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Xavier University Athletics
No. 19 Men's Soccer Heads to Wisconsin
08.29.15 | Men's Soccer
Musketeers opened 2015 season with a bang, blanking EIU 8-0 on Friday night
CINCINNATI - No. 19 men's soccer returns to the pitch on Sunday night, travelling to Madison, Wis. to face Wisconsin at McClimon Soccer Complex. First touch is set for 8:00 p.m. ET.
Live stats will be provided through UWBadgers.com and score updates can be found through the official Twitter account of the Musketeers.
Xavier began its season on Friday with an 8-0 home win over Eastern Illinois, fueled by braces by Matt Vasquenza and Kaleb Bayse. The eight goals tied the mark for second-most in a match in program history.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN
The Badgers are coming off a rainy opener, which saw them drop a 1-0 decision to Butler at home on Friday. Wisconsin conceded a goal in the 66th to Bennett Kim, but outshot the Bulldogs 9-3 in the second half and 11-8 overall.
Despite a young roster, the Badgers bring back a trio of All-Big Ten freshman in Tom Barlow, Mike Catalano and Mark Segbers. Barlow tied for the Wisconsin lead with five goals in 2014 and ranked second on the team in assists (3) and points (13). Wisconsin also features captain Drew Conner and highly-regarded freshman Sam Brotherton, who joined Barlow on the 2015 Big Ten Players to Watch List this preseason. Brotherton was a teammate of Cory Brown on the New Zealand U-20 National Team during this past summer's U-20 World Cup.
SERIES HISTORY
Xavier is 1-2-1 all-time against the Badgers, including last season's 4-0 loss in Madison, Wis. Sunday's match will mark the one-year anniversary of that loss, which dropped the Musketeers to 0-2 but ultimately proved to be a catalyst for the most successful season in program history. Jacob Brindle (54'), Mark Segbers (60' and 81') and Mike Catalano (73') all scored in the match for the Badgers, which outshot XU 7-4.
Xavier's lone win against Wisconsin came on Sept. 29, 2002 in a 3-2 decision at Xavier Soccer Complex. Other meetings occured on Sept. 1, 1980 (2-2 home tie) and Sept. 14, 1997 (3-0 away loss).
QUOTABLE
"Kind of like us, Wisconsin started eight freshman last year and those guys went through the rigors of the Big Ten. They had some tough losses where they played very well, and certainly deserved to win more games than they did. They're well-coached, they're super-talented and I think they're a very good team -- probably a top-five team in the Big Ten -- and I think this game, RPI-wise and respect-wise with some of the demands and challenges it will present, is going to prepare us for the BIG EAST season and it might stand up come November when you look at our body of work." - Coach Fleming
"The final component of the Wisconsin game is we went there last year and lost 4-0. It was the worst loss in my coaching career, the worst loss since I've been here and really was a night where -- for the only time in my career -- I felt like we didn't show up and were out-classed and lacked some pride. One of the things I did right away was reschedule the game on the same date at Wisconsin. People are wondering why we're going back there and I think it's a great lesson and a great opportunity for us to go back and see how far we've come. They're a bigger and better team that has come a long way, but I think it's going to be a great lesson for us to go back and not be afraid of our failures and get back up on the horse and see what happens." - Coach Fleming
TEAM NOTES FROM AN EXPLOSIVE OPENER
• The eight goals tied the mark for second-most in a match in program history. Seven goals came in the second half.
• Xavier has scored eight goals in a match two other times: Oct. 5, 1983 in an 8-2 win at Morehead State and Oct. 22, 1983 in an 8-2 win versus Miami (Ohio).
• The 20 shots were the most for XU since Sept. 18, 2012 when the Musketeers fired 32 shots at IPFW in a 2-0 win.
• The 15 shots on goal were the most for XU since Oct. 9, 2011 when the Musketeers recorded 17 in a 2-2 tie versus La Salle.
• The all-time XU mark for goals in a match and victory margin was set in a 13-0 win over Morehead State on October 6, 1984.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES FROM THE OPENER
• Matt Vasquenza scored twice (52', 57') for his second career brace -- his first came on Sept. 4, 2014 in a 4-2 win at Bradley.
