No. 22/18 Men's Soccer Continues Road Swing at Providence on Saturday

Saturday, September 29

Providence, RI

1 PM

Xavier University

Providence

No. 22/18 Men's Soccer Continues Road Swing at Providence on Saturday

09.26.18 | Men's Soccer

Live Stats Watch

By: Brendan Bergen, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - No. 22/18 Xavier men's soccer looks to rebound on Saturday at Providence, continuing BIG EAST action on the road after suffering a first loss this fall on Tuesday night at nationally-ranked Notre Dame.

The result saw the Musketeers' season-opening seven match unbeaten streak snapped, which was the program's longest to start a season since 2012. Xavier had been one of just 10 unbeaten teams left in Division I college soccer.

Despite Tuesday's setback, XU is 3-1-4 overall (1-0-1 BIG EAST) and unanimously in the rankings for the first time this season.

Xavier is No. 18 in Top Drawer Soccer's latest poll and No. 20 in the College Soccer News Top 30. The Musketeers also broke into the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 for the first time this week, checking in at No. 22 on Tuesday.

Providence (4-4-1) has had an up-and-down season so far and is off to a 1-1 start in league play with a 2-1 double overtime road loss at DePaul and a 3-2 road win at Butler.

THE OPPONENT

at PROVIDENCE FRIARS
Match Info: Saturday, Sept. 29 – 1 p.m. – Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium
2018 Record: 4-4-1, 1-1 BIG EAST Conference
2017 Record: 5-8-5, 2-3-5 BIG EAST Conference
Postseason: BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinals

Notable:
• The Friars have been to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals twice in the last four years, but missed the national tournament last season after being picked to win the BIG EAST in the preseason.
• Xavier locked up the all-time series 3-3-1 with a pair of home wins last season, including a 4-1 regular season win and a 3-0 victory in the opening round of the 2017 BIG EAST Tournament. All five meetings have come since the two schools joined the BIG EAST in 2013.
• PC and XU met in the 2014 BIG EAST Championship match during memorable seasons for both sides. Providence won the match 2-1 en route to its first-ever appearance in the College Cup, while XU was awarded an at-large bid and advanced to its first-ever Sweet 16.

LAST TIME OUT

• Xavier lost 4-1 at No. 20/19 Notre Dame, which had been on a three-match losing streak (all against Top 5 opponents).
• XU had been one of just 10 unbeaten teams left in the nation.
• Matt Nance buried a cross for his first goal of the 2018 season in the 59th minute.
• Simen Hestnes assisted on Nance's goal to give him his team-leading 13th point of the season (4g, 5a).
• Xavier's unbeaten streak of seven matches to start the season was snapped. It was the longest to begin a season since a program record 14-match unbeaten streak to start the 2012 season.
• XU was outshot for just the third time this season.
• It was the most goals surrendered by Xavier since October 14, 2017 at Creighton (also a 4-1 loss).
• Sean Wilson was assessed a red card in the 68th minute, which was the first red card for Xavier this season.

NOTABLE

• After six matches, Xavier ranks 22nd in the nation in shutout percentage (.500) and 50th in team goals against average (0.921).
• XU also ranks 18th nationally in shots per game (15.00) and tied for 49th nationally in shots on goal per match (5.88).
• XU's goal differential for the year is 14-8 and the Musketeers are outshooting their opposition 120-88. XU also holds a 47-44 edge in shots on goal.
• The Musketeers hold a 42-36 edge in corner kicks against their opposition this season.
• 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 eight different players with an assist this season as well as nine different goal scorers.
• Head coach Andy Fleming moved to 95-49-28 (.634) with a loss on Tuesday and is five wins from 100 in his career.

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.

GETTING UP OFF THE MAT

• Saturday's match will be the first following a loss this year for XU.
• Xavier has bounced back after losses consistently under head coach Andy Fleming, compiling a record of 24-11-4 (.667) after a loss.

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.

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.

SIMEN SAYS "SCORE"

• Senior midfielder Simen Hestnes is off to fast-paced start in 2018, leading Xavier with 13 points (4g, 5a) in seven matches. He has one assist in each of Xavier's last three matches.
• Hestnes ranks tied for 28th nationally with 1.63 points per match. His four goals rank tied for 63rd nationally, while his 13 points rank 27th.
• 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.

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 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.

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

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.