Coming off a solid 2-1 win over Marquette, the No. 10 Hoyas (7-1-1, 2-1 Big East) take on another Big East rival in the No. 15 Butler Bulldogs (7-2-0, 3-0 Big East) this weekend at Shaw Field. Boasting a 5-0 record at home this year, Georgetown will look to continue its winning ways against Butler at Shaw Field on Oct. 6.

“One of our goals from the outset of the season was to try to be undefeated on Shaw. It’s a really great home field. It’s one of the best surfaces in the country,” junior goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski said.

Though the Hoyas have an important nonconference game against No. 19 Duke Blue Devils (8-2-1, 2-2 ACC) on Columbus Day, they are focusing their energy on Friday’s game against the Bulldogs.

“Butler is by far the more important of the two games just from the league point of view. Watching Butler, they’ll be the best team we’ve played this year. They’re good. They’re defending Big East champions, and they’re playing like it,” Georgetown Head Coach Brian Wiese said.

Having improved on last year’s overall record of 6-9-2, Georgetown will look to avenge its 4-2 loss at Butler last season.

“It will be a really hard-fought game. [It features] two teams that respect what the others do, and there’s a lot of similarities [between] us. Think it’s going to be one of the better games we’ll have on our schedule all year,” Wiese said.

In the Butler Bulldogs, the Hoyas face a team very comfortable with possession. Sophomore midfielders Lewis Suddick and Isaac Galliford dictate play in the midfield and lead the team in assists with five and three respectively.

“They keep the ball really, really well. They’re one of the better possession teams we’ve seen,” Wiese said. “We’ve got to be really good when we don’t have [the ball] because otherwise we might defend for a while because they are that kind of team that can compress you back in your own half and [force you to] defend for a long time.”

Georgetown’s stout defense will have its hands full containing Butler’s sophomore forward Brandon Guhl. Guhl is leading the Big East with three goals, averaging a goal per game. For the entire season, Guhl has seven goals and two assists in nine games.

“He’s got natural goal-scoring instincts,” Coach Wiese said.

One of the many bright spots for the Hoyas this season has been the defense led by Marcinkowski. The Hoyas have three clean sheets and have only given up more than one goal once this season. According to Marcinkowski, this strong defensive showing has been a complete team effort.

“It starts from the forwards up top. They’ve pressed really well from their starting positions, and they’ve given the defense a lot less to do compared to previous years,” Marcinkowski said.

Another bright spot for Georgetown this season has been sophomore forward Achara. Leading the Hoyas’ dynamic attack with five goals and 14 shots on goal, Achara will hope to add to his impressive tally against the Bulldogs’ senior goalkeeper, Eric Dick.

“Against St. John’s, [Dick] made an amazing save in overtime and went down the field and scored about 30 seconds later,” Wiese said.

This game will test the Hoyas’ run for the Big East title, and create a sense of excitement within the team leading up to the fixture.

“We’re really excited. Butler is [on] the top of the table [in] the Big East, and that’s where we’re trying to be,” Marcinkowski said. “After this game, we’ll definitely know better where [we’ll] stand for the rest of the season.”

The game against the Bulldogs is set to begin at 3 p.m. on Shaw Field. It will be streamed online on the Big East Digital Network.