The Big East was quietly one of the most competitive conferences in college soccer last year. Although Georgetown won the regular season title reasonably convincingly, five teams were in the running for second place. And the NCAA selection committee acknowledged how tough the conference was, sending five Big East teams to the tournament. And the conference equipped itself well, with every team that entered winning at least one game. Georgetown, meanwhile, fell in the College Cup semifinals after a heartbreaking loss to Washington.

2022 figures to offer much of the same drama. Georgetown has several holes to fill, and other teams around the Hoyas have strengthened and it’s not hard to see a three team race for first place in the conference. The Big East also features some of the best individual talents in the country. Wilmer Cabrera is one of the best attacking players around, while Ramzi Gawasmy is a solid defender. Further talents, such as Daniel Wu and Lukas Sunesson, make for a conference full of quality. Here’s a rundown of the Big East’s 11 teams, as well as some key matches to watch.

2021 Standings

Georgetown 8-2 (18-3-1)

Providence 5-2-3 (12-5-4)

St. John's 5-3-2 (11-6-3)

Villanova 5-4-1 (12-8-1)

Creighton 5-4-1 (9-8-2)

Butler 5-4-1 (7-9-3)

Marquette 4-5-1 (7-8-1)

DePaul 3-4-3 (7-7-3)

Xavier 3-6-1 (9-7-1)

UConn(m) 2-6-2 (7-7-2)

Seton Hall 2-7-1 (6-8-3)

2021 Big East Honors

Offensive Player of the Year: Diego Gutierrez, Creighton

Midfielder of the Year: Dante Polvara, Georgetown

Defensive Player of the Year: Sean Zawadzki, Georgetown

Goalkeeper of the Year: Luka Gavran, St. John’s(m)

Freshman of the Year: Mateo Leveque, Connecticut

Coaching Staff of the Year: Georgetown

Butler

With teams around them rebuilding, 2022 could be a promising year for the Bulldogs. It’s a deep squad that returns most of its talent from last year, including budding star Wilmer Cabrera Jr. The Colombian midfielder was a steady contributor of goals and assists last year and was instrumental in keeping the game ticking. But they will need a secondary goalscorer in order to push up the Big East. Highly touted prospects Palmer Ault and Jacon Jansen are projected to enter the fold and could offer goals immediately.

Creighton

Creighton got hot in early October last year, going undefeated across its last six Big East games. And a bit of that momentum carried into the NCAA Tournament, as it upset Missouri State in the first round. The team set to take the pitch in late August will look similar. Goalkeeper Paul Kruse is among the better netminders in the conference, while Charles Auguste is a dynamic attacking midfielder. The attack is also bolstered by Callum Watson, who will look to recapture some of his early season form. Newcomers Marcos Pessanha and Giegio Prono should also add some quality in the final third. A few wins against the conference’s elite, and Creighton could find itself near the top.

DePaul

DePaul pieced together a solid 2021 campaign, going 7-7-3 overall while picking up solid results at Providence and Xavier. But it struggled to retain form in conference play and found itself off the pace against powerhouses Georgetown and St. John’s. Here was a team that scored goals at a decent clip, and kept them out — largely thanks to the excellent play of Gandhi Cruz in goal. But the Blue Demons seldom pieced together complete performances and suffered because of it. The good news is that promising goalscorer Jack Richards is back, while Cruz will also return.

Georgetown

The Hoyas looked like the best team in the country for long stretches of last season. With a solid defensive core as well as the excellent Dante Polvara to create, Georgetown seemed a side destined for a College Cup win. But a semi final loss derailed its championship hopes. And the Hoyas were gutted following the season, losing eight players, including five to the pros. But such is the depth of the squad that Brian Wiese’s squad could still return to the top of the Big East. Center back Daniel Wu has been pipped as the defensive player of the year, while returning All-Third team selection Kenny Nielsen should further solidify the backline. If the Hoyas can establish a goal scorer from a talented freshman class, they’ll be in the mix again.

Marquette

Marquette’s 2021 season was marred by inconsistency. It snagged some big results, such as a home win against Georgetown and hard-earned tie against Providence. But the Golden Eagles failed to beat their mid table rivals, losing to Butler, St. John’s and Villanova. Last year’s squad has remained mostly intact and will feature All-Conference talent Lukas Sunesson. Furthermore, dynamic midfielder Edrey Caceres is due to return. A solid recruiting class, headlined by Tulsa midfielder Ben Barkley, should give the group a boost.

Providence

Providence was typically competitive in 2021, finishing second in the conference before enjoying a third-round NCAA Tournament appearance. The Friars were solid all over the pitch but particularly dangerous going forward, bagging 42 goals on the season. A few components of that squad return this year, including All-Conference honorees Gevork Diarbian, Luis Garcia and Ramzi Qawasmy. 2021 top scorer Brendan McSorley is also back in the fold. The Friars will undoubtedly be pushed by Georgetown, St. John’s and a resurgent Creighton side, but a conference win seems well within reach.

Seton Hall

Seton Hall never really got going in 2021. Though it picked up some good results in preseason — including a 2-3 win at Army — consistency proved to be elusive. It lost its first four Big East games, and never really recovered. The Pirates away form was impressive: they went 4-3-1 outside of New Jersey, but there was otherwise little to be excited about. 2022 might be equally tricky. Striker CJ Tibbling has departed for Portland while starting keeper Andreas Nota graduated. Johannes Pex should bring experience in defense and there are some promising recruits in the fold, but it might be another tricky year in New Jersey.

St. John’s(m)

The Johnnies look a well-rounded team this fall. All-conference defender Brandon Knapp returns along with his five goals and six assists. There’s quality elsewhere, too, with Atila Ashrafi back in the fold to hold down the middle of the park. Head coach David Masur will have a few holes to fill; the Johnnies need to identify a new starting keeper and will also need to sort out his center back pairing. Otherwise, though, St. John’s has the pieces to contend. The big test will be on September 16, when it hosts Georgetown. A win there would set up the rest of the season nicely.

UConn(m)

UConn’s non-conference form was terrific in 2021. The Huskies only dropped one non-conference game, while picking up big wins against Yale, Dartmouth and Rutgers. Big East play wasn’t as kind. The Huskies went 2-6-2 in the league and didn’t pick up a conference win until matchday five. They will look to some talented youngsters to improve their fortunes this fall. Mateo Leveque was excellent in his freshman season and could be poised for another step in the coming months.

Villanova

Villanova pieced together a solid 2021 campaign on the back of a balanced and experienced roster. It seldom blew out opponents, but steadily picked up victories, ending the season with an NCAA Tournament second round loss. And the Wildcats have set up a schedule that suggests they fancy another tournament spot. They will play Stanford, California and Penn State outside of league play — wins could massive bolster their tournament credentials. The Big East schedule has fallen reasonably kindly, too. After two tough opening matches against Providence and St John’s, Villanova has a relatively calm run before facing Georgetown. Lyam MacKinnon is one to watch — the Swiss national is a goalscoring threat who can find the back of the net any time.

Xavier

Xavier was dealt a big blow this offseason when star forward Karsen Henderlong transferred to Indiana. After a 2021 campaign in which he was so important, the Musketeers now have to look elsewhere for goalscoring output. There are some potential replacements. Jerome Jolly is an exciting attacking midfielder, while Nicolas Hald Willumsen has scored goals in Denmark. Elsewhere, Xavier will need to name a new starting keeper, and also replace some key faces on defense. The Musketeers have a lot to figure out if they are to lift themselves further up the Big East table.

Games to Watch

Georgetown at St. John’s, 9/16
Providence at Villanova, 9/17
Providence at Georgetown, 10/12