Men's Soccer Hosts DePaul in BIG EAST Action on Wednesday Night

Wednesday, October 24

XU Soccer Complex

7 PM

Xavier University

DePaul

Men's Soccer Hosts DePaul in BIG EAST Action on Wednesday Night

10.23.18 | Men's Soccer

Live Stats Watch (BEDN)

By: Brendan Bergen, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier men's soccer looks to stop a four-match losing streak, hosting DePaul on Wednesday night in BIG EAST action. First touch is set for 7 p.m. at XU Soccer Complex.

Xavier lost its fourth straight on Saturday at Marquette, allowing two unanswered goals in the second half to drop to 4-6-5 overall. The Musketeers are 2-3-1 in the BIG EAST with three regular season matches to play.

Dealing with a multitude of injuries, including six different starters missing time at one point or another, the Musketeers are 1-6-1 in their last eight matches after a seven match unbeaten streak to begin the season.

DePaul is 4-7-3 overall and 1-3-2 in BIG EAST action. Without a win since Sept. 14, the Blue Demons are 0-4-3 in their last seven matches.

THE OPPONENT

vs. DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS
Match Info: Wednesday, Oct. 24 – 7 p.m. – XU Soccer Complex
2018 Record: 4-7-3, 1-3-2

Notable:
• Istvan Wilhelms leads DePaul with eight points (4g, 0a) and Zach El-Shafei is second on the roster with seven points (3g, 1a).
• Xavier leads the series against DePaul 14-1-1 and have out-scored the Blue Demons 37-10 in 16 matches, including a 2-0 victory in Chicago last season.
• The Blue Demons made a second straight appearance in the BIG EAST Championships in 2016, but finished short of the postseason last season.
• DePaul has a new head coach for the 2018 season in alum Mark Plotkin, who was hired in December after serving as associate head coach at Colgate University.
• The Blue Demons finished last season at 5-11-2 and 2-6-1 in the BIG EAST Conference

LAST TIME OUT

• XU took the lead in the seventh minute on a goal by Simen Hestnes, but Marquette battled back for a 2-1 home win after getting a pair of goals in the second half. The loss was XU's fourth in a row.
• Marquette outshot Xavier 15-7 and 4-2 in shots on goal. MU also held a 5-3 edge in corners.
• Simen Hestnes scored his team-leading seventh goal of the season in the seventh minute. He now has 19 points on the season (7g, 5a).
• Samson Sergi was credited with the assist on the play, playing a perfect ball across the box for his third assist of the season.
• XU drops to 1-6-1 in its last eight matches after a seven-match unbeaten streak to start the season.
• XU is now 1-5-2 on the road this fall.
• Xavier is now on a four-match losing streak for the first time since the 2009 season. Xavier has never had a four-match losing streak under Andy Fleming since his arrival in 2010.

NOTABLE

• XU ranks 66th nationally in shots per game (12.87) and tied for 125th nationally in shots on goal per match (4.73).
• XU's goal differential for the year is 21-21 and the Musketeers are outshooting their opposition 193-166.
• The Musketeers hold a 94-65 edge in corner kicks against their opposition this season. Xavier ranks 14th in the nation in corner kicks per match (6.27).
• Xavier began the season unbeaten in seven matches (3-0-4) for the first time since a program record 14-match unbeaten streak to start the 2012 season.
• Balanced offense has become a hallmark for Xavier and the team already has nine different players with an assist this season as well as 10 different goal scorers.
• Head coach Andy Fleming moved to 96-54-29 (.617) with a loss on Saturday and is four wins from 100 in his career.

X IN THE RANKINGS

• Xavier was ranked in all three national polls for the first time this fall on Sept. 25, checking in at No. 20 in the College Soccer News Top 30 and No. 22 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25. Xavier was rated the highest in Top Drawer Soccer's Top 25, ranking 18th overall.
• The Musketeers have received votes in the coaches poll in five of nine weeks.
• XU has been ranked in the nation's top-10 three times in the last six years by the United Soccer Coaches.
• The Musketeers have been nationally-ranked in at least one major college soccer poll (United Soccer Coaches, Top Drawer Soccer, College Soccer News, Soccer America) in every season since 2011.

GETTING UP OFF THE MAT

• XU is 0-4-1 after a loss in 2018, but has bounced back after losses consistently under head coach Andy Fleming compiling a record of 24-15-5 (.602) after a loss since his arrival to the program in 2010.

BIG (EAST) SUCCESS

• With a 2-3-1 record in 2018, Xavier is now 28-18-5 (.598) 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 in five seasons in the league.
• Xavier has reached the league semifinals twice (2013, 2015) and has appeared in the title game twice (2014, 2017). Xavier was defeated in the quarterfinals at Creighton in 2016.

HOME SWEET HOME

• Xavier saw a 14-match home unbeaten streak snapped last Friday and is 3-1-3 at XU Soccer Complex in 2018.
• Prior to Friday, the Musketeers' last loss at XU Soccer Complex came on Friday, August 25 against Loyola Chicago in the 2017 season opener.
• The Musketeers are 17-4-5 (.750) at home since the start of the 2016 season.
• Xavier is 57-17-10 (.738) at Xavier Soccer Complex since Andy Fleming took over the program in 2010.

HERE VS. THERE

• Xavier is 3-1-3 and averaging 2.14 goals per game while holding opponents to 1.14 goals per game at XU Soccer Complex this season. The Musketeers also hold a 16.0-11.4 edge in shots at home and a 49-22 advantage in corner kicks.
• On the road, XU is 1-5-2 with a 0.75 goals per game average while allowing 1.62 goals per game. Opponents have a 10.8-10.1 edge in shots on the road and XU has a slight edge in corners, 45-43.
• XU has been shut out four times on the road and has just six goals in eight matches with three of those coming in a 3-2 win at Georgetown on Sept. 15.