• Kaleb Bayse scored twice (74', 76') for his first career brace. The redshirt freshman was seeing his first game action of his XU career.
• Eric McWoods set a career-high with three points in the match, scoring and assisting on second half goals.
• Majed Osman tallied for the first time in his Xavier career after transferring from West Virginia for the 2014 season. The former All-MAC midfielder missed the season in 2014 with an injury.
• Calum Latham scored for the for the first time since 2013 in the 72nd minute, collecting his third career goal.
• Connor Maki, Ian Vicars, Jacob Goodall, Gavin Boyer, Travis Rosen, Joash Sutherland, Kaleb Bayse, Robert DeWitt III, Joshua Neptune and Jake Ciricillo all made their regular season debuts for the Musketeers.
ALL THE POLLS LIKE XAVIER... AND THE BIG EAST
After a memorable run to the 2014 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, the Musketeers enter the season nationally-ranked for the first time in program history. The NSCAA has Xavier No. 19, while Top Drawer Soccer (No. 16) and College Soccer News (No. 18) also have XU in their preseason top-20. Xavier is one of four BIG EAST Conference programs receiving preseason recognition, including Georgetown, Providence and Creighton.
XAVIER PICKED TO FINISH FOURTH IN BIG EAST PRESEASON POLL
The Musketeers were selected to finish fourth in what has arguably become college soccer's premier conference, coming in just behind three preseason top-10 teams in Creighton, Georgetown and Providence. The fourth-place prediction is the highest for XU since entering the league in 2013. As a team, Xavier was picked to finish seventh in 2014 and fifth in 2013.
PLENTY LOST, PLENTY RETURNING
Despite losing the winningest senior class in Xavier history, the Musketeers will return an eight-man senior group and three of their top-four scorers in sophomore Matt Vasquenza (7g, 6a), senior Alex Ridsdale (5g, 4a) and junior Jalen Brown (4g, 2a).
CORY BROWN COLLECTING PRESEASON HARDWARE
Sophomore defender Cory Brown, a native of Nelson, New Zealand, has picked up a laundry list of preseason honors, including:
• MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List
• Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
• College Soccer News Preseason All-America Third Team
• Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Best XI Second Team
• Top Drawer Soccer National Top 100 (No. 22)
As a group, Xavier's 11 shutouts and 0.84 GAA were both program records in 2014 and Brown's steady presence in the backline was a big reason. The then-freshman stepped into the starting lineup immediately and did not miss a match. Brown's 23 starts tied a program record and his 2,119 minutes played led XU. On top of his defensive role, Brown added three goals and three assists from the back row and was the team's fifth-leading scorer.
PRESEASON WRAP
Xavier put together a 2-0-1 preseason, defeating SIUE, 1-0, and Cincinnati State, 5-1, while earning a 1-1 draw against Ohio State. Ian Vicars (1g, 2a) was the side's leading scorer over the three matches, tallying against SIUE and contributing a pair of helpers in the Cincinnati State win. Jalen Brown (1g), Majed Osman (1g), Joash Sutherland (1g), Kyle Martin (1g), Eric McWoods (1g, 1a), Chris Moore (1a) and Samson Sergi (1g) also contributed points during the exhibition season.
A LOOK BACK ON 2014
In 2014, XU wrapped up the year with a 15-6-2 overall record and went 6-1-2 in the BIG EAST Conference en route to the program's first-ever BIG EAST Championship match and NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearances. Setting program records for wins (15), shutouts (11) and team GAA (0.84), the Musketeers also boasted a No. 9 national ranking from the NSCAA on Oct. 28. That mark was the highest non-basketball ranking by any current Xavier athletic program in school history.
XAVIER SOCCER AMONG THE NATION'S ELITE
• XU is one of just 15 teams nationally with five straight 10-plus win seasons.
• XU is one of just 19 teams nationally to appear in four of last five NCAA Tournaments.
• XU is one of just four BIG EAST teams to make four of the past five NCAA Tournaments.
• XU is one of just 26 programs with multiple NCAA wins in the last three years.
• XU's 39 wins in the past three seasons are tied for 13th in the nation.
• XU has collected five straight NSCAA Team Academic Awards, while the 2012 teams boasted the nation's top GPA among Division I private institutions.
