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Overtime, or “OT,” is an opinion column series where the Collegian takes national sports headlines and gives them a Butler-centric angle. As the final celebrations wound down in Doha on Dec. 18, 2022, the world began to look back on what was a thrilling World Cup on the field, but a mixed bag off the field. The controversy began when former disgraced FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced in Dec. 2010 that Qatar would be the host nation for the 2022 edition of the World Cup. Other nations had bids to host the tournament that officials deemed were more appealing than Qatar, including a bid from the USA. First-year elementary education major Noah Lipscomb was not surprised there was corruption, but stated that it’s sad bribery takes place in sports. “It’s very unfair.” Lipscomb said. “Sports is clearly not a place for those kinds of activities…it just shows that money can do a lot for you in the world.” The decision to have Qatar as the host was groundbreaking at the time because no Middle-Eastern country had ever hosted the World Cup before. Immediately due to FIFA’s history of corruption and bribes, many began to look closer at how Qatar managed to land the world’s biggest sporting event. Blatter even came out and admitted that FIFA made a mistake in awarding the event to Qatar. After landing the tournament, Qatar got straight to work building eight state-of-the-art new stadiums as well as other projects to improve their infrastructure. To be prepared and ready to go by the start date in 2022, the country brought in millions of migrant workers from Africa and Asia to complete the project. From 2010 to 2020, Qatar only reported that 40 workers had died during the projects, but only three of them were “work-related”. Data coming out from the workers’ home countries suggest that thousands of workers died while working on stadiums, and other World Cup-related projects. First-year exploratory business student Chris Walker said that Qatar was “sick” for how they treated the migrant workers leading up to the tournament. “It’s pretty twisted in of itself,” Walker said. “Especially because they spent all that money to get that bid and they weren’t ready for it. So they had to use their own citizens…basically working them to death is really bad.” The human toll weighed heavily on the minds of the public as stories continued to come out about the Qatar death toll, with many even boycotting watching the tournament. The worst part about the worker crisis was the way Qatar kept justifying and covering up the cause of death for these workers. The term “acute heart failure due to natural causes” became popular among Qatari officials when detailing how many of the workers died. The harsh reality is that the workers were underpaid, overworked and lived in inhumane conditions. Working in the Middle Eastern sun for 10-14 hours a day over a long period of time puts a toll on the human body. Had the World Cup been awarded to another country with the proper infrastructure and labor laws in place, this catastrophe could have been avoided. Yet another issue with having the tournament in Qatar was how the media was able to cover the event. As journalists and news crews arrived from all over the world, many were told they were not allowed to film in public places in Qatar, but only in places agreed to by the Qatari government. In the early days, a video went viral of a Danish journalist trying to get a live video shot in a public area getting threatened by Qatari officials to shut off the camera because they were not allowed to film. The video provided by NowThis News on Youtube showed the officials even saying they would smash the camera if he didn’t leave. Qatar’s policy on gay marriage also took center stage when a few incidents happened as the tournament began. BBC presenter Alex Scott stood for the idea of gay rights during the BBC’s presentation of the England vs Wales game by wearing a “OneLove” armband. Captains of the European teams were planning to wear the same armbands in-game but were threatened by FIFA with receiving yellow cards upon kick-off if they wore them. American soccer journalist Grant Wahl was detained for wearing a shirt that brandished a soccer ball surrounded by a rainbow before being allowed into the media center after a half-hour detainment. Wahl wore the shirt in support of his brother Eric, who is gay. Later while covering the quarter-final match of Argentina against Netherlands, Wahl collapsed suddenly before being pronounced dead at a hospital later. Wahl’s brother Eric later took to social media to suggest that there may be foul play at hand because his brother was outspoken about the Qatari government, but there has been no proof of that. Of course, at the biggest tournament in the world, there were bound to be some political statements. The biggest outcry came from fans supporting Palestine. As the Moroccan national team made an improbable run to the semi-finals, Palestinian flags were everywhere around the stadium. After Morocco beat Spain in the round of 16, the players even unfolded a Palestine flag and posed for pictures with it. It was not only the fans from Arab countries though, even England fans were getting in on the “Free Palestine” movement. Many fans adopted Palestine as their second team, even though the Palestinian squad did not qualify for the World Cup. It seemed that everywhere fans looked they could see the colors of the Palestine flag being represented and supported. First-year creative media major Jeffery Herschberger said he is not qualified to judge others, but thought it was odd what topics were allowed to be supported. “I just find it kind of interesting that Palestinian flags were allowed but the supporting of gay rights wasn’t allowed,” Herschberger said. “How can we have people support [Palestine], but not have people support [LGBTQ+ rights]? That was just kind of an interesting dynamic. The World Cup being held in the Middle East only seemed to help the Palestinian’s cause, allowing them to share their movement with people from around the world. To many, the 2022 World Cup will always be remembered for the soccer memories. Messi finally winning the elusive prize, the great games, the penalty shootouts, the drama and the magic. Others, however, will also remember the off-field controversy and political movements that conjoined themselves with the game’s biggest stage.