A TALE OF TWO TEAMS

• XU's unbeaten start (3-0-4) featured prolific scoring and defense as the team averaged 1.86 goals per match and a 0.57 goals against average. The Musketeers posted four shutouts in the seven matches and out-scored their opposition 13-4.
• In eight matches since the unbeaten start, Xavier is 1-6-1 and has been out-scored 17-8 with 1.00 goals per match and a goals against average of 2.12.
• Five of XU's six losses during the last eight matches have come on the road, while XU is 1-1-1 at home during the stretch.

SIMEN SAYS "SCORE"

• Senior midfielder Simen Hestnes is one of the top offensive weapons in the nation, leading Xavier with 19 points (7g, 5a) in 15 matches. He has recorded at least a point in six of Xavier's last nine matches.
• Hestnes ranks tied for 69th nationally with 1.27 points per match. His seven goals rank tied for 53rd nationally, while his 19 points rank 53rd.
• He leads the BIG EAST in total points (19) and is tied for the league lead with seven goals.
• Hestnes scored or assisted on all three goals during XU's 3-1 win over rival Cincinnati in the "Crosstown Derby" on Friday, Sept. 7.
• Hestnes began the season with his first career hat trick, scoring three times in just 32 minutes in a 6-0 win over Cincinnati Christian.
• Hestnes transferred to Xavier from LIU Brooklyn before his junior season and is XU's leading returning scorer after recording 21 points (7g, 7a) in 2017.
• The Oslo, Norway native has been named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll twice this season and was a preseason All-BIG EAST selection.

XU'S STINGY START

• Xavier saw its season-opening shutout streak come to an end against UC on Friday, Sept. 7 after 364:41 minutes of scoreless soccer.
• XU's three match shutout streak to start the season was the longest for the program since the Musketeers had three consecutive shutouts from Oct. 4-11 during the 2016 season, a span of 279:07 minutes without allowing a goal.
• Xavier's last four match shutout streak was from Sept. 15-26 during the 2015 season, which tied a program record from 1988 and 2014. The shutout streak stretched a total of 485.38 minutes, including the second half of a 2-1 win over UC on Sept. 11, 2015.

XAVIER AGAINST THE BEST

• Xavier has faced 31 United Soccer Coaches-ranked opponents since Andy Fleming took over the program in 2010, including No. 6 Kentucky, No. 12 Creighton and No. 20 Notre Dame this season.
• In the Fleming era, Xavier boasts an 11-14-7 overall record against USC ranked opposition, including wins over No. 9 Georgetown and No. 22 Boston College last season.
• XU has a home draw against No. 6 Kentucky this season and is 0-2-1 against ranked opponents in 2018.
• The Musketeers are also an incredible 7-2-2 against the Top-10 in that time frame, including wins at No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 1 Creighton in 2015. In 2014, the Musketeers claimed victories against No. 5 Indiana and No. 8 Georgetown on the way to the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 berth.

2018 AWARDS

BIG EAST Major Awards

NAME	AWARD	LINK
Simen Hestnes	Preseason All-BIG EAST	Story
Cameron Taylor	Preseason All-BIG EAST	Story

BIG EAST Weekly Awards

NAME	AWARD	LINK
Simen Hestnes	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (8/27)	Story
Zachary Nelson	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (9/3)	Story
Simen Hestnes	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (9/10)	Story
Zachary Nelson	BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week (9/17)	Story
Cameron Belle	BIG EAST Freshman of the Week (9/17)	Story
Matt Nance	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (9/17)	Story
Zachary Nelson	BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (9/24)	Story
Samson Sergi	BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week (10/8)	Story
Cameron Belle	BIG EAST Freshman of the Week (10/8)	Story

PRESEASON WRAP-UP

• Xavier wrapped the 2018 preseason with a 1-0-1 record against a pair of vaunted opponents.
• The Musketeers topped preseason No. 2 Indiana by a score of 2-1 on the road on Sunday, Aug. 12. Bryce Curran and Cameron Belle supplied the goals in the first period of the match.
• XU then closed exhibition action on Friday, Aug. 17 with a 0-0 draw against preseason No. 7 Michigan State.

PRESEASON POLL/HONORS

• Xavier was picked third in the BIG EAST preseason poll, receiving 60 points for its highest-ever preseason ranking. Xavier had previously been picked as high as fourth in the 2016 preseason poll.
• Cameron Taylor and Simen Hestnes were also picked to the preseason All-BIG EAST Team, giving XU multiple players on that team for the third time in six seasons.

PRESEASON POLL
1. Georgetown (7) - 79
2. Butler (3) - 73
3. Xavier - 60
T4. Creighton - 54
T4. Providence - 54
6. Marquette - 37
7. St. John's - 33
8. Villanova - 31
9. Seton Hall - 20
10. DePaul - 9

AMONG THE NATION'S ELITE

• Xavier men's soccer has reached the NCAA Tournament in four of the last eight seasons.
• The Musketeers have won 10 or more matches in seven of the last eight seasons.
• Xavier was the only program in the nation with five consecutive major conference awards from 2012-16, including 2016 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Cory Brown.
• XU has qualified for five consecutive BIG EAST Championships, including trips to the title game in 2014 and 2017.
• XU has been ranked in the nation's top-10 three times in the last six years by the United Soccer Coaches. The Musketeers have been nationally-ranked in at least one major college soccer poll (United Soccer Coaches, Top Drawer Soccer, College Soccer News, Soccer America) in every season since 2011.
• 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.
• Four XU players have been selected in the MLS SuperDraft in the last seven years, including 2018 third rounder Cory Brown.