No. 11 Women's Soccer Faces St. John's in BIG EAST Semifinals

Thursday, November 4

Cincinnati, Ohio

5:00 PM

Xavier University

St. John's (BIG EAST Semifinals)

Tickets

No. 11 Women's Soccer Faces St. John's in BIG EAST Semifinals

11.03.21 | Women's Soccer

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No. 1 seed Musketeers host the No. 4 seed Red Storm on Thursday at 5:00 p.m.

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - No. 11 Xavier women's soccer (16-1-1; 9-1-0 BIG EAST) will open post-season play on Thursday, Nov. 4, hosting St. John's at Corcoran Field at 5:00 p.m. in the BIG EAST Championship, presented by JEEP.

The match between the No. 1 seeded Musketeers and the No. 4 seed Red Storm is the first of two semifinals on Thursday, with No. 2 seed Georgetown and No. 3 seed Butler set to play at 7:30 p.m., also at Corcoran Field. Both matches will be live streamed on the BIG EAST Digital Network on FloSports.

The winners of Thursday's matches will advance to Sunday's Championship match, set to be played at 1:30 p.m. at Corcoran Field. The Championship will be aired of FS1.

Xavier wrapped up the BIG EAST regular season title on Sunday, October 24 with a 2-1 win at UConn, finishing the conference schedule at 9-1-0. The 2021 championship marks the second regular season conference title in program history. Xavier has also won conference tournament titles in 1998, 2000 and 2019. The Musketeers finished the regular season at 16-1-1, a new program record for wins prior to the postseason.

GAME DETAILS

vs. St. John's - BIG EAST Semifinals
Thursday, November 4 - 5:00 p.m.
Corcoran Field - Cincinnati, Ohio

OPPONENT INFO

The Red Storm (11-5-2, 6-3-1 BIG EAST) advanced to the BIG EAST Semifinals after taking the first round win over No. 5 seed Providence, 2-1, winning on a golden goal in the 91st minute to advance.
Xavier took a 1-0 win over the Red Storm earlier this season, winning on an Ella Rogers goal on Thursday, Oct. 7 at Corcoran Field.
In the match earlier this season, Ella Rogers scored from Chloe Netzel just after halftime to put the Musketeers in front with the eventual game-winner. SJU created five shots, including two on-goal and a corner kick in the second half but were unable to find the equalizer.
.Xavier finished with an 18-7 advantage overall on shots and a 6-3 advantage on shots on-frame. Chloe Netzel finished with seven shots to lead the Musketeers and Ella Rogers had four.
Olivia Jenkins collected a pair of saves to pick and Hayley Jakovich and Grace Brauer also played the full 90 minutes for the Xavier backline to help pick up the shutout.
BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year Zsani Kajan leads the Red Storm with 37 points on a team-high 16 goals and five assists. Seven other Johnnies have multiple goals on the season. Nicole Gordon's eight assists leads SJU.
Naya Lipkens has started all 18 matches in-goal for the Red Storm, collecting 71 saves with 17 goals against for a record of 11-5-2 with eight complete shutouts and a ninth partial shutout.
Following the win earlier this season, Xavier is 2-6 all-time against St. John's and has won the past two match-ups, also winning the regular season game, 3-0, in 2019.

BIG EAST BRACKET

KEEPER OF THE YEAR & FIRST TEAM

Olivia Jenkins was named Goalkeeper of the Year and earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST First Team after a regular season where she made the start in-goal in all 18 matches, collecting a record of 16-1-1 during the regular season, a new school record single season wins for a goalkeeper. Among those 16 matches are 10 shutouts which leads the BIG EAST and is tied for the most in NCAA DI, through Oct. 28. Jenkins' current GAA of 0.49 would, as it stands, be the best mark for a single season in program history. This is the first post-season honor of Jenkins' career, and she is the first Musketeer to earn the honor since Xavier joined the BIG EAST.
Jenkins is joined on the All-BIG EAST First Team by defender Hayley Jakovich and midfielder Molly McLaughlin.
Jakovich, a senior from Eureka, Mo., has played the full time on Xavier's backline in all 18 matches for the Musketeers this season, totaling 1652 minutes. Jakovich has helped Xavier to 16 wins and 10 shutouts so far this season. With Jakovich's help, Xavier's defense has only allowed nine goals on the season overall and just four in BIG EAST play. Xavier's overall GAA of .491 for the season ranks fifth in the nation. Jakovich also has five points on the season, on one goal, the game-winner at Creighton, and three assists. This is her second all-conference honor as a Musketeer, earning a spot on the All-Freshman team in 2018.
McLaughlin, a senior from Granger, Ind., has played 1485 in the midfield for the Musketeers this season, helping Xavier to a school-record 16 regular season wins and 10 shutouts in the holding mid position. McLaughlin has three goals on the season, a pair coming in BIG EAST play, with one game-winner, against Marquette. Two of McLaughlin's goals came on penalty kicks, which she's 2-2 for on the season, tying for the best percentage in NCAA DI on PKs. McLaughlin has twice been named All-Conference previously, earning All-BIG EAST Second Team honors in 2019 and 2020.

