No. 4 Seed Xavier Hosts No. 5 Providence in BIG EAST Championships

Saturday, November 4

XU Soccer Complex

7 p.m.

Xavier University

No. 5 Providence

No. 4 Seed Xavier Hosts No. 5 Providence in BIG EAST Championships

11.02.17 | Men's Soccer

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XU earned its fifth straight tournament appearance after finishing fourth in the league standings

By: Brendan Bergen, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – No. 4 seeded Xavier men's soccer returns home for a BIG EAST Championships matchup against No. 5 Providence on Saturday night at XU Soccer Complex. First touch is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

The Musketeers capped the regular season at 10-5-2 overall and wrapped up a fourth-place finish with a 5-4 league record. Xavier will be making a fifth-straight appearance in the BIG EAST Championships, having never missed the tournament as a member of the league.

Saturday night's contest will be broadcast on BIG EAST Digital Network via the FOX Sports Go app.

The winner of Saturday's match will advance to the BIG EAST Championships semifinals and travel to play No. 1 seed Butler on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m.

THE OPPONENT

vs. PROVIDENCE FRIARS
Match Info: Saturday, Nov. 4 – 7 p.m. – XU Soccer Complex
2017 Record: 5-7-5, 2-2-5 BIG EAST Conference
2016 Record: 15-7, 7-2 BIG EAST Conference
Postseason: BIG EAST Semifinals, NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals

Notable:
• Picked to win the BIG EAST, the Friars finished fifth with a 2-2-5 league record. PC rebounded from an 0-2-1 start in BIG EAST play to qualify for the tournament.
• After a 2-2 start, PC endured a tough six-match stretch with an 0-5-1 record capped by a 4-1 loss at Xavier on Sept. 30. Since then, PC has gone unbeaten with three shutouts in its last seven outings (3-0-4).
• The Friars have been to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals twice in the last three years and won three NCAA matches last year before falling 1-0 in double overtime to UNC.
• Providence leads the all-time series 3-2-1 with all six meetings coming since the two schools joined the BIG EAST in 2013.
• 2016 BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year Colin Miller has posted a 0.97 goals against average in 15 starts for PC, making 58 saves and holding a 5-5-5 record.
• Mac Steeves, one of the top scorers in the league, missed the 2016 season with injury but has scored eight times to lead PC in 2017. His 19 points (8g, 3a) are a team-best.
• Nine different Friars have scored this season, but only four have more than one goal. After Steeves' 19 points, the next-highest PC scorer is Joao Serrano with eight (2g, 4a).
• PC and XU have some postseason history having met in the 2014 BIG EAST Championship match during memorable seasons for both sides. Providence won the match 2-1 en route to its first-ever appearance in the College Cup, while XU was awarded an at-large bid and advanced to its first-ever Sweet 16.

TICKETS & PARKING

ADULTS | $5
YOUTH | $3 (Ages 3-17)
PARKING | Free
Tickets are available at GoXavier.com and will also be available at the ticket tent on gameday.
$2 tickets available for groups of 15+ in advance. Call the ticket office by 5 p.m. Friday to reserve (513-745-3378).
$2 tickets will also be available at the ticket tent with the presentation of a ticket stub from Saturday's men's basketball exhibition.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

2017 BIG EAST Men's Soccer Championship
Presented By Jeep

First Round – Nov. 4 - BEDN
No. 6 seed DePaul at No. 3 seed Providence, 6 p.m.
No. 5 seed Providence at No. 4 seed Xavier, 7 p.m.

Semifinals - Nov. 8 - BEDN
No. 3/6 winner at No. 2 seed Georgetown, 1 p.m.
No. 4/5 winner at No. 1 seed Butler, 7 p.m.

Final - Nov. 5 – FS2
Semifinal Winners, 12 p.m.

All times Eastern - All games played at the higher seed

BIG (EAST) SUCCESS

• With a 5-4 record in 2017, Xavier is now 26-15-4 (.622) in BIG EAST play since joining the conference ahead of the 2013 season.
• The Musketeers have never finished below fifth-place or missed qualifying for the BIG EAST Championships. After Saturday's win over Seton Hall, XU clinched its fifth straight appearance in the league tournament.
• Xavier reached the league semifinals in 2013 and 2015, while also appearing in the 2014 title match against Providence. Last season, XU was eliminated in the quarterfinal round at Creighton.

TOURNAMENT TIME

• XU is 6-5-3 in conference tournaments under head coach Andy Fleming, winning Atlantic 10 Championships in 2010 and 2011.
• The Musketeers are 2-4 in the BIG EAST Championships with one runner-up finish in 2014.
• Xavier is 1-0 at home in the league's postseason tournament, having defeated DePaul 2-1 in the quarterfinal round in 2015 at XU Soccer Complex.
• Xavier's highest-seed was No. 2 in 2014.
• XU is a No. 4 seed for the second time and is 1-1 in the tournament as the league's fourth seed.
• Since 2013, the No. 4 seed has reached the league's title bout three times in four tries.

