Xavier University Athletics
Wednesday, October 31
XU Soccer Complex
7 PM
Xavier University
vs
Butler
Men's Soccer Hosts Butler in Pivotal Home Finale on Wednesday
10.29.18 | Men's Soccer
CINCINNATI - Xavier men's soccer hosts Butler to wrap up the regular season on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in what will be a pivotal match at XU Soccer Complex.
The Musketeers rebounded from a five-match losing streak with a crucial road win at Seton Hall on Saturday, improving to 5-7-5 overall and 3-4-1 in BIG EAST action. The result pushed Xavier into sixth-place with 10 points and one match to play in the regular season.
With a win on Wednesday, XU will guarantee itself a spot in the upcoming BIG EAST Championships for the sixth straight season.
Butler enters the match at 4-11-2 overall and 2-6 in the BIG EAST. The Bulldogs have lost two straight.
vs. BUTLER BULLDOGS
Match Info: Wednesday, Oct. 31 – 7 p.m. – XU Soccer Complex
2018 Record: 4-11-2, 2-6 BIG EAST Conference
Postseason: BIG EAST Semifinals, NCAA Tournament Third Round
Notable:
• Xavier trails the all-time series 13-5-1 and Butler holds a 5-2-1 edge since both programs joined the BIG EAST in 2013.
• The Musketeers dropped last season's regular season finale in Indianapolis, but rebounded to advance past Butler in PK's in the 2017 BIG EAST Tournament Semifinals.
• Butler earned their second consecutive berth to the NCAA Tournament with an at-large berth in 2017. The Bulldogs made it to the third round for the first time since 1995 and the third time in program history.
• Butler finished the 2017 season with an impressive record of 14-5-2 and 8-1 in the BIG EAST Conference.
• Xavier and Butler will meet to end the regular season for the sixth straight year.
• XU came-from-behind to pull off a big road win, 2-1, in overtime at Seton Hall on Thursday. Samson Sergi buried a penalty kick with just over seven minutes to go in regulation before Simen Hestnes came through with the golden goal in the 97th minute.
• Hestnes' game-winner gave him a team-leading 21 (8g, 5a) points this season. He has at least one point in seven of Xavier's last 11 matches.
• Jacob Goodall was credited with the assist on the sequence, his first of the season.
• Samson Sergi's goal was his fifth of the season and gave him 13 points for the season (5g, 3a).
• Xavier outshot Seton Hall 14-9 and 5-3 in shots on goal. The Musketeers also held a 7-3 edge in corner kicks.
• Xavier improved to 2-5-2 on the road this season. Both road wins have come in BIG EAST action.
• The victory was Xavier's first win since Saturday, Oct. 6 against Villanova and first road win since Saturday, Sept. 15 at Georgetown.
• XU improves to 2-7-1 in its last 10 matches after a seven-match unbeaten streak to start the season.
• Xavier snapped its five-match losing streak with the win, its longest losing streak since 2009. Prior to this recent stretch, Xavier had never had a losing streak longer than four matches under Andy Fleming since his arrival in 2010.
• XU ranks 67th nationally in shots per game (12.88) and tied for 130th nationally in shots on goal per match (4.65).
• XU's goal differential for the year is 23-23 and the Musketeers are outshooting their opposition 219-182.
• The Musketeers hold a 106-72 edge in corner kicks against their opposition this season. Xavier ranks 14th in the nation in corner kicks per match (6.24).
• 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 has 10 different players with an assist this season as well as 10 different goal scorers.
• Head coach Andy Fleming moved to 97-55-29 (.616) with a win on Saturday and is three wins from 100 in his career.
• 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 weeks this season.
• 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.
• XU is 1-5-1 after a loss in 2018, but has bounced back after losses consistently under head coach Andy Fleming compiling a record of 25-16-5 (.598) after a loss since his arrival to the program in 2010.
• With a 3-4-1 record in 2018, Xavier is now 29-19-5 (.594) 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.
• Xavier saw a 14-match home unbeaten streak snapped against Creighton on Friday, October 12 and is now 3-2-3 at XU Soccer Complex in 2018.
• Prior to this year's loss to Creighton on Oct. 12, the Musketeers' last loss at XU Soccer Complex came on Friday, August 25 against Loyola Chicago in the 2017 season opener.
• The Musketeers are 17-5-5 (.722) at home since the start of the 2016 season.
• Xavier is 57-18-10 (.729) at Xavier Soccer Complex since Andy Fleming took over the program in 2010.
• Xavier is 3-2-3 and averaging 1.88 goals per game while holding opponents to 1.12 goals per game at XU Soccer Complex this season. The Musketeers also hold a 15.5-10.9 edge in shots at home and a 54-26 advantage in corner kicks.
• On the road, XU is 2-5-2 with a 0.89 goals per game average while allowing 1.56 goals per game. Opponents have been even with XU 10.6-10.6 in shots on the road and XU has a slight edge in corners, 52-46.
• XU has been shut out four times on the road and has eight goals in nine matches with three of those coming in a 3-2 win at Georgetown on Sept. 15.
• 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 10 matches since the unbeaten start, Xavier is 2-7-1 and has been out-scored 19-10 with 1.00 goals per match and a goals against average of 1.90.
• Senior midfielder Simen Hestnes is one of the top offensive weapons in the nation, leading Xavier with 21 points (8g, 5a) in 17 matches. He has recorded at least a point in seven of Xavier's last 11 matches.
• Hestnes ranks 67th nationally with 1.24 points per match. His eight goals rank tied for 51st nationally, while his 21 points rank 49th.
• He leads the BIG EAST in total points (21), points per game (1.24) and is second with eight 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.
• 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 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.
BIG EAST Major Awards
BIG EAST Weekly Awards
• 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.
• 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
• 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.