STAND-OUT FRESHMEN

Ella Rogers, in addition to earning BIG EAST Freshman of the Year honors, was also named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team and was a unanimous selection to the league's All-Freshman squad. Rogers, a midfielder from Granville, Ohio, has started in all 18 matches this season, collecting eight points on four goals for the season, including a team-high matching three goals in BIG EAST play, tied for fifth most in the conference. Rogers has a pair of game-winners to her credit, both coming in league play, scoring the 49th minute in the 1-0 win at St. John's as well as the 59th minute goal against Butler to put the Musketeers up 2-0 in an eventual 2-1 win. Her two game-winners in BIG EAST play are tied for third most in the conference. Rogers is the second Musketeer to earn BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, joining Sydney Schembri who earned the honor in 2017.
Also joining Rogers on the All-Freshman squad are forwards Chloe Netzel and Shelby Sallee.
Netzel, originally from St. Louis, Mo., has made all 18 starts for the Musketeers this season, playing over 800 minutes. She leads Xavier in points (14) and goals (6) on the season, including a team-high matching three goals in BIG EAST play, which is tied for fifth most in the league.Among her six goals are three game-winners, which ties for fifth most in the BIG EAST for the season, against Cincinnati, Illinois and at Seton Hall.
Sallee, who is originally from Strongsville, Ohio, has appeared in all 18 matches for the Musketeers, totaling over 850 minutes during her rookie season. Her 11 points are tied for second most for the Musketeers, coming on four goals and three assists. In BIG EAST play, she leads Xavier with eight points on three goals and two assists, with her goal total matching for team high and fifth in the league in conference play. Among her BIG EAST goals was the golden goal in the 96th minute at Providence.

COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR

In addition to the six Musketeers honored, head coach Nate Lie, assistant coaches Katy Etelman, Tyler Smaha and Jacob Morrison and Director of Operations Kaitlyn Jones were named the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. Lie and his staff wrapped up the regular season with the program's second BIG EAST regular season title in three years, with the Musketeers sitting at No. 15 in the United Soccer Coaches National Poll and No. 8 in the RPI, both program-best rankings.
The Musketeers, who were picked seventh in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches Poll, went undefeated in the non-conference portion of the schedule, going 7-0-1, before going 9-1-0 in BIG EAST play on the way to the league title. Xavier enters the post season at 16-1-1, setting a new school record for regular season wins, earning 10 shutout along the way. Xavier's .917 win percentage ranks second in NCAA DI through games on Oct. 28.
The Musketeers scored a BIG EAST-best 19 goals in league play, while tying Georgetown for the fewest goals allowed with just four.Xavier's coaching staff was also named league Staff of the Year following the 2019 season when Xavier won the BIG EAST regular season and tournament titles.

LAST TIME OUT

Xavier secured the BIG EAST regular season title on Sunday, November 24, topping UConn, 1-0, at Morrone Stadium.
The Musketeers scored the game-winner early on Sunday, when Sonia Vargas shot past the reach of the UConn goalkeeper in the sixth minute off a cross from Emma Marcus. The 1-0 lead held through the next 84 minutes as the Xavier defense held the Huskies without a shot on-goal for the first 70 minutes of the match.
Xavier defense, anchored by Grace Brauer and Hayley Jakovich, limited the Huskies to just two shots on-goal overall. Both looks on frame were saved by goalkeeper Olivia Jenkins, who earned a then-NCAA D-I leading 10th shutout.
Sonia Vargas scored her second goal of the season in the sixth minute which also goes down as her second game-winner of the season.
Elise Le and Emma Marcus each picked up an assist on Vargas' goal. It was Marcus' third assist of the season, combining with four goals for 11 points. Le now has four assists on the season.
Molly McLaughlin and Shelby Sallee each finished with three shots, with Xavier holding a 16-8 advantage overall on shots and an 8-2 advantage on shots on-goal.
Xavier earned 11 corner kicks to just one for the Huskies.
Olivia Jenkins added to her school-record win total in-goal, now sitting at 16-1-1. She made a pair of saves to preserve the clean sheet, her 10th of the season, to remain tied as the national leader in the category.
Grace Brauer and Hayley Jakovich played the full 90 minutes on Xavier's backline to help the Musketeers to the shutout.