It is finally time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup to kick off in Qatar, but it’s a little different this time around. For the first time ever, the tournament will take place in the winter months, due to Qatar’s extreme heat in the summer months. 32 teams will battle over the course of 64 games until one country takes home the most coveted prize in all of soccer: the World Cup trophy and the title of world champion. Let’s dive into which teams are favored to win the tournament, and some other squads to keep an eye on. The Favorites: Argentina, Brazil and France Let’s start with Argentina. Lionel Messi will lead the charge, but he will have help from Angel Di Maria and Lautaro Martinez up top. Argentina will also field a solid defense, with Lisandro Martinez and Nicolàs Tagliafico anchoring the line. With Emiliano Martinez between the posts, Argentina will be a force to be reckoned with come November and December. Oh, and they are unbeaten in their last 35 games. Maybe this can be the year that Messi gets his hands on that elusive World Cup trophy. When you look at Brazil, the only problem for them will be how they fit all their attacking options on the field at the same time. Players like Neymar, Antony, Gabriel Jesus, Vinicius Jr, Raphinha, Richarlison and Gabriel Martinelli will all be fighting for playing time. Head coach Tite will not be complaining though, because there is never such a thing as too much talent. With proven players like Casemiro and Fabinho controlling the midfield, along with Marquinhos and Thiago Silva shutting down attackers, Brazil is looking like the team to beat. Brazil will have a relatively easy group, taking on Switzerland, Cameroon and Serbia. Finally, you cannot talk about favorites without mentioning the defending world champions, France. The French will defend their title with a squad similar in class to the one four years ago. Karim Benzema, the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner, returns to the World Cup stage with France for the first time since 2014. Benzema and Kylian Mbappe will be sure to wreak havoc on opposing defenses along with young RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku. France’s midfield as a whole will be their weakness in this tournament because of N’Golo Kanté and Paul Pogba being out due to injury. 20-year-old Eduardo Camavinga and 22-year-old Aurélien Tchouaméni will try to step up in their absence. Another problem the French will face is the World Cup Winners Curse. In the past three World Cups, the country that won the tournament four years before crashed out of the competition in the group stage. Only time will tell if France falls victim to the curse or if they can break it. Other Contenders: England, Portugal and Germany England finished fourth in the 2018 World Cup, losing to Belgium in the third-place game after going on an impressive run that led the English population to believe “football is coming home”. The belief is the same this year with a mix of young and experienced players leading the team. The attacking options are plentiful for head coach Gareth Southgate, with players such as Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford fighting for starting spots. 19-year-old Jude Bellingham will command the midfield, but the defense for England is their weak point. Picking an out-of-form Harry Maguire over Fikayo Tomori could be a mistake in the long run because teams will key in on Maguire’s mistake-prone play and try to attack him. England can make a run to the final, but they are not a clear-cut favorite to win it all. When people think of Portugal they only think of Cristiano Ronaldo, but this squad is incredibly talented and deep. João Felix, Rafael Leão, Bernardo Silva and João Cancelo are world-class players that will help Ronaldo in the event that he can’t carry the whole team. The defense is led by Pepe and Ruben Dias, rounding out a starting 11 that can be very dangerous if they click. This Portugal squad can go deep in the tournament, but their players are not on the same level as Brazil or France. One scenario that could play out is if Argentina and Portugal win their respective groups and both make it to the final, we would have a Messi vs Ronaldo showdown for the trophy that neither of them has, but both want. One can dream right? To be frank, Germany is always a threat on the World Cup stage. They won it in 2014 in dramatic fashion, and then they got knocked out in the group stage in 2018. This year they will be looking for revenge, and to bring a fifth World Cup back to Germany. The Germans always have been a well-oiled machine, very disciplined and calculated in their style of play. Overall they have a talented squad, but it is not as deep as the favorites. Kai Havertz, Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry will lead the attack, while Thomas Muller, Joshua Kimmich and the 19-year-old Jamal Musiala will boss the middle of the pitch. Defensively, Antonio Rudiger and Niklas Sule will bolster the defense with goalkeeping legend Manuel Neuer between the sticks. The starting 11 looks very good on paper, but the depth in attack and defense is lacking. The midfield will be where the Germans are the strongest, and that’s how they will control games. Germany doesn’t need all the raw talent that a country like France needs to get by though, because the system these players play in is so fine-tuned that everyone knows their assignments and roles. You can never rule Germany out of making a run to be world champions for the fifth time. Dark Horses: Belgium, Spain and USA Spain always has a strong squad due to their ability to produce young talent and the artistic system of tiki-taka that they play. Tiki-taka is all about making lots of short passes, movement and keeping possession to break down the opposition. It’s a system that the Spaniards have used for a while now, and is well respected and admired around the world. Makenna Frias, a first-year psychology student, was high on the Spanish squad’s chance to raise the World Cup again this year. “My favorite is probably Spain,” Frias said. “I’ve always enjoyed watching them and they normally do pretty well.” The system, along with a new crop of young Spaniards bursting onto the scene makes this team fun to watch. Players like Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo and Ansu Fati are shining for their club sides despite being between the ages of 18-24. The big name that will not be making the trip is Sergio Ramos. The PSG center back and Spanish captain for many years was dropped in favor of Cesar Azpilicueta and Eric Garcia. The squad overall is strong and will field a competitive starting 11, but it lacks the star power of past Spanish teams. Players like Xavi, Iniesta, Pique, Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas led the Spanish national team for years before retiring or being left out of the team. The 2022 Spanish squad lacks maturity and quality