Xavier University Athletics
Tuesday, October 9
Chicago, IL
7 PM
Xavier University
at
Loyola
Men's Soccer Returns to Road for Non-Conference Showdown at Loyola Chicago
10.08.18 | Men's Soccer
CINCINNATI - Xavier men's soccer hits the road on Tuesday night, facing Loyola Chicago for a 7 p.m. ET tilt and looking to take another step forward after a shutout victory over Villanova last time out.
Xavier picked up a win and a tie last week to improve to 4-2-5 (2-1-1 BIG EAST). The Musketeers righted the ship defensively on Saturday, recording their fifth shutout of the season and first since Sept. 11 against No. 6 Kentucky.
Loyola Chicago (4-4-2, 1-0-2 MVC) is returning home after three straight road tilts, playing to a 0-0 tie with Valparaiso on Sunday in its most recent match.
at LOYOLA RAMBLERS
Match Info: Tuesday, Oct. 9 – 7 p.m. – Loyola Soccer Park
2018 Record: 4-4-2, 1-0-2 MVC
Postseason: MVC Tournament Quarterfinals
Notable:
• Loyola leads the all-time series 6-3-3 and spoiled XU's home opener in 2017 with a 2-1 overtime win on Aug. 25 at XU Soccer Complex. The Ramblers finished the 2017 season at 7-8-3, 3-4-1 Missouri Valley Conference.
• Head coach Neil Jones, now in his sixth season, welcomes back a strong nucleus of returning letter-winners from last season highlighted by a trio of All-Missouri Valley Conference honorees in Grant Stoneman, Fabian Lifka and Aidan Megally. Stoneman leads the Ramblers with three goals and one assist in 10 matches.
• XU picked up a 1-0 win over visiting Villanova, getting its fifth shutout of the season and a fifth minute goal from Samson Sergi in the victory. The Musketeers are now unbeaten in 14 straight at home.
• Sergi scored his third goal of the season, tying him for second on the team with Tomek Pauer.
• Cameron Belle registered his third assist of the season on the Sergi goal, ranking third on the team.
• Senior Colin Hanley played the full 90 minutes in his second appearance of the season in net, earning his first solo shutout and going to 1-0 on the season.
• Simen Hestnes, Sergi and Tomek Pauer tied for the team lead with three shots apiece.
• Hestnes was held without a point in the match, snapping a streak of four straight fixtures with at least a point.
• XU held a 13-8 lead in shots and a 4-0 edge in shots on goal.
• The Musketeers also had a 4-2 advantage in corner kicks.
• XU now leads the all-time series against Villanova, 4-1-1.
• XU improved to 3-0-3 at home in 2018 and is unbeaten in its last 14 matches at XU Soccer Complex.
• Andy Fleming won his 96th match as the head coach of the men's soccer program, as he continues to close in on the 100-win mark for his career.
• XU ranks 30th nationally in shots per game (14.18) and tied for 80th nationally in shots on goal per match (5.36).
• XU's goal differential for the year is 18-13 and the Musketeers are outshooting their opposition 156-124.
• The Musketeers hold a 71-49 edge in corner kicks against their opposition this season. Xavier ranks 15th in the nation in corner kicks per match (6.45).
• 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 96-50-29 (.631) with a win on Saturday and is four 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 of eight 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.
• XU is 0-1-1 after a loss in 2018, but has bounced back after losses consistently under head coach Andy Fleming compiling a record of 24-12-5 (.646) after a loss.
• With a 2-1-1 record in 2018, Xavier is now 28-16-5 (.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 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 is currently riding a 14-match unbeaten streak at home, including a 3-0-3 mark in 2018.
• The Musketeers' last loss at XU Soccer Complex came on Friday, August 25 against Loyola Chicago in the 2017 season opener.
• The Musketeers are 17-3-5 (.780) at home since the start of the 2016 season.
• Xavier is 57-16-10 (.747) at Xavier Soccer Complex since Andy Fleming took over the program in 2010.
• Senior midfielder Simen Hestnes is one of the top offensive weapons in the nation, leading Xavier with 15 points (5g, 5a) in 11 matches. He has recorded at least a point in four of Xavier's last five matches.
• Hestnes ranks tied for 55th nationally with 1.36 points per match. His five goals rank tied for 66th nationally, while his 15 points rank 45th.
• 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 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 three matches after the unbeaten start, Xavier went 0-2-1 and was out-scored 9-4 with 1.33 goals per match and a goals against average of 3.00.
• The Musketeers bounced back with a shutout of Villanova on Saturday and will look to solidify their defense moving forward.
• 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 30 United Soccer Coaches-ranked opponents since Andy Fleming took over the program in 2010, including No. 6 Kentucky and No. 20 Notre Dame this season.
