Xavier University Athletics
Tuesday, September 25
South Bend, Ind.
7 PM
Xavier University
at
No. 20 Notre Dame
No. 22/18 Men's Soccer Travels to No. 20/19 Notre Dame for Tuesday Night Matchup
09.24.18 | Men's Soccer
Musketeers are one of just 10 teams left in the nation to remain unbeaten
CINCINNATI -Â No. 22/18Â Xavier men's soccer takes its seven match unbeaten streak to No. 20/19Â Notre Dame on Tuesday night for a 7 p.m. matchup at Alumni Stadium. The Musketeers are one of just 10 unbeaten teams left in the nation.
The Musketeers (3-0-4) extended their unbeaten streak with a 1-1 draw in double overtime last Friday against St. John's. Xavier's unbeaten streak is its longest to start a season since 2012 and has featured four shutouts in seven matches.
As a result, XU has broken into the national rankings in the last week. Xavier is No. 18 in Top Drawer Soccer's latest poll and No. 20 in the College Soccer News Top 30. The Musketeers broke into the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 for the first time this season, checking in at No. 22 on Tuesday.
No. 20/19 Notre Dame (3-3-1)Â enters the match on a three match skid, all coming against Top 10 opposition, losing 2-1 in overtime to No. 2 Indiana on Sept. 11 and then dropping consecutive 1-0 matches to No. 4Â Michigan State and No. 3 North Carolina.
The Irish have been ranked inside the Top 10 in all the major polls this season, but are currently No. 20 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25, No. 19 in the Top Drawer Soccer rankings and No. 28 in the College Soccer News Top 30.
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at NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH
Match Info: Tuesday, Sept. 25 – 7 p.m. – Alumni Stadium
2017 Record:Â 11-7-2, 3-3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference
Postseason:Â ACC Tournament Semifinals, NCAA Tournament Second Round
Notable:
• The Irish lead the all-time series 11-3, but Xavier took the last meeting 1-0 on Sept. 15, 2015 in South Bend when the Irish were ranked No. 2 in the nation. Jalen Brown had the goal in the 47th minute as XU toppled what was then the highest-ranked opponent in program history.
• Notre Dame returns 22 letterwinners from last year's team, which qualified for the NCAA Championships for the 20th time in program history.
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• Tomek Pauer scored for the second straight match after recording the game-winner at Georgetown last Saturday. The goal was his third of the season and second in league play. His seven points (3g, 1a) rank second on the team.
• Simen Hestnes assisted on Pauer's equalizer to give him his team-leading 12th point of the season (4g, 4a).
• Xavier is unbeaten in seven matches to start the season for the first time since a program record 14-match unbeaten streak to start the 2012 season.
• XU was outshot tonight for just the second time this season and is outshooting its opposition 113-73 this season. XU also holds a 44-37 edge in shots on goal.
• Redshirt sophomore Zachary Nelson set a new career-high for saves in a second straight match, stopping 10 shots in the match. His season GAA is now 0.56.
• Xavier remains in front in the all-time series, 3-2-2.
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• After six matches, Xavier ranks 15th in the nation in shutout percentage (.571) and 10th in team goals against average (0.507).
• XU also ranks 11th nationally in shots per game (16.14) and tied for 29th nationally in shots on goal per match (6.29).
• XU's goal differential for the year is 13-4 and the Musketeers are outshooting their opposition 113-73. XU also holds a 44-37 edge in shots on goal.
• The Musketeers hold a 40-30 edge in corner kicks against their opposition this season.
• Xavier is unbeaten in seven matches to start the season 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 eight different players with an assist this season as well as eight different goal scorers.
• Head coach Andy Fleming moved to 95-48-28 (.637) with a draw on Friday and is five wins from 100 in his career.
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• Xavier is ranked No. 20 nationally by College Soccer News for the second straight week after jumping into the poll for the first time last week.
• The Musketeers were receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top 25 last week and have received votes in that poll in five of six weeks this season. The newest poll will be out on Tuesday ahead of the match.
• Top Drawer Soccer ranked Xavier 18th in their TDS Top 25 poll this week, marking the first national ranking this year for XU in that poll.
• 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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• With a 1-0-1 record in 2018, Xavier is now 27-15-5 (.627) 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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• Xavier is currently riding a 12-match unbeaten streak at home, including a 2-0-2 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 16-3-4 (.783) at home since the start of the 2016 season.
• Xavier is 56-16-9 (.747) at Xavier Soccer Complex since Andy Fleming took over the program in 2010.
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• Senior midfielder Simen Hestnes is off to fast-paced start in 2018, leading Xavier with 12 points (4g, 4a) in seven matches.
• Hestnes ranks tied for 23rd nationally with 1.71 points per match. His four goals rank tied for 56th nationally, while his 12 points rank tied for 37th.
• Hestnes scored or assisted in 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 in the first five weeks and was a preseason All-BIG EAST selection.
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• After seven matches, Xavier is tied for fourth in the nation with four team shutouts.
• The Musketeers are among the national leaders in several defensive categories, including team GAA (10th, 0.507), shutout percentage (15th, 0.571) and save percentage (5th, .892).
• Goalkeeper Zachary Nelson ranks 12th in the nation in goals against average (0.558) and eighth in save percentage (0.886).
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• 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 has faced 30 United Soccer Coaches-ranked opponents since Andy Fleming took over the program in 2010, including No. 6 Kentucky this season.
