Men's Soccer Returns Home for Showdown with Cincinnati at XU Soccer Complex

Friday, September 7

XU Soccer Complex

7 PM

Xavier University

Cincinnati

Men's Soccer Returns Home for Showdown with Cincinnati at XU Soccer Complex

09.06.18 | Men's Soccer

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Musketeers are unbeaten in "Crosstown Derby" since 2010

By: Brendan Bergen, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Riding a three match scoreless streak to start the season, Xavier men's soccer returns home on Friday to face crosstown rival Cincinnati at 7 p.m. at XU Soccer Complex.

The Musketeers (1-0-2) have yet to concede a goal in 310 minutes of soccer in 2018 and will look to extend an impressive unbeaten streak against the Bearcats, which goes back to 2010.

Cincinnati is 1-3 to start the 2018 season with losses against Northern Illinois, Eastern Illinois and Wright State. The last time the two sides met at XU Soccer Complex was back on Sept. 13, 2014, a match in which the Musketeers won 3-0 before a program record crowd of 2,178.

Unbeaten Xavier generated some preseason buzz with an impressive 1-0-1 exhibition record against a pair of top-10 opponents prior to the regular season, defeating No. 2 Indiana 2-1 on Sunday, Aug. 12 and drawing against No. 7 Michigan State in a 0-0 match.

Overall, 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.

PROMOTIONS

POST-GAME PENALTY KICKS: All kids in grades 8 & under are invited to the field after the game to participate in penalty kicks on the field.
STUDENT PROMO: Yeti Cooler giveaway to 1 lucky student in attendance!

THE OPPONENT

vs. CINCINNATI BEARCATS
Match Info: Friday, Sept. 7 – 7 p.m. – XU Soccer Complex
2017 Record: 7-9-1, 0-7
Postseason: N/A

Notable:
• Xavier hosts the annual "Crosstown Derby" this season at Xavier Soccer Complex for the first time since 2014. Inclement weather, which damaged XU Soccer Complex, resulted in the match being moved to NKU in the 2016 season.
• Cincinnati leads the all-time series 25-13-8, but hasn't had a result against the Musketeers since 2010.
• XU is unbeaten in the last eight meetings, including a 1-1 draw in the last matchup on Sept. 8, 2017.
• Under head coach Andy Fleming, Xavier is 5-0-3 against UC with an 12-6 goal differential.
• The match has been played every season since 1974 and will be the 45th all-time meeting between the programs.
• Last year's rivalry match was played before a record crowd of 2,013 at Gettler Stadium. The last time Xavier hosted the match (Sept. 13, 2014), the Musketeers came away with a 3-0 win before a Xavier record crowd of 2,178.

XAVIER VS. CINCINNATI (SINCE 2010)
Home: 2-0-1 | Away: 2-0-2 | Neutral: 1-0

DATE	LOCATION	RESULT
Sept. 29, 2010	XU Soccer Complex	T, 0-0 (2OT)
Sept. 28, 2011	Gettler Stadium	T, 1-1 (2OT)
Sept. 2, 2012	XU Soccer Complex	W, 2-1
Sept. 25, 2013	Gettler Stadium	W, 1-0
Sept. 13, 2014	XU Soccer Complex	W, 3-0
Sept. 11, 2015	Gettler Stadium	W, 2-1
Sept. 9, 2016	NKU Soccer Stadium	W, 4-2
Sept. 8, 2017	Gettler Stadium	T, 1-1 (2 OT)

NOTABLE

• After three matches, Xavier ranks first in the nation in shutout percentage (1.000) and team goals against average (0.00). XU is one of just seven teams left in the country to not allow a goal this season.
• XU also ranks eighth nationally in shots per game (18.00) and 20th nationally in shots on goal per match (7.00).
• XU has outshot its opposition 54-23 in three matches, including a 21-5 edge in shots on goal.
• The Musketeers now hold a 19-15 edge in corner kicks against their opposition this season.
• Xavier has not allowed a goal during the regular season and has played four straight scoreless matches going back to its final exhibition, a 0-0 draw against preseason No. 7 Michigan State.
• Xavier last 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's current three match shutout streak has stretched for 310 minutes overall.

LAST TIME OUT

• Xavier was outshot 19-6, but did not yield a goal in a 0-0 double overtime draw at Oregon State.
• Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Zachary Nelson, playing before a home crowd, made four saves in the match. The West Linn, Ore. native kept his third clean sheet of the season.
• XU was outshot for the first time this season after allowing just four shots in its first two matches.
• Samson Sergi made his season debut and contributed four shots off the bench to tie for a match high, while Simen Hestnes and Derrick Otim also contributed shots for XU.

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

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.