right now, but with time they could return to being favorites to win every tournament they are at. For right now, do not rule them out, but do not expect them to raise the trophy in December. Belgium has been one of the top-ranked teams in the world over the past decade due to their “golden generation” of players carrying them in big tournaments. Players like Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, Kevin de Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois have been beacons of quality for the country over the years and even finished third in 2018. The only problem that Belgium faces is its aging stars are beginning to fade. Hazard has had injury issues since his move to Real Madrid. Lukaku on the other hand has struggled to find a club that he can stay at for more than two years. Both have struggled to find form, but if they can rekindle some old magic we could see a Cinderella story brewing for Belgium. Younger players like Jeremy Doku, Youri Tielemans and Charles De Ketelaere will help this team in the long run, but do not be surprised if we see Belgium putting a run together toward an unprecedented World Cup victory. The United States is expected to field the youngest team at the World Cup, with only one player —DeAndre Yedlin— having previous experience in the tournament. The average age of the squad is 25 years old, one of the youngest going to Qatar. The USA’s youth movement started after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, and this revamped squad has their eyes on the big prize. Duncan Stone, a senior strategic communications major, said the USA’s youth movement was overdue and shared his excitement for this young squad. “I love the youth movement. I think it was needed years ago.” Stone said. “Brenden Aaronson, Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie are fantastic players and I love watching them.” America does not have the most skilled players compared to big soccer countries like England, France or Brazil, but there is a culture around this team of hard work and toughness. Players like Pulisic, Tyler Adams, McKennie and Aaronson all play in top European leagues, so they know what the competition will be like. In a group with England, Iran and Wales, the United States should make it out, and if this team starts to grind out results, they could make a deep run. The best part about this squad is they hear the noise. They know what the public, media and other teams have been saying about them, and they do not care. “I think you need an image when you go into the World Cup.” Stone said about the USA’s mentality. “They want to play for the Stars and Stripes… the toughness is massive.” If anything reflects the American people and society, it’s this team. They are rough, tough, proud and they are going to let the other teams know it. This is going to be a fun team to watch. Teams to root for: Denmark, Canada and Croatia Denmark is not on anyone’s radar to win the World Cup, but they have one of the most heartwarming stories in soccer. In the Euro 2020 opener against Finland, midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field due to cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated. Eriksen would be taken to a hospital and treated, while the game would controversially be continued resulting in a 1-0 loss for Denmark. A year and a half later, Eriksen is back in the Denmark squad and ready to lead them into the World Cup. After being fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator —ICD—, he was given a chance at Premier League side Brentford. He would shine for them before completing a move to Manchester United last summer. Eriksen was not the only resilient one in the face of adversity. His Denmark squad advanced to the semi-finals of the European Championships before bowing out to eventual runners-up England. Eriksen’s story and his teammate’s resolve in the face of unprecedented circumstances are something to celebrate, and luckily all fans will have the opportunity at the 2022 World Cup. It is understandable that Americans should not root for Canada because they are neighbors to the north, but the Canadians have a good team. Canada has only been to the World Cup one other time in 1986 where they lost all three group-stage games and failed to score a single goal. Frias thinks that if a scenario plays out where the USA does not make it out of the group and Canada does, there will be a lot of American fans rooting for Canada because of the overlap in culture. In World Cup Qualifying, the Canadians came out swinging and placed first in CONCACAF over Mexico and the United States to clinch their spot in the tournament for the first time in 36 years. Canada went through a somewhat similar youth movement and now boasts quality players such as Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David and Tajon Buchanan. It is always good to see teams in the North American region become more competitive as their domestic leagues grow, but this will be a huge deal for the country of Canada as a whole. Kids in the northern part of North America now get to see Canada play soccer on the biggest stage, something that had not been seen in almost four decades. The Canadians will have to battle with Belgium, Croatia and Morocco for a spot in the round of 16, but these young studs are playing like they have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. You can’t help but root for them. Croatia was so close in 2018. They waltzed through the knockout stages, beating Denmark, Russia and England on their way to a final appearance against France. The French would end up being too powerful for them though, with Croatia collecting the silver medals after a 4-2 defeat. That team was full of ballers like 2018 Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modrić, Ivan Perišić, and Ivan Rakitic. Now as they age they can’t carry the load anymore. Modrić is still pure class, Perišić is still effective and Rakitic is now retired from the national team, but the reinforcements are coming for Croatia. Younger players like Mateo Kovačić, Joško Gvardiol and Marcelo Brozović are proven in the top European leagues and will bring something to the table. First-year engineering and economics student Nash Kaye said he would recommend a neutral fan to get behind the Croatians for this World Cup. “I think Croatia is fun to watch,” Kaye said. “They usually have something special happening with their team.” Kaye also elaborated on how Croatia produces some “odd players” that usually end up scoring some “pretty crazy goals” that could appeal to the common fan. Croatia is a redemption story. They made an unprecedented run in 2018 that nobody expected and they are looking to do that again — only this time they want to finish with a gold medal. They will have to beat out Belgium, Morocco and Canada for a spot in the knockout stages first though, which will be a tough task. If history tells us anything though, don’t count Croatia out.