KEY STATS

STAT	XU	PROVIDENCE
Goals	31	20
Goals Allowed	22	24
Goals Per Game	1.82	1.18
Shots On Goal	92	94
Shots Per Game	12.6	12.5
Shots Allowed Per Game	11.9	12.4
Assists	33	18
Corner Kicks	124	103
Corner Kicks Allowed	62	90
Penalty Kicks	0-0	3-3
Yellow Cards	21	24
Red Cards	1	2

XU IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS

*National statistic rankings current through matches played on 10/30*

TEAM

STAT	RANK	#
Assists Per Game	16	1.94
Corner Kicks Per Game	3	7.29
Points Per Game	25	5.59
Scoring Offense	31	1.82
Shots Per Game	77	12.65
Shots On Goal Per Game	85	5.41
Total Assists	14	33
Total Goals	27	31
Total Points	19	95
W-L-T %	42	.647

INDIVIDUAL

NAME	STAT	RANK	#
Jacob Goodall	Assists Per Game	55	0.41
Josh Grant	Assists Per Game	66	0.40
Simen Hestnes	Assists Per Game	91	0.35
Jacob Goodall	Total Assists	33	7
Simen Hestnes	Total Assists	56	6
Josh Grant	Total Assists	56	6
Samson Sergi	Total Goals	82	7
Matt Vasquenza	Total Goals	82	7
Matt Vasquenza	Total Points	80	18
Simen Hestnes	Total Points	80	18
Matt Vasquenza	Game-Winning Goals	37	3
Matt Vasquenza	Shots on Goal Per Game	71	1.35

LAST TIME OUT

• Xavier lost an early lead as No. 15 Butler scored twice unanswered to win 2-1 at the Sellick Bowl on Wednesday night. The loss snapped a three-match winning streak for the Musketeers.
• The Musketeers led 1-0 in the 17th minute after a goal by Simen Hestnes, but the Bulldogs equalized in the 29th minute and scored the go-ahead goal in the 78th.
• Hestnes' goal was his sixth of the year and second in as many matches. He was assisted by Cam Taylor and Matt Vasquenza on the sequence.
• XU had a 13-6 edge in shots and a 6-2 advantage in shots on goal, but Butler goalie Eric Dick made five saves to keep XU at bay.
• XU also had a 7-2 lead in corner kicks, but could not capitalize.
• Matt Vasquenza's assist gave him 65 career points, which ranks ninth all-time in program history.

XAVIER WHEN...

WHEN	RECORD
Outshooting Opponent	8-2-1
Shots Even	1-0-0
Outshot	2-3-1
After A Win	6-2-2
After A Loss	3-1-0
After A Tie	1-1-0
Scoring 0 Goals	0-1-0
Scoring 1 Goal	2-4-2
Scoring 2 Goals	2-0-0
Scoring 3 Goals	5-0-0
Scoring 4 Goals	1-0-0
Taking More Corners Than Opponent	9-4-1
Taking Less Corners Than Opponent	1-1-1
Leading At Half	6-1-0
Trailing At Half	1-3-0
Tied At Half	3-1-2

MULTI-GOAL/ASSIST MATCHES

DATE	OPPONENT	PLAYER	POINTS
Aug. 27	Drake	Josh Grant	2 (2 A)
Aug. 27	Drake	Jacob Goodall	2 (2 A)
Sept. 1	at Harvard	Simen Hestnes	4 (2 G)
Sept. 1	at Harvard	Matt Vasquenza	2 (2 A)
Sept. 4	at Boston College	Simen Hestnes	3 (1 G, 1 A)
Sept. 30	Providence	Samson Sergi	4 (2 G)
Sept. 30	Providence	Matt Vasquenza	3 (1 G, 1 A)
Oct. 3	Detroit	Matt Vasquenza	4 (2 G)
Oct. 25	DePaul	Jacob Goodall	3 (1 G, 1 A)

SHUTOUTS

DATE	OPPONENT	GOALKEEPER	SCORE	SHOTS FACED/SAVES
Aug. 27	Drake	Nelson (1)	3-0	5/1
Sept. 1	at Harvard	Nelson (2)	3-0	7/3
Sept. 16	#9 Georgetown	Nelson (3)	1-0 (OT)	16/3
Oct. 21	Marquette	Hanley (1)	1-0	10/2
Oct. 25	DePaul	Hanley (2)	2-0	9/3

NOTABLE

• XU is 7-1 at XU Soccer Complex this year and hasn't lost since its opener on Friday, August 25 against Loyola.
• XU head coach Andy Fleming is 83-39-20 (.655) since 2010 and is Xavier soccer's all-time winningest coach. The Musketeers have won at least eight matches in all eight of his seasons at the helm.
• Xavier's four goals against Providence earlier this fall set a new team record for a BIG EAST match.
• XU's seven match unbeaten streak this season was its longest since a nine-match spurt from 9/20-10/29, 2014.

