Men's Soccer Looks to Rebound in Midweek Test at Cleveland State

Tuesday, October 4

Cleveland, OH

7 p.m.

Xavier University

Cleveland State

Men's Soccer Looks to Rebound in Midweek Test at Cleveland State

10.03.16 | Men's Soccer

Musketeers dropped first BIG EAST match on Saturday at Providence

By: Brendan Bergen, Xavier Athletics Communication

CINCINNATI – Xavier men's soccer faces a quick turnaround on Tuesday night, taking on Cleveland State in a midweek road contest at 7 p.m. ET.

The Musketeers (4-3-2, 2-1 BIG EAST) are coming off a 2-1 loss at Providence on Saturday, which snapped a 2-0 league start in addition to a 255-minute scoreless streak.

Following Tuesday,'s match, the Musketeers will return home for the first time in 22 days when they host St. John's on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 1 p.m. ET at Walnut Hills High School.

THE MATCHUP

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (4-3-2, 2-1 BIG EAST CONFERENCE)
vs. CLEVELAND STATE (4-5-1, 2-1-1 HORIZON LEAGUE)
Match Info: Tuesday, Oct. 4 – 7:00 p.m. – Krenzler Field
Follow: Live Stats | @XavierMSOC
Watch: ESPN 3

ABOUT CLEVELAND STATE

2016 Record: 4-5-1 (2-1-1 HORIZON LEAGUE)
Last Result: T, 1-1 vs. Green Bay on Saturday, Oct. 1
Key Players: Lawrence Karpeh (4 G, 15 SH), Hesham Hammouda (3 G, 1 A, 24 SH)
In Goal: Aleksandar Drobac (6 GS, 0.97 GAA, 24 SV)

Notable:
• Cleveland State has allowed 12 goals in 10 matches, recording one shutout in their season opener. Eight straight opponents have gotten to CSU for at least one goal.
• The Vikings have virtually drawn with opponents in most stats categories, including shots (leading 137-134), shots on goal (leading 60-56) and corners (trailing 48-42).
• CSU has scored 12 of its 14 goals in the second half. Six of those goals have coming in the 78th minute or later.
• Entering the week, senior Aleksandar Drobac is tied for the Horizon League lead in save percentage (.800) and is second in goals against average (0.97). The veteran led the League in both categories a year ago.
• A total of eight newcomers, five freshmen and three transfers, have competed for CSU this year. Six have started at least once, and three have played in each of the first 10 games.
• The Vikings went 9-8-2 in 2015, finishing 4-3-2 in league play and reaching the Horizon League Tournament Semifinals.
• Cleveland State leads the all-time series 9-0, but the two teams have met just twice (2003, 2004) since 1994.
• Head coach Ali Kazemaini is in his 11th season and has won at least eight games on six occasions at CSU. He announced in August that he will be stepping down as head coach at the end of this season. Kazemaini's 81 wins are the most in CSU men's soccer history.
• The Vikings outshot their opposition 181-87 in 2015 and closed the year with wins in three of their final four matches.

LAST TIME OUT

• XU fell victim to a golden goal at Providence on Saturday, snapping a 2-0 league start and a 255-minute scoreless streak.
• Xavier is now 19-8-3 (.683) in BIG EAST play since joining the league in 2013.
• XU was outshot 23-14 and 11-7 in shots on goal. PC also held a 9-3 edge in corners.
• Providence now leads the all-time series 3-1-1 with all five meetings coming since XU joined the BIG EAST in 2013.
• Majed Osman led the Musketeers with a career-high seven shots. His 31st minute PK goal was his second of the season and fourth of his career.
• Matt Vasquenza and Jalen Brown also had two shots, while Cory Brown, Derrick Otim and Walker Andriot had one apiece.
• Sophomore goalkeeper Colin Hanley made a career-high nine saves.
• Xavier dropped to 1-3-1 overall on the road.

SHARING IS CARING

• Sporting a typically-balanced offensive attack, Xavier has received goals from seven different players and eight Musketeers have contributed assists.

ON THE OFFENSIVE

• Xavier ranks 86th in the nation in total points (40) and 89th in total goals (13).
• Xavier ranks 46th in the NCAA in assists per game (1.56) and 57th in total assists (14).

SHOTS FIRED

• Xavier has been one of the top teams in the nation at generating scoring chances this fall.
• The Musketeers have outshot their opponents 125-102, including a 53-46 edge in shots on goal.
• The Musketeers are 58th in the nation with 13.89 shots per game and also rank 61st in shots on goal per match with an average of 5.89.
• Individually, Majed Osman rates 19th in the NCAA with 3.78 shots per game and 45th with 1.56 shots on goal per game.