The Butler women’s soccer team ended their season on Oct. 30 after losing to Creighton on penalty kicks in the quarterfinal round of the Big East Tournament. The Bulldogs had an up-and-down season, going 7-7-5, but opened the season strong when they knocked off ninth-ranked Michigan in Ann Arbor on Aug. 21. From there the Dawgs had a rough stretch, going winless in six games before getting back on track with a huge victory at Providence. The team would go on to lose only one out of their next seven games to close out the season, including picking up a good result by tying 16th-ranked Georgetown. The Bulldogs had standouts on the offensive and defensive sides of the pitch to help them throughout the season. These players were the best of the best not only for their squad, but also in the conference. Let’s dive in. Offensive player of the season: Junior forward Abigail Isger Statistically, Isger was the leading scorer for the Bulldogs this year with eight goals and was tied for second on the team in assists with four. Despite only playing in 17 out of the 19 games this season, she still showed her killer instinct by leading the team in scoring. Her best game came against Wright State on Sept. 1 when she scored two goals and added an assist on the day. In Big East play, she was vital for Butler getting a 2-2 draw against 16th-ranked Georgetown, recording a goal and an assist on the day. Her lethal precision on offense landed her the Big East Offensive Player of the Year award, as well as being selected for the All-Big East First Team. Defensive player of the season: Junior defender Caitlin O’Malley O’Malley brought a level of toughness to the Bulldog backline, starting in all 17 games that she played in over the course of the season. She helped Butler keep four clean sheets this season, including stifling a ninth-ranked Michigan Wolverines squad in a 1-0 win for the Bulldogs. She racked up the third most minutes played this season with 1,439, and didn’t only shine on the defensive end. O’Malley had a crucial goal against Big East rival Villanova to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 win away from home. Her defensive toughness and consistent quality of play throughout the season are why she is my defensive player of the season. Newcomer of the season: First-year midfielder Talia Sommer Sommer came to Butler all the way from Tel Aviv, Israel, and made an instant impact on this Bulldog squad. In her first season, she scored five goals and added four assists from her midfield position. By that stat tally, she was the third-highest scorer on the team this year and was tied for second most in assists. Her mastery in the midfield landed her on the All-Big East Second Team and she won the Big East Freshman of the Year award as well. While it may have been her first season of college soccer, Sommer has experience playing in the Israeli Women’s Premier League Championship and also has seven caps for the Israel National team. She lived up to her impressive resume and dominated the midfield in 2022. The future looks bright for her and the Butler women’s soccer program as a whole. Ironwoman player of the season: Senior forward Katie Soderstrom Soderstrom was a rock for this Butler squad throughout the season. In her 5 years at Butler, she has racked up four All-Big East First Team honors, is sixth all-time in career goals and fourth all-time in career assists. Her resume is impressive and her stats this season were fantastic, tallying six goals and six assists in 19 games played. All these stats and accolades are breathtaking, but it was her work rate that stole the show this year. In 19 games, Soderstrom played 1,478 minutes out of 1,710 possible minutes, which leads the team. On average, she was only out of a game for 12.3 minutes per game. These numbers show just how important she was to this team, and it also brings to light just how hard she works. That is why she is my Ironman player of the season. The Queen of Headers award – Junior defender Claire Farrington When you look around the game of soccer, there are two types of players. There are players that under no circumstances want to head the ball, and then there are those who try to get their head on absolutely every ball that comes their way. Farrington’s fervor to head the ball, and her skill is what lands her this prestigious award. In the entirety of the season, she attempted a mere six shots, but ended up scoring two goals for a conversion rate of 33%. Some may wonder how a defender gets to score two goals in a season, but Farrington used her head – literally and figuratively – to bag her goals. Her goals came at important times in Butler’s season. Her first header came against Western Michigan in the first game of the year, helping the Bulldogs expand their lead to 2-0 off a corner before returning to her defensive position and shutting down the Broncos offense. Her second header was the opening goal in a game that would end in a 2-2 tie against Big East rival Seton Hall. Every coach loves a player that is willing to head the ball, but Farrington did not stop at merely heading the ball, she wanted her headers to be in the back of the net. That is why she wins the Queen of Headers award for the 2022 season.

