against the Union in Philadelphia, falling 4-1 in Wilfried Nancy’s first game in charge. Much has changed since then for both sides, which produced an end-to-end match that ended up tied at 1-1. Columbus stuck to the team’s guns tactically, but there were a few nuances to help attack the Union. Let’s dive into those tactical decisions. Playing with four in the back while in possession The Crew will tend to change shape throughout the match depending on the situation, score and if the team has the ball or not. Nancy likes to line his teams up in a hybrid three- or five-defender system but maintains formational fluidity throughout the match. In the game against Philadelphia, Columbus switched formations around while in possession to a 4-2-4. Center back Steven Moreira slid into the right back slot, leaving Rudy Camacho and Malte Amundsen as the center back pair. Wing back Yaw Yeboah took up the mantle of right back, but he got forward in attack as well. Right wing back Julian Gressel moved high up the pitch to the right wing position. Forward Cucho Hernandez and attacking midfielder Alexandru Matan were up top like strikers but dropped in or roamed freely. Forward Diego Rossi moved out more to the left but again maintained the freedom to move inside. Darlington Nagbe and Aidan Morris stayed beside each other, holding the line in midfield. This formational change when on the ball was indicative of what the Black & Gold wanted to do primarily in the first half. The Union took the first half to rest some of their attacking stars, so Columbus tried to push for the opening goal while the threat of a counter attack wasn’t too daunting. Camacho was the only player for the Crew who didn’t have a serious attacking presence. Amundsen stayed back a good amount but occasionally found himself in the attack. Moreira often pinched inside like a midfielder to help Morris and Nagbe hold down the middle and add an extra body into the attacking mix. Even though they didn’t score a goal in the first half, the Black & Gold generated chance after chance while the Union tried to escape to halftime with the match still tied. Despite Columbus having a top-scoring offense in the league, the Black & Gold couldn’t find the breakthrough and missed a lot of good scoring chances. Keep looking for the Crew to change and morph the formation moving forward, depending on the in-game situation. Columbus has been one of the best teams all year in adapting and maintaining a style of soccer that features fluid formations. How the game turned in the second half Philadelphia head coach Jim Curtain had a simple game plan going into Saturday’s matchup. With stars like Daniel Gazdag, Julian Carranza and Mikael Uhre sitting during the first half to rest, Curtain’s plan was to survive the first half and make this contest rely on the second 45 minutes. Despite the barrage of Crew chances, the Union got their wish and even took the lead on a corner in the second half. This is when the tactics of both sides took center stage, and fans got to see how teams could exploit Columbus’ style of play. The Black & Gold love to have the ball and be aggressive in the attack. That means creating numerical overloads at the cost of possibly getting countered by the opposition. They apply pressure by committing as many as eight or nine players forward in attack and forcing other teams to drop more players on defense to handle the attacking firepower. During the second half, it became a chess match between Curtain and Nancy on which one could stick to his game plan and grind out a result. The Crew continued to attack and create quality chances repeatedly but could not find the back of the net, while Philadelphia took every chance to attack with pace on the counter. The difference in the game was the opposing philosophies of the coaches. The Union sat one point ahead of the Crew in the vital race for a home playoff spot. Curtain was content with his side packing up shop and parking the bus to secure the tie. Nancy pushed his team to go for all three points, prompting him to take Morris off for striker Christian Ramirez. This change shifted things slightly for the Black & Gold. Nagbe was the lone central midfielder, although Moreira stepped up and Matan occasionally dropped to help. The change was definitely in the attacking mind, pushing for two goals to get all three points. When Columbus tied up the game, Philadelphia essentially shut it down, being more careful and defensive to combat the Crew attack. The Union’s philosophy succeeded but with a few nervous moments, including a no call penalty decision on Ramirez in stoppage time. These were two well-coached teams doing their respective duties based on what they wanted from the rest of the season. Philadelphia was content to retain a one-point lead over the Black & Gold. Columbus wanted to take all three points to leapfrog the Union but will be okay with coming away with a point.