BIG (EAST) SUCCESS

• After a 2-1 start to league play, Xavier is now 19-8-3 (.683) in BIG EAST play since joining the conference ahead of the 2013 season.
• The Musketeers have never finished below fourth in the BIG EAST standings.
• In three years in the league, Xavier has never failed to advance to the BIG EAST Championships – reaching the semifinals in 2013 and 2015, while also appearing in the 2014 title match against Providence.

2016 BIG EAST STANDINGS

#	TEAM	OVERALL (%)	BIG EAST (%)
1.	Butler	8-1-1 (.850)	3-0 (1.000)
2.	Creighton	6-1-3 (.750)	2-0-1 (.833)
3.	Xavier	4-3-2 (.556)	2-1 (.667)
4.	Villanova	6-3-1 (.650)	2-1 (.667)
5.	St. John's	5-2-3 (.650)	1-0-2 (.667)
6.	Providence	5-5 (.500)	1-2 (.333)
7.	Seton Hall	3-6-1 (.350)	1-2 (.333)
8.	Georgetown	3-7 (.300)	1-2 (.333)
9.	Marquette	3-3-3 (.500)	0-2-1 (.167)
10.	DePaul	5-4-2 (.545)	0-3 ( .000)

* Standings current through 10/2

2016 BIG EAST WEEKLY HONORS

• Xavier has had five different players honored on six different occasions by the BIG EAST this season.

NAME	AWARD (DATE)
Jalen Brown	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (9/26)
Cory Brown	BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week (9/19)
Majed Osman	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (9/19)
Derrick Otim	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (9/12)
Jake Ciricillo	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (9/5)
Jalen Brown	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (8/29)

XAVIER AGAINST THE BEST

• Xavier has faced 21 NSCAA-ranked opponents in the last six-plus seasons.
• Since 2010, Xavier now boasts an 8-9-4 overall record against NSCAA ranked opposition.
• The Musketeers are an incredible 6-2-1 against the Top-10, including wins at No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 1 Creighton last fall.
• In 2014, the Musketeers also claimed victories against No. 5 Indiana and No. 8 Georgetown.

XAVIER MEN'S SOCCER VS. THE NSCAA TOP 25 (SINCE 2010)
Home: 1-1-2 | Away: 3-4-1 | Neutral: 4-4-1

DATE	LOCATION	OPPONENT	RESULT
Nov. 13, 2010	Charlotte, N.C. (N)	#15 Charlotte	T, 0-0 (PK Win) *
Sept. 16, 2011	Evanston, Ill. (N)	#13 Northern Illinois	W, 1-0
Oct. 28, 2011	Charlotte, N.C. (A)	#16 Charlotte	L, 1-0
Nov. 10, 2011	St. Louis, Mo. (N)	#8 Charlotte	W, 2-1 (OT) *
Aug. 25, 2012	Cincinnati, Ohio (H)	#20 Northwestern	T, 1-1 (2OT)
Nov. 9, 2012	Charlotte, N.C. (N)	#25 Saint Louis	L, 1-0 *
Oct. 5, 2013	Omaha, Neb. (A)	#4 Creighton	L, 2-0
Oct. 12, 2013	Cincinnati, Ohio (H)	#9 Georgetown	W, 2-0
Aug. 31, 2014	Madison, Wis. (A)	#21 Wisconsin	L, 4-0
Oct. 18, 2014	Cincinnati, Ohio (H)	#6 Creighton	T, 1-1
Oct. 25, 2014	Milwaukee, Wis. (A)	#15 Marquette	W, 1-0
Oct. 29, 2014	Washington, D.C. (A)	#13 Georgetown	L, 1-0
Nov. 14, 2014	Philadelphia, Pa. (N)	#8 Georgetown	W, 1-0 ^
Nov. 16, 2014	Philadelphia, Pa. (N)	#23 Providence	L, 2-1 ^
Nov. 23, 2014	Bloomington, Ind. (N)	#5 Indiana	W, 2-1 %
Nov. 30, 2014	Omaha, Neb. (N)	#9 Creighton	L, 2-1 %
Sept. 15, 2015	South Bend, Ind. (A)	#2 Notre Dame	W, 1-0
Oct. 3, 2015	Cincinnati, Ohio (H)	#16 Georgetown	L, 1-0
Oct. 28, 2015	Omaha, Neb. (A)	#1 Creighton	W, 2-1
Nov. 12, 2015	Washington, D.C. (N)	#16 Georgetown	L, 1-0
Sept. 2, 2016	Charlottesville, Va. (A)	#12 Virginia	T, 1-1 (2OT)

POSTSEASON LEGEND
* Atlantic 10 Tournament
^ BIG EAST Tournament
% NCAA Tournament

GETTING UP OFF THE MAT

• After a 2-0 road loss at Louisville, Xavier men's soccer responded with a 1-0 win vs. DePaul on Saturday. It continues a trend of solid play after losses under Andy Fleming.
• Since 2010, XU has compiled a record of 18-8-4 (.667) after a loss.