CORNERING THE MARKET

• The Musketeers generated a season-high 20 corner kicks against Seton Hall last Saturday and hold a 124-62 corner kick advantage over their opponents this season.
• XU ranks first in the BIG EAST and third nationally in corner kicks per match (7.29).

KEEPING BALANCED

• Sporting a typically-balanced offensive attack, 11 players have recorded a point for Xavier this fall.
• 10 different Musketeers have recorded an assist this season and four XU players have six or more goals (Matt Vasquenza, Cam Taylor, Samson Sergi, Simen Hestnes).
• An impressive five different players have 10 points or more, including Matt Vasquenza (17), Simen Hestnes (16), Samson Sergi (15), Cam Taylor (15) and Josh Grant (10).

VASQUENZA MAKES HIS MARK

• Senior forward Matt Vasquenza has been one of the team's go-to scorers throughout his career and is starting to make his mark in the program's all-time record book.
• Vasquenza currently has 65 points in career and moved past Charlie Combs (1991-94) for ninth all-time with his assist on Wednesday against Butler.
• Vasquenza passed Combs with his 24th career tally on Saturday against Seton Hall and is now tied for ninth all-time with Vladimir Ciric (1995-96).
• His assist against Butler moved him into a tie for ninth all-time at Xavier with 17 career helpers.
• Vasquenza has come up in big moments consistently in an XU uniform and has three game-winners this season.

XU MEN'S SOCCER INDIVIDUAL CAREER RECORDS

POINTS

#	NAME	YEARS	POINTS
1.	Doug Tegge	1991-94	129
2.	Tom Holton	1988-91	108
3.	Luke Spencer	2009-12	79
4.	Maurice Schilten	1994-95	76
	Matt Walker	2010-13	76
6.	Koen Kuiken	1997-00	71
7.	Jim Sandmann	1972-82	69
8.	Josh Hammerschmidt	1997-00	67
9.	Matt Vasquenza	2014-Present	65
10.	Charlie Combs	1991-94	64
11.	Will Walker	2011-14	59
12.	Mike Mossel	1992-93	58
13.	Martin Hernandez	1984-87	55

GOALS

#	NAME	YEARS	GOALS
1.	Doug Tegge	1991-94	51
2.	Tom Holton	1988-91	49
3.	Koen Kuiken	1997-00	30
4.	Jim Sandman	1972-82	29
	Luke Spencer	2009-12	29
6.	Maurice Schilten	1994-95	26
	Matt Walker	2010-13	26
8.	Mike Mossel	1992-93	25
9.	Vladimir Ciric	1995-96	24
	Matt Vasquenza	2014-Present	24
10.	Charlie Combs	1991-94	23

ASSISTS

#	Name	Years	Assists
1.	Josh Hammerschmidt	1997-00	29
2.	Doug Tegge	1991-94	27
3.	Maurice Schildten	1994-95	24
	Matt Walker	2010-13	24
5.	Will Walker	2011-14	23
6.	Luke Spencer	2009-12	21
7.	Rob Bakker	1998-01	19
8.	Charlie Combs	1991-94	18
9.	John McVey	1979-81	17
	Matt Vasquenza	2014-Present	17
11.	David Spaccarelli	1997-98	15
	Martin Hernandez	1984-87	15

CORY COLLECTS ACCOLADES

Senior defender Cory Brown, a native of Nelson, New Zealand, has collected an impressive list of awards during the preseason:

BROWN'S 2017 PRESEASON HONORS
• MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List
• Preseason BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year (second straight season)
• Unanimous selection to Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
• Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Best XI Second Team
• College Soccer News Preseason All-America Second Team
• No. 13 on Top Drawer Soccer list of best players in college soccer

2017 HONORS

NAME	BIG EAST AWARDS (Date)	RELEASE
Cam Taylor	BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week (8/28)	Link
Simen Hestnes	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (9/11)	Link
Cam Taylor	BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week (9/18)	Link
Zach Nelson	BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week (9/18)	Link
Samson Sergi	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (9/18)	Link
Samson Sergi	BIG EAST Player of the Week (10/2)	Link
Zach Nelson	BIG EAST Freshman of the Week (10/2)	Link
Matt Vasquenza	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (10/9)	Link
Josh Grant	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (10/23)	Link
Colin Hanley	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (10/23)	Link
Sam Buzzas	BIG EAST Freshman of the Week (10/30)	Link
Matt Vasquenza	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (10/30)	Link
	NATIONAL AWARDS (Date)
Samson Sergi	College Soccer News National Team of the Week (9/18)	Link
Cam Taylor	United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week (9/19)	Link
Cam Taylor	NCAA Soccer National Player of the Week (9/20)	Link