The Butler women’s soccer team’s Big East Tournament hopes came to an end on Sunday afternoon, falling to Creighton on penalty kicks. The Bulldogs ended their season at 7-7-5 and obtained the fourth seed in the Big East Tournament. The game as a whole was back and forth from the beginning, with each team controlling for certain periods of time. Creighton struck first in the 72nd minute as sophomore midfielder Azumi Manriki headed in a corner to put the Bluejays up 1-0. Butler responded by “throwing the kitchen sink” at Creighton and committing more players forward in attack. The gamble would pay off in the 83rd minute, when sophomore forward Alexei Whittaker found junior forward Abigail Isger open in the box for an easy tap-in to tie the game up at 1-1. The match would go through all 20 minutes of overtime without another goal, sending the game to a series of penalty kicks to decide who would move on to face Georgetown. The first five players on both teams converted from the spot, but both sides’ sixth penalty taker would miss the mark. In the seventh round of now sudden death PKs, Creighton would score their spot kick, while Butler’s was saved, moving the Bluejays on in the tournament.

The Butler women’s soccer team rounded out their regular season with a 1-1 tie against Big East rivals Creighton. The Bulldogs wrap up the year with a record of 7-7-4 and now look ahead to the Big East Tournament coming up. Butler took the lead 15 minutes into the first half courtesy of first-year midfielder Talia Sommer. Sommer nicked the ball from the Bluejays around the midfield line and dispatched the ball into the net to make it 1-0 for the Bulldogs. The Bluejays would fight back in the second half to tie the game up with a goal from senior midfielder Aida Kardovic. The Bulldogs could not find a response before the final whistle, ending the game in a 1-1 draw. It was an even contest throughout, with Butler taking ten shots compared to Creighton’s 15 shots. Sophomore goalkeeper Emma Martin was a star player on the day, making six saves to prevent the Blue Jays from stealing a win. This game had serious implications when it came to Butler’s seeding in the Big East Tournament. With the tie, the Bulldogs secured the fourth seed in the tournament and will face fifth seeded Creighton in the first round on Sunday, Oct. 30. Butler is the higher seeded team, so the game will take place in the Sellick Bowl at 1 p.m. for a high stakes Big East quarterfinal, with the winner taking on top seeded Georgetown in the semifinals.

The Butler women’s soccer team tied two games this past week to move their record to 7-7-3 on the year. The draws came against Seton Hall and a Georgetown team that is ranked 16th in the country. The Bulldogs took to the road on Thursday, Oct. 20 to take on Seton Hall in New Jersey. Butler took the lead at two separate points in the match, but the Pirates battled back to tie it at 2-2 in the end. The first goal of the match came 15 minutes in when senior forward Katie Soderstrom crossed the ball off a corner to junior defender Claire Farrington. Farrington headed the ball home to make it 1-0. Seton Hall answered back in the 62nd minute before Soderstrom would be fouled in the box to give Butler a penalty in the 80th minute. Junior forward Abigail Isger stepped up for the Bulldogs and converted from the spot to give Butler a 2-1 lead. Butler’s lead would not last long though. Seven minutes later the Pirates would respond by scoring with only three minutes to play. Despite having 34 total shots on the day compared to Seton Hall’s six, the Bulldogs were forced to settle for a tie. The squad returned to the Sellick Bowl on Sunday, Oct. 23 to battle No. 16 Georgetown. The first goal came only 17 minutes into the game, after Isger found first-year midfielder Talia Sommer and the Israel native calmly chipped the Hoyas’ keeper. The Bulldogs doubled their lead 12 minutes later when senior defender/midfielder Aliya Diagne crossed the ball to Isger, and she dispatched a 25-yard curler to the back post to make it 2-0. The Hoyas responded in the second half by scoring in the 65th, and 90th minute to tie the game back up at 2-2, and giving the Bulldogs their second draw of the week. These results place Butler tied for fourth with Creighton in the Big East with one game to play. The Bulldogs go on the road to Nebraska to take on the Blue Jays on Thursday, Oct. 27 in what will be the final game of the regular season.

