No. 10/11 Xavier travels to No. 9/17 Kentucky on Wednesday Night

Wednesday, September 11

Lexington, Ky.

7:30 p.m.

Xavier University

Kentucky

No. 10/11 Xavier travels to No. 9/17 Kentucky on Wednesday Night

09.10.19 | Men's Soccer

Live Stats Watch Live

First touch is set for 7:30 p.m. with the match being aired on the SEC Network+

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - No. 10/11 Xavier men's soccer travels to No. 9/17 Kentucky on Wednesday night. First touch is set for 7:30 p.m. with the matched being aired on the SEC Network+.

THE MATCHUP VS KENTUCKY

No. 10/11 XAVIER MUSKETEERS (3-0) at No. 9/17 KENTUCKY WILDCATS (2-1)
Game Info - Wednesday, Sept. 11 - 7:30 p.m. ET - Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex (3,368)
Live Video (SEC Network+) - es.pn/2kt80xY
Live Stats - bit.ly/2k8olYw

ABOUT KENTUCKY

2019 Record: 2-1 (0-0 C-USA)
2018 Record (Postseason): 19-2-1 (NCAA - Elite Eight)
Series History: Xavier trails, 3-7-2
Last Meeting: Xavier 0, Kentucky 0 (T - Sept. 11, 2018)

NOTABLES
• The Wildcats posted a 19-2-1 (7-1 C-USA) last year and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight before being defeated by Maryland.
• Kentucky was picked to finish first in the C-USA Preseason Coaches Poll. Kalil ElMedkhar, Enrique Facusse, Aimé Mabika and Jason Reyes were all named to the preseason all-conference team.
• Mabika was selected as the C-USA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, and ElMedkhar and Reyes split the award for C-USA Preseason Co-Offensive Players of the Year.
• ElMedkhar, Facusse and Mabika were all named to the 2019 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List.
• Kentucky has wins over Albany (W, 3-2) and Tulsa (W, 2-0) this season. The Wildcats' lone loss was at Louisville (L, 3-0).

XU-KENTUCKY SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier trails the all-time series with the Wildcats, 7-3-2. The Musketeers are 2-1-2 against Kentucky under the direction of head coach Andy Fleming.

• The last two meetings between the two schools have ended in ties. The Musketeers and Wildcats played to a scoreless draw on Sept. 11, 2018 at the XU Soccer Complex.

• Xavier won its first-ever NCAA Tournament match against Kentucky in 2012, defeating the Wildcats, 1-0, in Lexington.

LAST TIME OUT

• Xavier is coming off a 2-1 win at crosstown rival Cincinnati on Sept. 6. The Musketeers moved to 7-0-3 in the last 10 meetings against the Bearcats.

XU IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS

• Xavier is ranked 11th in the United Soccer Coaches Poll this week, up three spots from last week's ranking. The Musketeers were also ranked 11th in the TopDrawerSoccer.com Top-25 Poll.

• 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.

• Xavier has been ranked in the nation's top-10 three times in the last seven years by the United Soccer Coaches. The Musketeers highest ranking was ninth in the USC Poll on Oct. 28, 2014.

• Xavier was ranked in all three national polls last season 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 TopDrawerSoccer's Top 25, ranking 18th overall.

BIG EAST WEEKLY HONORS

• Senior Samson Sergi was named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week on Monday afternoon. The forward scored three goals last week as the Musketeers posted a 2-0 record.

• Matthew Rosenberg was also named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll. The goalkeeper posted a 0.50 goals against average in two matches last week, while collecting seven saves in 180 minutes of action. He also had two assists last week.

BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOREES
Sept. 9 - Samson Sergi - Offensive Player of the Week
Sept. 9 - Matthew Rosenberg - Weekly Honor Roll
Sept. 2 - Matthew Rosenberg - Goalkeeper of the Week

COLLEGE SOCCER NEWS HONORS

• Senior defender Jacob Goodall was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week on Monday. He becomes the second Musketeer to earn the weekly honors this year as goalkeeper Matthew Rosenberg picked up the honors last week.

CSN NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK HONOREES
Sept. 9 - Jacob Goodall
Sept. 2 - Matthew Rosenberg

NOTABLES

• Senior Samson Sergi has a team-leading four goals this season. He now has 23 career goals, one shy from moving into the all-time top-10 for goals at Xavier.

• Samson Sergi's four goals leads the BIG EAST, while ranking eighth in the NCAA.

• Matthew Rosenberg (3-0) has 13 saves between the pipes this season to go along with two shutouts. The redshirt-junior has posted nine career shutouts during his college career (transfer from Central Florida).

• Matthew Rosenberg ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in goals against average (0.33), while ranking 20th in the NCAA.

• Senior Samson Sergi scored two goals in the match against Eastern Illinois. The forward now has four career multi-goal matches.

• Xavier signed the No. 7 ranked recruiting class in the country by TopDrawerSoccer.com. The class consists of nine true freshmen and two transfers (Ryan Bellavance, Matthew Rosenberg).

• Xavier returns All-BIG EAST Freshman Team selection in Taylor Crull. The Carmel, Ind., native made all 19 starts at center back and helped the team post five shutouts.

• Xavier has had 21 players earn All-BIG EAST honors since joining the conference (7 First Team Honorees, 7 Second Team Honorees, 7 All-Freshman Team Honorees). The Musketeers have also had two Goalkeepers of the Year and two Defensive Players of the Year. Xavier has had at least one player on the league's first team during all seven years in the BIG EAST.

XU VS NATIONALLY RANKED TEAMS

• Xavier has faced 32 United Soccer Coaches-ranked opponents since Andy Fleming took over the program in 2010. The Musketeers have posted an 12-14-7 record during that span.

• The Musketeers are 8-2-2 against USC Top-10 teams since 2010, 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.

• The Wildcats are the second nationally ranked team the Musketeers have faced this season. Xavier defeated No. 3 Akron, 2-0, in the team's season opener on Aug. 30.

COACH FLEMING NOTABLES

• Coach Fleming is the winningest coach in program history with a 101-54-30 (.627) record.

• Coach Fleming has led the Musketeers to four NCAA Tournament appearances. The Musketeers made the NCAA Tournament in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014.

PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST

• Senior Samson Sergi was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. The Ashburn, Va., native, was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team last season after leading the team in goals (9), while adding three assists.

PRESEASON BIG EAST POLL

1. Georgetown (9) - 81 pts.
2. Creighton - 68
3. Providence - 65
4. Marquette (1) - 59
5. Xavier - 44
6. Butler - 40
7. St. John's - 33
8. Seton Hall - 28
9. DePaul - 21
10. Villanova - 11
First place votes in ( )

NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE NOTES

• The Musketeers will play five of their eight non-conference matches at home.

• Xavier has posted a 33-21-12 (.591) non-conference record since 2013. The Musketeers have recorded an 20-6-4 (.733) record at home in those matches.

XU SOCCER PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

• Xavier men's soccer has reached the NCAA Tournament in four of the last nine seasons.

• The Musketeers have won 10 or more matches in seven of the last nine 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 six 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. 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.

UP NEXT

• Xavier plays host to Memphis on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.