• Since 2012, XU has posted two top-10 national rankings, a top-10 MLS pick, led the nation in fewest yellow cards and carried a top-10 GPA.
Live stats will be provided through UWBadgers.com and score updates can be found through the official Twitter account of the Musketeers.
Xavier began its season on Friday with an 8-0 home win over Eastern Illinois, fueled by braces by Matt Vasquenza and Kaleb Bayse. The eight goals tied the mark for second-most in a match in program history.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN
The Badgers are coming off a rainy opener, which saw them drop a 1-0 decision to Butler at home on Friday. Wisconsin conceded a goal in the 66th to Bennett Kim, but outshot the Bulldogs 9-3 in the second half and 11-8 overall.
Despite a young roster, the Badgers bring back a trio of All-Big Ten freshman in Tom Barlow, Mike Catalano and Mark Segbers. Barlow tied for the Wisconsin lead with five goals in 2014 and ranked second on the team in assists (3) and points (13). Wisconsin also features captain Drew Conner and highly-regarded freshman Sam Brotherton, who joined Barlow on the 2015 Big Ten Players to Watch List this preseason. Brotherton was a teammate of Cory Brown on the New Zealand U-20 National Team during this past summer's U-20 World Cup.
SERIES HISTORY
Xavier is 1-2-1 all-time against the Badgers, including last season's 4-0 loss in Madison, Wis. Sunday's match will mark the one-year anniversary of that loss, which dropped the Musketeers to 0-2 but ultimately proved to be a catalyst for the most successful season in program history. Jacob Brindle (54'), Mark Segbers (60' and 81') and Mike Catalano (73') all scored in the match for the Badgers, which outshot XU 7-4.
Xavier's lone win against Wisconsin came on Sept. 29, 2002 in a 3-2 decision at Xavier Soccer Complex. Other meetings occured on Sept. 1, 1980 (2-2 home tie) and Sept. 14, 1997 (3-0 away loss).
QUOTABLE
"Kind of like us, Wisconsin started eight freshman last year and those guys went through the rigors of the Big Ten. They had some tough losses where they played very well, and certainly deserved to win more games than they did. They're well-coached, they're super-talented and I think they're a very good team -- probably a top-five team in the Big Ten -- and I think this game, RPI-wise and respect-wise with some of the demands and challenges it will present, is going to prepare us for the BIG EAST season and it might stand up come November when you look at our body of work." - Coach Fleming
"The final component of the Wisconsin game is we went there last year and lost 4-0. It was the worst loss in my coaching career, the worst loss since I've been here and really was a night where -- for the only time in my career -- I felt like we didn't show up and were out-classed and lacked some pride. One of the things I did right away was reschedule the game on the same date at Wisconsin. People are wondering why we're going back there and I think it's a great lesson and a great opportunity for us to go back and see how far we've come. They're a bigger and better team that has come a long way, but I think it's going to be a great lesson for us to go back and not be afraid of our failures and get back up on the horse and see what happens." - Coach Fleming
TEAM NOTES FROM AN EXPLOSIVE OPENER
• The eight goals tied the mark for second-most in a match in program history. Seven goals came in the second half.
• Xavier has scored eight goals in a match two other times: Oct. 5, 1983 in an 8-2 win at Morehead State and Oct. 22, 1983 in an 8-2 win versus Miami (Ohio).
• The 20 shots were the most for XU since Sept. 18, 2012 when the Musketeers fired 32 shots at IPFW in a 2-0 win.
• The 15 shots on goal were the most for XU since Oct. 9, 2011 when the Musketeers recorded 17 in a 2-2 tie versus La Salle.
• The all-time XU mark for goals in a match and victory margin was set in a 13-0 win over Morehead State on October 6, 1984.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES FROM THE OPENER
• Matt Vasquenza scored twice (52', 57') for his second career brace -- his first came on Sept. 4, 2014 in a 4-2 win at Bradley.
• Kaleb Bayse scored twice (74', 76') for his first career brace. The redshirt freshman was seeing his first game action of his XU career.
• Eric McWoods set a career-high with three points in the match, scoring and assisting on second half goals.
