Men's Soccer Hosts Cincinnati Christian to Open 2018 Regular Season

CINCINNATI - Xavier men's soccer gets the regular season underway on Friday night at XU Soccer Complex, hosting Cincinnati Christian for a 7 p.m. first kick.

The Musketeers are receiving votes in the preseason United Soccer Coaches poll and posted an impressive 1-0-1 exhibition record against a pair of top-10 opponents, defeating No. 2 Indiana 2-1 on Sunday, Aug. 12 and drawing against No. 7 Michigan State in a 0-0 match.

Eight starters are back for XU after an 11-6-3 campaign in 2017 that saw the Musketeers reach the BIG EAST Championships title game.

THE OPPONENT

vs. CINCINNATI CHRISTIAN EAGLES
Match Info: Friday, Aug. 24 – 7 p.m. – XU Soccer Complex
2017 Record: 10-7-1, 3-5-1 River States Conference
Postseason: NCCAA Midwest Regional

Notable:
• Xavier opens the regular season at home against local NAIA opponent Cincinnati Christian.
• The Eagles won 10 matches and advanced to the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Tournament last season.
• This year's meeting will be the first-ever between the two programs.

XU IN OPENERS

• Xavier begins its 45th season of men's soccer in 2018.
• The Musketeers have put together a 3-3-2 record in their last eight season openers, including results against Evansville (3-1 win in 2016), Eastern Illinois (8-0 win in 2015), Marshall (1-0 win in 2011) and No. 20 Northwestern (1-1 tie in 2012).
• The Musketeers are 13-23-8 all-time in season openers.

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

PRESEASON NATIONAL RANKINGS

• Xavier is receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches preseason Top 25 poll, marking the first time XU has been listed in the preseason poll since 2016.
• The Musketeers received votes in the poll last season after a season-long six match unbeaten streak in mid-September.
• Historically, the Musketeers have cracked the poll regularly since 2010 and have been ranked inside the top-10 three times in the last six years.
• XU was one of four BIG EAST teams to show up in the preseason poll, including No. 9 Butler and No. 13 Georgetown. Creighton was also listed as receiving votes.

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.
• 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.

Schedule

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