GETTING UP OFF THE MAT

• Xavier has bounced back after losses consistently under head coach Andy Fleming, including a 3-0 win over Drake, a 4-1 win over Providence and a 1-0 win against Marquette this fall.
• Since 2010, XU has compiled a record of 23-11-4 (.658) after a loss.

PRESEASON WRAP-UP

• Xavier ended the 2017 preseason with a 1-1-1 record, including a 3-0 win over Marian (Ind.) and a 1-1 draw against ACC foe Duke.
• In the result against Duke, XU outshot the Blue Devils 15-6 and had a 12-5 edge in corners.
• Matt Vasquenza scored goals in all three preseason games after scoring in each of the Musketeers' spring matches as well, giving him a goal in nine straight exhibitions.

WHAT'S BACK

• Xavier returns 19 letterwinners and seven starters from last season's team, including its leading scorer in Matt Vasquenza and top defender in Cory Brown.
• The roster consists of eight freshmen, 10 sophomores, seven juniors and four seniors. 10 of those players are newcomers to the roster, including transfers Sean Wilson (UNC) and Simen Hestnes (LIU Brooklyn).
• XU's leading scorer in 2016, Matt Vasquenza brings back 17 career goals and should reach the top-10 in program history with another productive season.
• XU's typically-balanced offense saw 11 players record an assist or score a goal last season. Seven players who contributed points last season return to this year's roster, although senior Matt Nance (3g, 4a) will miss the season with an injury.
• The senior class of Cory Brown, Matt Vasquenza, Matt Nance and Josh Grant have led the team to a 35-20-6 (.623) record since 2014.
• The Musketeers bring back 59.3 percent (16-of-27) of their scoring and 59.8 percent (52-of-87) of their points.

HOLES TO FILL

• Midfielders Jalen Brown and Majed Osman departed after combining for 107 shots and eight goals last season. Both offensive weapons made 19 starts and leave big shoes to fill in the Musketeer midfield.
• Another midfielder, Walker Andriot, transferred to Louisville for his final season of eligibility after contributing a goal and three assists in 19 starts last season.
• Longtime stalwart Todd Pratzner graduated after making 70 career starts at center back for XU.
• In addition to player turnover, XU has an entirely new look on the sidelines with David Costa, Kevin Reiman and Jamie Starr all new additions to the coaching staff. Starr returns to XU as goalkeepers coach after spending over a year with the USL club FC Cincinnati.

BIG EAST PRESEASON POLL

1. Providence (9) – 81 pts.
2. Creighton (1) – 70
3. Butler – 68
4. Villanova – 52
5. Georgetown – 46
6. Xavier – 45
7. Marquette – 30
8. St. John's – 27
9. DePaul – 21
10. Seton Hall – 10

First place votes in ( )

BIG EAST PRESEASON HONORS

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Mac Steeves, Providence, RS-Sr., F *

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Cory Brown, Xavier, Sr., D *

Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
JT Marcinkowski, Georgetown, Jr. *

2017 Men's Soccer Preseason All-BIG EAST #
Ricky Lopez-Espin, Creighton, Sr., F
Mac Steeves, Providence, RS-Sr., F
Harry Cooksley, St. John's, So., F ^
Lewis Suddick, Butler, So., M
Jared Timmer, Butler, Jr., M
Christopher Lema, Georgetown, Sr., M
Luka Prpa, Marquette, So., M
Andreas Bartosinksi, Villanova, Sr., M
Lucas Stauffer, Creighton, Jr., D
Mark Jecewiz, Providence, RS-Jr., D
Cory Brown, Xavier, Sr., D ^
JT Marcinkowski, Georgetown, Jr., GK

AMONG THE NATION'S ELITE

• Xavier men's soccer has reached the NCAA Tournament in four of the last seven seasons.
• The Musketeers have won 10 or more matches in six of the last seven seasons.
• Xavier is the only program in the nation with five consecutive major conference awards, including 2016 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Cory Brown.
• XU has qualified for five consecutive BIG EAST Championships, including a trip to the title game in 2014.
• XU has been ranked in the nation's top-10 three times in the last five years. by the NSCAA.
• In 2015, XU knocked off 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.
• Three XU players have been selected in the MLS SuperDraft in the last six years, including 2017 second rounder Jalen Brown (38th overall).