• Majed Osman tallied for the first time in his Xavier career after transferring from West Virginia for the 2014 season. The former All-MAC midfielder missed the season in 2014 with an injury.
• Calum Latham scored for the for the first time since 2013 in the 72nd minute, collecting his third career goal.
• Connor Maki, Ian Vicars, Jacob Goodall, Gavin Boyer, Travis Rosen, Joash Sutherland, Kaleb Bayse, Robert DeWitt III, Joshua Neptune and Jake Ciricillo all made their regular season debuts for the Musketeers.
ALL THE POLLS LIKE XAVIER... AND THE BIG EAST
After a memorable run to the 2014 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, the Musketeers enter the season nationally-ranked for the first time in program history. The NSCAA has Xavier No. 19, while Top Drawer Soccer (No. 16) and College Soccer News (No. 18) also have XU in their preseason top-20. Xavier is one of four BIG EAST Conference programs receiving preseason recognition, including Georgetown, Providence and Creighton.
XAVIER PICKED TO FINISH FOURTH IN BIG EAST PRESEASON POLL
The Musketeers were selected to finish fourth in what has arguably become college soccer's premier conference, coming in just behind three preseason top-10 teams in Creighton, Georgetown and Providence. The fourth-place prediction is the highest for XU since entering the league in 2013. As a team, Xavier was picked to finish seventh in 2014 and fifth in 2013.
PLENTY LOST, PLENTY RETURNING
Despite losing the winningest senior class in Xavier history, the Musketeers will return an eight-man senior group and three of their top-four scorers in sophomore Matt Vasquenza (7g, 6a), senior Alex Ridsdale (5g, 4a) and junior Jalen Brown (4g, 2a).
CORY BROWN COLLECTING PRESEASON HARDWARE
Sophomore defender Cory Brown, a native of Nelson, New Zealand, has picked up a laundry list of preseason honors, including:
• MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List
• Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
• College Soccer News Preseason All-America Third Team
• Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Best XI Second Team
• Top Drawer Soccer National Top 100 (No. 22)
As a group, Xavier's 11 shutouts and 0.84 GAA were both program records in 2014 and Brown's steady presence in the backline was a big reason. The then-freshman stepped into the starting lineup immediately and did not miss a match. Brown's 23 starts tied a program record and his 2,119 minutes played led XU. On top of his defensive role, Brown added three goals and three assists from the back row and was the team's fifth-leading scorer.
PRESEASON WRAP
Xavier put together a 2-0-1 preseason, defeating SIUE, 1-0, and Cincinnati State, 5-1, while earning a 1-1 draw against Ohio State. Ian Vicars (1g, 2a) was the side's leading scorer over the three matches, tallying against SIUE and contributing a pair of helpers in the Cincinnati State win. Jalen Brown (1g), Majed Osman (1g), Joash Sutherland (1g), Kyle Martin (1g), Eric McWoods (1g, 1a), Chris Moore (1a) and Samson Sergi (1g) also contributed points during the exhibition season.
A LOOK BACK ON 2014
In 2014, XU wrapped up the year with a 15-6-2 overall record and went 6-1-2 in the BIG EAST Conference en route to the program's first-ever BIG EAST Championship match and NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearances. Setting program records for wins (15), shutouts (11) and team GAA (0.84), the Musketeers also boasted a No. 9 national ranking from the NSCAA on Oct. 28. That mark was the highest non-basketball ranking by any current Xavier athletic program in school history.
XAVIER SOCCER AMONG THE NATION'S ELITE
• XU is one of just 15 teams nationally with five straight 10-plus win seasons.
• XU is one of just 19 teams nationally to appear in four of last five NCAA Tournaments.
• XU is one of just four BIG EAST teams to make four of the past five NCAA Tournaments.
• XU is one of just 26 programs with multiple NCAA wins in the last three years.
• XU's 39 wins in the past three seasons are tied for 13th in the nation.
• XU has collected five straight NSCAA Team Academic Awards, while the 2012 teams boasted the nation's top GPA among Division I private institutions.
• Since 2012, XU has posted two top-10 national rankings, a top-10 MLS pick, led the nation in fewest yellow cards and carried a top-10 GPA.
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/ Men's SoccerSaturday, November 08
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Saturday, October 25
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