• Since 2010, Xavier boasts an 11-12-7 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 0-0-1 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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BIG EAST Major Awards
BIG EAST Weekly AwardsÂ
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• 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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• 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 -Â 60
T4. Creighton -Â 54
T4. Providence -Â 54
6. Marquette -Â 37
7. St. John's -Â 33
8. Villanova -Â 31
9. Seton Hall -Â 20
10. DePaul -Â 9
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• 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 (3-0-4) extended their unbeaten streak with a 1-1 draw in double overtime last Friday against St. John's. Xavier's unbeaten streak is its longest to start a season since 2012 and has featured four shutouts in seven matches.
As a result, XU has broken into the national rankings in the last week. Xavier is No. 18 in Top Drawer Soccer's latest poll and No. 20 in the College Soccer News Top 30. The Musketeers broke into the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 for the first time this season, checking in at No. 22 on Tuesday.
No. 20/19 Notre Dame (3-3-1)Â enters the match on a three match skid, all coming against Top 10 opposition, losing 2-1 in overtime to No. 2 Indiana on Sept. 11 and then dropping consecutive 1-0 matches to No. 4Â Michigan State and No. 3 North Carolina.
The Irish have been ranked inside the Top 10 in all the major polls this season, but are currently No. 20 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25, No. 19 in the Top Drawer Soccer rankings and No. 28 in the College Soccer News Top 30.
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 |
 THE OPPONENT |
at NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH
Match Info: Tuesday, Sept. 25 – 7 p.m. – Alumni Stadium
2017 Record:Â 11-7-2, 3-3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference
Postseason:Â ACC Tournament Semifinals, NCAA Tournament Second Round
Notable:
• The Irish lead the all-time series 11-3, but Xavier took the last meeting 1-0 on Sept. 15, 2015 in South Bend when the Irish were ranked No. 2 in the nation. Jalen Brown had the goal in the 47th minute as XU toppled what was then the highest-ranked opponent in program history.
• Notre Dame returns 22 letterwinners from last year's team, which qualified for the NCAA Championships for the 20th time in program history.
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 LAST TIME OUT |
• Tomek Pauer scored for the second straight match after recording the game-winner at Georgetown last Saturday. The goal was his third of the season and second in league play. His seven points (3g, 1a) rank second on the team.
• Simen Hestnes assisted on Pauer's equalizer to give him his team-leading 12th point of the season (4g, 4a).
• Xavier is unbeaten in seven matches to start the season for the first time since a program record 14-match unbeaten streak to start the 2012 season.
• XU was outshot tonight for just the second time this season and is outshooting its opposition 113-73 this season. XU also holds a 44-37 edge in shots on goal.
• Redshirt sophomore Zachary Nelson set a new career-high for saves in a second straight match, stopping 10 shots in the match. His season GAA is now 0.56.
• Xavier remains in front in the all-time series, 3-2-2.
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 NOTABLE |
• After six matches, Xavier ranks 15th in the nation in shutout percentage (.571) and 10th in team goals against average (0.507).
• XU also ranks 11th nationally in shots per game (16.14) and tied for 29th nationally in shots on goal per match (6.29).
• XU's goal differential for the year is 13-4 and the Musketeers are outshooting their opposition 113-73. XU also holds a 44-37 edge in shots on goal.
• The Musketeers hold a 40-30 edge in corner kicks against their opposition this season.
• Xavier is unbeaten in seven matches to start the season 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 eight different players with an assist this season as well as eight different goal scorers.
• Head coach Andy Fleming moved to 95-48-28 (.637) with a draw on Friday and is five wins from 100 in his career.
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 X IN THE RANKINGS |
• Xavier is ranked No. 20 nationally by College Soccer News for the second straight week after jumping into the poll for the first time last week.
• The Musketeers were receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top 25 last week and have received votes in that poll in five of six weeks this season. The newest poll will be out on Tuesday ahead of the match.
• Top Drawer Soccer ranked Xavier 18th in their TDS Top 25 poll this week, marking the first national ranking this year for XU in that poll.
• 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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 BIG (EAST) SUCCESS |
• With a 1-0-1 record in 2018, Xavier is now 27-15-5 (.627) 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 12-match unbeaten streak at home, including a 2-0-2 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 16-3-4 (.783) at home since the start of the 2016 season.
• Xavier is 56-16-9 (.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 off to fast-paced start in 2018, leading Xavier with 12 points (4g, 4a) in seven matches.
• Hestnes ranks tied for 23rd nationally with 1.71 points per match. His four goals rank tied for 56th nationally, while his 12 points rank tied for 37th.
• Hestnes scored or assisted in 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 in the first five weeks and was a preseason All-BIG EAST selection.
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 GETTING IT DONE WITH "D" |
• After seven matches, Xavier is tied for fourth in the nation with four team shutouts.
• The Musketeers are among the national leaders in several defensive categories, including team GAA (10th, 0.507), shutout percentage (15th, 0.571) and save percentage (5th, .892).
• Goalkeeper Zachary Nelson ranks 12th in the nation in goals against average (0.558) and eighth in save percentage (0.886).
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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 this season.
• Since 2010, Xavier boasts an 11-12-7 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 0-0-1 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 AwardsÂ
| 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 |
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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 -Â 60
T4. Creighton -Â 54
T4. Providence -Â 54
6. Marquette -Â 37
7. St. John's -Â 33
8. Villanova -Â 31
9. Seton Hall -Â 20
10. DePaul -Â 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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D
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