1. The Bulldogs will have a double-digit win total this season This prediction is not very bold, but it is a good way to start off. The women’s basketball squad had a down year last season, going 1-27 before getting bounced in the first round of the Big East tournament by Seton Hall. Despite last year’s struggles, there is reason for optimism this year due to a new batch of transfers, new recruits and a new head coach in Austin Parkinson. Parkinson comes in looking to make this program more competitive for Butler fans to enjoy. Under Parkinson’s guidance the Bulldogs have the potential to be a dark-horse team that cracks the double digit win mark this season, giving the new coaching staff and team a good first year to build on. 2. Butler will go 10-10 in Big East conference play How the team fares in the Big East will be a big challenge going forward. The conference is looking incredibly strong this season — led by powerhouses UConn and Creighton — but the Bulldogs could come out with some surprises in conference play. Again, the story of the season for this Butler team will be setting a foundation for the program going forward, and a good way to do that is by going .500 in the Big East. The conference is always going to be tough to play in because all these teams know each other so well, but this newly built Bulldogs team could come out and surprise people with how they perform. 3. Graduate transfers will lead the Bulldogs Butler was fortunate this offseason to secure the talents of three graduate transfer players in Rachel McLimore, Shay Frederick and Kelsy Taylor. McLimore played under Parkinson at IUPUI and decided to follow him to Butler, giving her the opportunity to inflict pain on opponents for the Bulldogs. Frederick was a standout at Valparaiso, racking up Missouri Valley Conference awards throughout her time there. Taylor started 77 games out of the 106 games she played in at Trine, averaging 8.4 ppg as a senior. All these transfers are huge for the Bulldogs team and for Parkinson as he attempts to establish a winning culture here at Butler. These transfers’ leadership and athletic skill will be vital to the Bulldogs’ success this season. 4. Butler will shock Indiana for a huge upset win Now this is bold. Indiana was ranked 17th by ESPN in their women’s college basketball Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2022-23, and is a top notch program playing against high quality Big Ten opponents. That being said, upsets do tend to happen, especially in the world of college basketball. The Bulldogs have a chance to beat the Hoosiers for the first time since 2012 and only the second time ever. Why this year? This year Butler will come into the season hyped up with all the promise around the program and will be even more pumped up going into a road game down in Bloomington. This would be a statement win for Parkinson and his Butler program. 5. The Bulldogs will make it into the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament Last season, the Bulldog’s Big East Tournament run was relatively short, getting bounced in the first round by Seton Hall. With all the changes the program has made and the players the team has brought in, watch out for Butler to make a run to the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament. The Bulldogs made it to the quarterfinals during the 2019-20 season when they fell to Seton Hall 83-57. While not many people in the Big East may take Butler seriously after last year, this is a way for Parkinson and his squad to announce to the rest of the conference that they need to watch out for the Bulldogs.

The Butler women’s soccer team got a pair of wins this week over Big East opponents Villanova and DePaul to move their win streak to three games. These results improve the Bulldogs’ record to 6-6-1 on the season with five games left to play before tournament games begin. The Bulldogs got their first win of the week against Villanova at home on Thursday night. Butler started out the game strong and never looked back, outshooting the away side 30 to two, but only had seven of those shots on goal. The frame of the Wildcats goal was under constant duress throughout the contest, with the Bulldogs hitting the post or crossbar a total of four times. Despite all the offensive firepower going forward for Butler, Villanova was able to keep the game scoreless until the 86th minute. Junior defender Caitlin O’Malley opened up the scoring off a Bulldogs set piece with only four minutes to play, putting the final nail in the Wildcats’ coffin. Redshirt junior forward Abigail Isger and first year midfielder/defender Amelle Darey were credited with the assist on the goal. The Bulldogs took to the road on Sunday, traveling to take on DePaul in Chicago. This was another game that was dominated for the most part by Butler, with the away side racking up 16 shots compared to DePaul’s seven. Butler drew first blood off of a corner kick in the 44th minute of the contest, with junior midfielder/defender Anna Schroeder volleying the ball into the back of the net. This goal was the first of her career at Butler. DePaul’s Katie Godden evened the game for the Blue Demons 59 minutes in, but it only took the Bulldogs eight minutes to pull back in front. Redshirt senior forward Katie Soderstrom won a foul in the DePaul penalty area to grant Butler a kick from the spot which was converted by Isger. From there the Bulldogs never looked back, winning the contest 2-1 and improving to 2-0 on the week. Butler will be back in action on Thursday, Oct. 13 in the Sellick Bowl, taking on St. John’s at 3 p.m.

The Butler women’s soccer team improved their record to 4-6-1 on Thursday night, defeating fellow Big East side Providence 2-1. This is the first win in six games for the Bulldogs, a crucial victory to get the season back on track. First-year midfielder/defender Amelie Darey opened the scoring 17 minutes in for Butler, heading in a cross from redshirt junior forward Abigail Isger. Isger drove with the ball down the left wing to the touchline before serving the ball in with her left foot for Darey to smash into the back of the net. This is the first goal of Darey’s career at Butler. The Bulldogs doubled their lead in the 67th minute when first-year midfielder Talia Sommer took matters into her own hands, scoring a great solo goal. Sommer pressed the Friars backline with pace, stole the ball and then calmly dispatched it into the back of the net. This gives Sommer three goals on the year, and in her career at Butler. Providence managed to pull back a goal with three minutes to go in the game, but were not able to complete the comeback before time ran out. The Friars’ lone goal of the night came off of a corner that was punched into the air by redshirt freshman goalkeeper Anna Pierce. Unfortunately for Butler, the Bulldogs were not able to clear the ball before Avery Snead sent the ball into the net. Butler thoroughly dominated this game, leading Providence in shots, shots on goal and corners. The Bulldogs will take positives from this game and hope that the momentum carries them into victories in their upcoming games. Butler currently sits ninth in the Big East standings, but still have many games to play to make up ground on the other teams. The Bulldogs return to action next week on Oct. 6 at the Sellick Bowl against Villanova.

