Men's Soccer Gets Back to BIG EAST Play Versus St. John's on Saturday

Saturday, October 8

Walnut Hills High School

1 p.m.

Xavier University

St. John's

Men's Soccer Gets Back to BIG EAST Play Versus St. John's on Saturday

10.05.16 | Men's Soccer

Season Stats (PDF)Seton Hall Soccer Info Live Stream Live Stats Game Notes (PDF)

Musketeers will face Red Storm at 1 p.m. at Walnut Hills High School

By: Brendan Bergen, Xavier Athletics Communication

CINCINNATI – Xavier men's soccer gets back to BIG EAST play on Saturday, hosting St. John's at Walnut Hills High School at 1 p.m.

The Musketeers (5-3-2, 2-1 BIG EAST) own shutouts in three of their last four outings, but will look to avoid a second consecutive league loss against a much-improved Red Storm side.

Following Saturday's match, the Musketeers will remain "home" when they host Belmont on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at NKU Soccer Stadium.

THE MATCHUP

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (5-3-2, 2-1 BIG EAST CONFERENCE)
vs. ST. JOHN'S (5-2-3, 1-0-2 BIG EAST CONFERENCE)
Match Info: Saturday, Oct. 8 – 1:00 p.m. – Marx Stadium at Walnut Hills High School
Follow: Live Stats | @XavierMSOC

ABOUT ST. JOHN'S

2016 Record: 5-2-3 (1-0-2 BIG EAST Conference)
Last Result: T, 1-1 vs. No. 10/14 Creighton
Key Players: Filippo Ricupati (6 G, 1 A, 20 SH), Harry Cooksley (2 G, 6 A, 40 SH)
In Goal: Andrew Withers (10 G, 0.36 GAA, 25 SV)

Notable:
• Sophomore forward Filippo Ricupati has doubled his goal total from a year ago already, tallying six times in 10 matches.
• The Red Storm have outshot opponents 154-112, limiting opposition to just six goals on the season (0.60 team GAA).
• St. John's has been particularly dangerous in the second half, outscoring opponents 11-3 and outshooting opponents 86-47.
• Xavier leads the all-time series 2-1-1, including a scoreless draw last fall in Queens, N.Y.
• St. John's will make the trip to Cincinnati for just the second time in the series.
• Prior to 2013, the two programs met just once – a 1-0 win for St. John's on Oct. 15, 1989.
• St. John's has fared well against two top-10 opponents in 2016, getting a result against No. 10 Creighton on Saturday, Oct. 1 and falling 3-2 in double overtime at No. 6 Syracuse on Sunday, Sept. 4.
• The Red Storm have improved greatly thus far in 2016 after posting a 4-11-3 (2-5-2 BIG EAST) record a year ago.

LAST TIME OUT

• XU got a 19th minute goal from Cory Brown, holding on to win a 1-0 result on the road on Tuesday at Cleveland State.
• The Musketeers recorded a third shutout in four matches.
• Cleveland State outshot Xavier 19-11, but the two teams were even at 5-5 in shots on goal. Corners were also even, 4-4.
• Xavier improved to 2-3-1 on the road this season.
• Colin Hanley made five saves, earning his third clean sheet of the season.
• Jalen Brown, Matt Vasquenza and Majed Osman all tied for a team-high with two shots apiece.
• Cory Brown scored for the first time in 2016, becoming the eighth different Musketeer to record a goal this season.
• On the scoring sequence, Josh Grant picked up his second assist of the season while Jalen Brown earned his third.
• Jalen Brown now has a team-high nine points (3 goals, 3 assists).
• XU picked up its first-ever win against Cleveland State. The Vikings came into the match with a 9-0 series lead, but the teams had met just twice (2003, 2004) since 1994.
• Xavier improved to 19-8-4 (.677) since 2010 following a loss.

SHARING IS CARING

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

ON THE OFFENSIVE

• Xavier ranks 66th in the nation in total points (44) and 81st in total goals (14).
• Xavier ranks 42nd in the NCAA in assists per game (1.60) and 45th in total assists (16).

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 136-121, including a 58-51 edge in shots on goal.
• The Musketeers are 62nd in the nation with 13.60 shots per game and also rank 64th in shots on goal per match with an average of 5.80.
• Individually, Majed Osman rates 24th in the NCAA with 3.60 shots per game and 39th with 1.60 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 Tournament – 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	5-3-2 (.600)	2-1 (.667)
4.	Villanova	6-4-1 (.591)	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	5-5-2 (.500)	0-3 ( .000)

* Standings current through 10/4

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 2-1 road loss at Providence on Saturday, Xavier men's soccer responded with a 1-0 win vs. Cleveland State on Tuesday. It continues a trend of solid play after losses under Andy Fleming.
• Since 2010, XU has compiled a record of 19-8-4 (.677) 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	2-0-1
7 Seasons	19-8-4 (.677)

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

• Xavier has played the 42nd most difficult schedule in the nation thus far with a combined opponent record of 44-33-16 (.559).

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.