YEAR	RECORD AFTER LOSS
2010	3-2-1
2011	3-0-1
2012	2-0-0
2013	3-3-0
2014	4-1-0
2015	2-2-1
2016	1-0-1
7 Seasons	18-8-4 (.667)

XU PICKED FOURTH IN BIG EAST

• The Musketeers were picked to finish fourth in the league's annual coaches poll, coming in behind two preseason top-10 teams in Creighton and Georgetown. XU also received a first-place vote in the poll for the first time.
• Matt Vasquenza and Cory Brown were both selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, as Brown was named the BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
• The prediction ties the highest for XU since entering the league in 2013. XU was picked fourth last season, seventh in 2014 and fifth in 2013.
• XU lived up to its prediction last season, finishing fourth in the league at 5-3-1. The Musketeers have been inside the top-four in each of its first three seasons in the BIG EAST.

WHAT'S BACK

• Xavier returns 16 players, including eight starters, from last season's 12-win team.
• The roster consists of 10 freshmen, seven sophomores, six juniors and four seniors.
• Four of Xavier's top five offensive options are back, as returners Jalen Brown, Matt Vasquenza, Majed Osman and Walker Andriot took a combined 122 shots in 2015. Those four players accounted for 53 percent of Xavier's 229 total shots in 2015.
• XU's typically-balanced offense saw 12 players record an assist or score a goal last season. Eight of the goal-scorers return in 2016, while nine players return who contributed an assist.
• The senior class of Jalen Brown, Todd Pratzner, Jake Ciricillo, Walker Andriot and Majed Osman have helped XU to a 38-20-5 (.643) record since 2013.
• The Musketeers return 52 percent of their goal-scoring (15-of-29) and 56 percent of their points (44-of-78).

HOLES TO FILL

• XU is holding auditions to replace a BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year for the second straight season after losing Dallas Jaye (13 GS, 0.63 GAA) to graduation. Jaye succeeded 2014 BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year Eric Osswald.
• Leading scorer Alex Ridsdale (8g, 1a) was also lost to graduation.
• A key piece in the midfield, Kyle Martin graduated after starting 47 matches since 2013.
• Right back Chris Moore also graduated after making 58 career starts since 2013.
• The 2015 senior class of Dallas Jaye, Vince Shaw, Alex Ridsdale, Calum Latham, Kyle Martin, Rhodes Moore and Chris Moore left Xavier with 51 wins – tied for the most by any graduating group.
• In addition to player turnover, XU has an entirely new look on the sidelines with Ernie Yarborough, Garrett McLaughlin, Chris Black and Cam Olson all beginning their first year with the program. Former assistants John Michael Hayden (Louisville) and Charles Rodriguez (Stanford) took new jobs in the collegiate ranks, while goalkeeper coach Jamie Starr (FC Cincinnati) and Director of Operations Luke Spencer (FC Cincinnati) joined the USL.

CORY BROWN COLLECTING HONORS

• For a second straight preseason, Cory Brown has racked up an impressive collection of preseason honors. The junior from Nelson, New Zealand is considered one of the best defenders in college soccer and was on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List as a sophomore.

2016 PRESEASON HONORS FOR BROWN:
• BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
• Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
• College Soccer News Preseason All-America Second Team
• Top Drawer Soccer Men's Preseason Best XI Third Team

PRESEASON WRAP

• Xavier posted a 1-1 record in a pair of exhibitions, defeating the 2015 NAIA National Champs, Rio Grande (OH), 2-0 at home and falling 3-1 at No. 4 Maryland.
• Jalen Brown (2g) scored unassisted in both matches for the Musketeers and could be primed for a big season after leading XU in shots in 2015.

HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?

• Xavier goalkeepers have set program records for goals against average in three straight seasons.
• In 2013, Eric Osswald began the trend with a mark of 0.82. He lowered his own record to 0.74 in 2014, posting a program-best 11 shutouts and earning BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year honors. Last season, Dallas Jaye continued the run with an impressive 0.63 GAA and a BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year award.

AMONG THE NATION'S ELITE

· Xavier men's soccer has reached the NCAA Tournament in four of the last six seasons.
· The Musketeers finished 2015 at 12-6-1 overall, marking a sixth straight season with at least 10 wins – one of just 12 programs that can claim the feat.
· Last fall also marked Xavier's third straight finish in the top-four of the BIG EAST.
· XU was ranked in the nation's top-10 by the NSCAA for the third time in four years, while knocking of the national No. 1 (Creighton) and No. 2 (Notre Dame) on the road last season. The Musketeers are widely believed to be the first program to ever knock off both a No. 1 and a No. 2 on the road in the same season.