The Butler women’s soccer team watched their record drop to 3-6-1 on Sunday after a tough start to Big East conference play. After a 1-0 loss to Xavier and a 4-1 defeat against Marquette, the Bulldogs started out 0-2 against Big East opponents. Butler opened up the conference season on Sept. 22 at home, taking on rival Xavier. The Musketeers opened up the scoring 23 minutes in, with first-year defender Natalie Bain heading home a free kick past redshirt freshman goalkeeper Anna Pierce. Xavier only managed to put one shot past Pierce out of the seven the away side had on target. Pierce was the bright spot in the game for Butler, making six saves. The Bulldogs managed to get four shots of their own on target, but were not able to find the net on a frustrating night for the home side. The closest chance of the game came 80 minutes in, when redshirt junior forward Abigail Isger’s shot ricocheted off the post before being cleared by the Musketeers defenders. Butler did not have long to recover from their clash with Xavier before taking on Marquette at home on Sept. 25. The Bulldogs were looking to get back on track in the conference standings with a win, but it was not to be. First-year midfielder Talia Sommer scored the first goal of the game in the sixth minute to give Butler the early 1-0 lead. Marquette answered back swiftly, netting four goals throughout the rest of the match to give the Golden Eagles the victory on the road. The story of this game was the way Marquette was able to convert their chances efficiently, scoring four goals off of only six shots on target. On the other side, Butler had 15 shots in total with only five on target and one goal. The Bulldogs will look back on this week and wonder if they could have done better, but they now shift their focus to the next game. Butler will be back in action on Sept. 29 in Providence to take on the Friars.

Overtime, or “OT,” is an opinion column series where the Collegian takes national sports headlines and gives them a Butler-centric angle. The first week of the NFL season was exciting as usual, but it was not the typical superstars who took the headlines. The talk was not about Patrick Mahomes, Jonathan Taylor or Tom Brady — the focus was on the kickers. When the Cincinnati Bengals took on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 11, the game ended up going to overtime when Cincinnati kicker Evan McPherson had his extra point attempt blocked by the Pittsburgh special teams unit. In overtime, McPherson and Steelers kicker Chris Boswell both missed one kick each before Boswell nailed a kick from 53 yards out to give Pittsburgh the win. In Houston, the Indianapolis Colts were battling the Texans in overtime when Rodrigo Blankenship stepped up from 42 yards out to attempt a kick that, if converted, would have given Indianapolis the win. Unfortunately for Blankenship, his kick sailed hopelessly wide to the right. Later, the game ended in a 20-20 tie. The missed kick was not Blankenship’s only gaffe of the night, as he also sent two kickoffs out of bounds which set up the Texans in prime field position at their 40 yard line. The mistakes in that game effectively ended Blankenship’s tenure in Indianapolis, as the team announced on Sept. 13 that they had elected to waive the kicker and start fresh. On Sept. 17 the Colts signed Chase McLaughlin from their practice squad, completing the replacement of Blankenship in a mere four days. This is the harsh reality that all kickers live with. One mistake or one bad game can not only cost the player their spot on the depth chart but possibly also their spot on the team. In a sport that is the ultimate combination of mentality and physicality, Butler senior kicker Ben Packer sees kicking as a tedious mental game. “It’s definitely one of the hardest jobs just mentally,” Packer said. “You always have to be ready for a punt or a field goal because at any point in time there could be a big play.” Redshirt senior kicker Luka Zurak took Packer’s statements one step further, adding that kicking for a football team is all about a player’s head, not their leg. “Once you get to a certain level, it’s all mental,” Zurak said. “Once you get in the NFL it’s 100% [mental]. All those guys can kill the ball … same goes for college. When the game’s on the line, it’s a lot of muscle memory, and it’s all mental like how well you [can] just focus on what you do best.” Muscle memory is something that the Kansas City Chiefs had to utilize with safety Justin Reid this past week after their starting kicker Harrison Butker went down in the first half with an ankle injury. Reid made one out of two extra point attempts and impressed the crowd by sending a kickoff through the opposite uprights. Despite playing safety, Reid kicked in high school and was the emergency kicker at Stanford, along with getting some reps at kickoff duty during the preseason. While muscle memory remains a factor in how a kicker performs, both Zurak and Packer did not shy away when talking about the mentality of kicking and the pressure that comes along with it at every level. Grant Woodfin, a freshman kicker at Tiffin University and native of Galena, Ohio, said that even at a NCAA Division II college program the pressure is still there. “Every kicker knows it’s hard to mentally be strong and not worry,” Woodfin said. “Every game there’s a possibility you’ll have to kick a game winning kick. So be ready, stay