The Musketeers rebounded from a five-match losing streak with a crucial road win at Seton Hall on Saturday, improving to 5-7-5 overall and 3-4-1 in BIG EAST action. The result pushed Xavier into sixth-place with 10 points and one match to play in the regular season.
With a win on Wednesday, XU will guarantee itself a spot in the upcoming BIG EAST Championships for the sixth straight season.
Butler enters the match at 4-11-2 overall and 2-6 in the BIG EAST. The Bulldogs have lost two straight.
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THE OPPONENT |
vs. BUTLER BULLDOGS
Match Info: Wednesday, Oct. 31 – 7 p.m. – XU Soccer Complex
2018 Record: 4-11-2, 2-6 BIG EAST Conference
Postseason: BIG EAST Semifinals, NCAA Tournament Third Round
Notable:
• Xavier trails the all-time series 13-5-1 and Butler holds a 5-2-1 edge since both programs joined the BIG EAST in 2013.
• The Musketeers dropped last season's regular season finale in Indianapolis, but rebounded to advance past Butler in PK's in the 2017 BIG EAST Tournament Semifinals.
• Butler earned their second consecutive berth to the NCAA Tournament with an at-large berth in 2017. The Bulldogs made it to the third round for the first time since 1995 and the third time in program history.
• Butler finished the 2017 season with an impressive record of 14-5-2 and 8-1 in the BIG EAST Conference.
• Xavier and Butler will meet to end the regular season for the sixth straight year.
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LAST TIME OUT |
• XU came-from-behind to pull off a big road win, 2-1, in overtime at Seton Hall on Thursday. Samson Sergi buried a penalty kick with just over seven minutes to go in regulation before Simen Hestnes came through with the golden goal in the 97th minute.
• Hestnes' game-winner gave him a team-leading 21 (8g, 5a) points this season. He has at least one point in seven of Xavier's last 11 matches.
• Jacob Goodall was credited with the assist on the sequence, his first of the season.
• Samson Sergi's goal was his fifth of the season and gave him 13 points for the season (5g, 3a).
• Xavier outshot Seton Hall 14-9 and 5-3 in shots on goal. The Musketeers also held a 7-3 edge in corner kicks.
• Xavier improved to 2-5-2 on the road this season. Both road wins have come in BIG EAST action.
• The victory was Xavier's first win since Saturday, Oct. 6 against Villanova and first road win since Saturday, Sept. 15 at Georgetown.
• XU improves to 2-7-1 in its last 10 matches after a seven-match unbeaten streak to start the season.
• Xavier snapped its five-match losing streak with the win, its longest losing streak since 2009. Prior to this recent stretch, Xavier had never had a losing streak longer than four matches under Andy Fleming since his arrival in 2010.
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NOTABLE |
• XU ranks 67th nationally in shots per game (12.88) and tied for 130th nationally in shots on goal per match (4.65).
• XU's goal differential for the year is 23-23 and the Musketeers are outshooting their opposition 219-182.
• The Musketeers hold a 106-72 edge in corner kicks against their opposition this season. Xavier ranks 14th in the nation in corner kicks per match (6.24).
• 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 has 10 different players with an assist this season as well as 10 different goal scorers.
• Head coach Andy Fleming moved to 97-55-29 (.616) with a win on Saturday and is three wins from 100 in his career.
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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 weeks this season.
• 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.
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GETTING UP OFF THE MAT |
• XU is 1-5-1 after a loss in 2018, but has bounced back after losses consistently under head coach Andy Fleming compiling a record of 25-16-5 (.598) after a loss since his arrival to the program in 2010.
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BIG (EAST) SUCCESS |
• With a 3-4-1 record in 2018, Xavier is now 29-19-5 (.594) 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.
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HOME SWEET HOME |
• Xavier saw a 14-match home unbeaten streak snapped against Creighton on Friday, October 12 and is now 3-2-3 at XU Soccer Complex in 2018.
• Prior to this year's loss to Creighton on Oct. 12, the Musketeers' last loss at XU Soccer Complex came on Friday, August 25 against Loyola Chicago in the 2017 season opener.
• The Musketeers are 17-5-5 (.722) at home since the start of the 2016 season.
• Xavier is 57-18-10 (.729) at Xavier Soccer Complex since Andy Fleming took over the program in 2010.
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HERE VS. THERE |
• Xavier is 3-2-3 and averaging 1.88 goals per game while holding opponents to 1.12 goals per game at XU Soccer Complex this season. The Musketeers also hold a 15.5-10.9 edge in shots at home and a 54-26 advantage in corner kicks.
• On the road, XU is 2-5-2 with a 0.89 goals per game average while allowing 1.56 goals per game. Opponents have been even with XU 10.6-10.6 in shots on the road and XU has a slight edge in corners, 52-46.
• XU has been shut out four times on the road and has eight goals in nine matches with three of those coming in a 3-2 win at Georgetown on Sept. 15.
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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 10 matches since the unbeaten start, Xavier is 2-7-1 and has been out-scored 19-10 with 1.00 goals per match and a goals against average of 1.90.
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SIMEN SAYS "SCORE" |
• Senior midfielder Simen Hestnes is one of the top offensive weapons in the nation, leading Xavier with 21 points (8g, 5a) in 17 matches. He has recorded at least a point in seven of Xavier's last 11 matches.
• Hestnes ranks 67th nationally with 1.24 points per match. His eight goals rank tied for 51st nationally, while his 21 points rank 49th.
• He leads the BIG EAST in total points (21), points per game (1.24) and is second with eight 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.
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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.
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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.
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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 |
| Simen Hestnes | BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (10/29) | Story |
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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.
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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
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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.
Players Mentioned
MF
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D
/ Men's Soccer
MF
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D
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MF
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's Soccer
GK
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's Soccer
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