• In the Fleming era, Xavier boasts an 11-13-7 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 0-1-1 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.
Xavier picked up a win and a tie last week to improve to 4-2-5 (2-1-1 BIG EAST). The Musketeers righted the ship defensively on Saturday, recording their fifth shutout of the season and first since Sept. 11 against No. 6 Kentucky.
Loyola Chicago (4-4-2, 1-0-2 MVC) is returning home after three straight road tilts, playing to a 0-0 tie with Valparaiso on Sunday in its most recent match.
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THE OPPONENT |
at LOYOLA RAMBLERS
Match Info: Tuesday, Oct. 9 – 7 p.m. – Loyola Soccer Park
2018 Record: 4-4-2, 1-0-2 MVC
Postseason: MVC Tournament Quarterfinals
Notable:
• Loyola leads the all-time series 6-3-3 and spoiled XU's home opener in 2017 with a 2-1 overtime win on Aug. 25 at XU Soccer Complex. The Ramblers finished the 2017 season at 7-8-3, 3-4-1 Missouri Valley Conference.
• Head coach Neil Jones, now in his sixth season, welcomes back a strong nucleus of returning letter-winners from last season highlighted by a trio of All-Missouri Valley Conference honorees in Grant Stoneman, Fabian Lifka and Aidan Megally. Stoneman leads the Ramblers with three goals and one assist in 10 matches.
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LAST TIME OUT |
• XU picked up a 1-0 win over visiting Villanova, getting its fifth shutout of the season and a fifth minute goal from Samson Sergi in the victory. The Musketeers are now unbeaten in 14 straight at home.
• Sergi scored his third goal of the season, tying him for second on the team with Tomek Pauer.
• Cameron Belle registered his third assist of the season on the Sergi goal, ranking third on the team.
• Senior Colin Hanley played the full 90 minutes in his second appearance of the season in net, earning his first solo shutout and going to 1-0 on the season.
• Simen Hestnes, Sergi and Tomek Pauer tied for the team lead with three shots apiece.
• Hestnes was held without a point in the match, snapping a streak of four straight fixtures with at least a point.
• XU held a 13-8 lead in shots and a 4-0 edge in shots on goal.
• The Musketeers also had a 4-2 advantage in corner kicks.
• XU now leads the all-time series against Villanova, 4-1-1.
• XU improved to 3-0-3 at home in 2018 and is unbeaten in its last 14 matches at XU Soccer Complex.
• Andy Fleming won his 96th match as the head coach of the men's soccer program, as he continues to close in on the 100-win mark for his career.
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NOTABLE |
• XU ranks 30th nationally in shots per game (14.18) and tied for 80th nationally in shots on goal per match (5.36).
• XU's goal differential for the year is 18-13 and the Musketeers are outshooting their opposition 156-124.
• The Musketeers hold a 71-49 edge in corner kicks against their opposition this season. Xavier ranks 15th in the nation in corner kicks per match (6.45).
• 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 96-50-29 (.631) with a win on Saturday and is four 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 of eight 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.
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GETTING UP OFF THE MAT |
• XU is 0-1-1 after a loss in 2018, but has bounced back after losses consistently under head coach Andy Fleming compiling a record of 24-12-5 (.646) after a loss.
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BIG (EAST) SUCCESS |
• With a 2-1-1 record in 2018, Xavier is now 28-16-5 (.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 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 is currently riding a 14-match unbeaten streak at home, including a 3-0-3 mark in 2018.
• The Musketeers' last loss at XU Soccer Complex came on Friday, August 25 against Loyola Chicago in the 2017 season opener.
• The Musketeers are 17-3-5 (.780) at home since the start of the 2016 season.
• Xavier is 57-16-10 (.747) at Xavier Soccer Complex since Andy Fleming took over the program in 2010.
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SIMEN SAYS "SCORE" |
• Senior midfielder Simen Hestnes is one of the top offensive weapons in the nation, leading Xavier with 15 points (5g, 5a) in 11 matches. He has recorded at least a point in four of Xavier's last five matches.
• Hestnes ranks tied for 55th nationally with 1.36 points per match. His five goals rank tied for 66th nationally, while his 15 points rank 45th.
• 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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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 three matches after the unbeaten start, Xavier went 0-2-1 and was out-scored 9-4 with 1.33 goals per match and a goals against average of 3.00.
• The Musketeers bounced back with a shutout of Villanova on Saturday and will look to solidify their defense moving forward.
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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 30 United Soccer Coaches-ranked opponents since Andy Fleming took over the program in 2010, including No. 6 Kentucky and No. 20 Notre Dame this season.
• In the Fleming era, Xavier boasts an 11-13-7 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 0-1-1 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 |
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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
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GK
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MF
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D
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