loose and don’t be surprised when it comes.” In the case of Rodrigo Blankenship, Woodfin was not entirely surprised that the Colts decided to cut ties with the former Georgia Bulldog, and stated that kickers have to go through position battles too. “In the NFL, it’s so competitive just like every other position,” Woodfin said. “If you’re already on the coach’s side where he doesn’t really trust you and then you miss a kick that costs you the game or a tie, then it’s the last straw. Like we can find somebody else that’s just as good as you, and he might be able to make that kick instead of you.” The mark of a good kicker these days seems to be how they can efficiently do their job in crunch time with the game on the line. Depending on the result of the kick, fans can turn these athletes into heroes like Boswell or villains like Blankenship. When talking to Zurak and Packer, they both walked through their mental process as they attempted big kicks. “The biggest thing is to take your mind off the goal,” Zurak said. “So the end goal is to make the kick. You just focus on one mental cue and take your mind off the goal and put it in the process of actually hitting a good ball.” Packer piggybacked off of Zurak’s statement, saying kickers need to prevent themselves from overthinking so they do not get caught up in the high pressure moments. Letting the pressure into their head can cause them to not focus on the task at hand, and possibly miss the kick. “Just a blank mind is the optimal mindset for a last second kick,” Packer said. “Having absolutely nothing on your mind is the best case scenario…just go out and do [it].” While the mental and external pressure is always weighing on a kicker’s mind, there is a fun side to kicking that every player relishes and enjoys. Zurak said he embraces the pressure and acknowledges it as something that makes the game of football fun. “Having those butterflies here and there [is] what you live for to be honest,” Zurak said. “I’d love to play 25 to 30 games a year.” Every kicker’s dream is to push through the pressure and make those game winning kicks that will make them heroes. Packer cited the ability and opportunity to make big kicks is what gets him excited to kick. “Making those big game winning kicks [are] really fun and really exciting,” Packer said. “Also being able to take such a unique and specialized skill set onto a football field where you’re surrounded by guys who have jobs that are completely different than yours, physically and mentally.” Those skillsets are what sets kickers apart from the rest of the football world. Despite all the added pressures and limited chances to shine, they all accept the risks and choose to kick for the sheer thrill of becoming a hero. In some cases, they are remembered for nerves of steel and unshakeable confidence, but there will always be the harsh possibility of the ball sailing wide. Living on the edge will always have repercussions, but that’s just the life of a kicker.

The Butler Women’s soccer team had their record move to 3-2 this week after a 7-0 beatdown victory against Wright State and a 2-0 senior day loss to Wisconsin. The Bulldogs bounced back in the Wright State game after suffering a loss to Illinois last week in the final minutes of the game. Butler’s victory over Wright State was a masterclass from top to bottom from the beginning of the game. Senior forward Katie Soderstrom opened the scoring in just the third minute of the match and from there the Bulldogs never looked back. The team scored five goals in the first half before adding two more in the second to complete Wright State’s misery. Soderstrom was yet again the star of the match, netting a hat-trick while redshirt junior Abigail Isger scored a brace. Both junior Alli Leonard and sophomore Sara Trandji scored a goal a piece as well. The Bulldogs will look back on this game with optimism not just on the offensive end, but also on the defensive end. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Anna Pierce was only forced to make two saves in the match, but the Butler defense also put in an impressive shift. While the Bulldogs offense cranked out 23 shots, the defense only allowed 4 shots all game. Sunday’s game against Wisconsin however would not go as well for Butler. The Bulldogs fell behind early and could not claw their way back, ultimately losing 2-0. It was a game of frustration for the home team, as they outshot Wisconsin 16-8 but could not find the back of the net. Despite having the edge in shots, shots on goal, corner kicks and overall possession Butler could not find a way to put the final ball in the back of the net. Wisconsin made the most of their chances in the final third. Graduate student Natalie Viggiano put the Badgers up in the ninth minute and then a foul on Butler set senior Emma Jaskaniec up to convert a penalty for the away side as they pulled away. The day was not only meant for soccer though, as Butler recognized five seniors for their contributions to the program during their careers at the university. Aliya Diagne, Morgan Kloosterman, Gretchen Skoglund, Gabby Smith and Soderstrom were all honored before the game for their accomplishments. Despite the ups and downs of the week, the Bulldogs are 3-2 after five games and look to improve on their record next week as they take on the Dayton Flyers at the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl on Thursday, Sept. 8th at 7 p.m.