XAVIER STATS

Chloe Netzel leads the Musketeers with 14 points on a team-high six goals and a pair of assists after scoring in the first half against Butler. Her goals are tied for ninth most in the BIG EAST.
Among Netzel's six goals are three game-winners, matching Emma Marcus for team-high and tied for fifth most in the BIG EAST.
Shelby Sallee has 11 points on the season on four goals and three assists. Eight of those points have come in league action, leading the Musketeers in BIG EAST play and tied for seventh in the conference. Her three goals in BIG EAST play also lead Xavier and rank fifth in the league.
Sallee, Netzel and Ella Rogers all have three goals in BIG EAST play, tied for fifth most in the league.
Carrie Lewis has a team-high six assists for the season, which ties for eighth most in the BIG EAST. Her three helpers in BIG EAST play are also tied for seventh in the conference.
Sarah Owusu and Shelby Sallee have two assists in conference play.
Molly McLaughlin scored the game-winner against Marquette on a penalty kick, making her 2-2 on PKs for the season, which ties for the best percentage NCAA DI.
Xavier leads the conference with 19 goals in BIG EAST play, averaging 1.9 goals per game through 10 matches.
Olivia Jenkins has a goals against average of 0.49 which, as it stands, would rank as the best GAA for a single season in program history, and currently ranks second in the BIG EAST and sixth in the nation. Jenkins has 10 shutouts so far this season, leading the conference and tied for the second most in the country.
Xavier's defense has only allowed four goals in BIG EAST play, the tied for the lowest total in the league. The Musketeers' 0.40 GAA in conference play is second best in the conference.
The Musketeers picked up a 16th win in the regular season against UConn, the most in school history. The previous record was 14, set in both 1991 and 2019.

XAVIER IN THE RANKINGS

Xavier moved up to a program-best ranking of No. 11 this week in the United Soccer Coaches National Poll. The Musketeers made their first appearance of the season in the USC National Poll in week three (9/7/21), entering the rankings at No. 23, marking the first time the Musketeers have been ranked in the USC National Poll since finishing the 2019 season at No. 24.
Xavier also moved back up to the No. 1 spot in the East region in week nine of the USC poll.
The Musketeers came in at No. 7 in the most recent DI Women's Soccer RPI, a program best mark. Xavier leads four BIG EAST teams in the top 35 for the week, joined by Georgetown (17), Butler (31), and Providence (35).

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

The winner of Thursday's match will advance to the BIG EAST Championship match on Sunday, November 7 at 1:30 p.m. on FS1.
The winner of the first semifinal between St. John's and Xavier will face the winner of the second semifinal, No. 2 seed Georgetown vs. No. 3 seed Butler, to be played on Thursday, Nov. 4 at Corcoran Field.

SPRING 2021 SEASON

Xavier finished spring 2021 at 3-6 overall and 2-4 in BIG EAST play, picking up wins over Bellarmine in the non-conference portion of the schedule, and BIG EAST wins over Creighton and DePaul, all three coming on the road.
Following the spring season, two Musketeers earned all conference honors, All-BIG EAST Second Team honoree, senior midfielder Molly McLaughlin, and All-Freshman Team member, forward Sonia Vargas.
McLaughlin led the Musketeers with four points on two goals, while sophomore Grace Blumfeldt finished her rookie season with three point on a goal and an assist.
After finishing fourth in the Midwest Division, the Musketeers missed the BIG EAST Tournament for the first time in Nate Lie's tenure as head coach.

THE MUSKETEERS

The Musketeers return 26 letter-winners from the spring, including All-BIG EAST Second Team honoree, senior midfielder Molly McLaughlin, and All-Freshman Team member, forward Sonia Vargas.
Xavier's returners account for over 70 percent of the goals scored last season, led by McLaughlin's pair of tallies.
The Musketeers added and 11-person freshman class for the fall after losing 11 letterwinners from spring 2021.
Xavier was picked seventh in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, collecting 45 points. Georgetown was picked to win the conference.
Ahead of the start of the 2021 season, head coach Nate Lie announced additions to his staff. Katy Etelman joins Xavier as an assistant coach, while Tyler Smaha, who served as Xavier's Director of Player Development last season, also moves into the role of assistant coach. Jacob Morrison joins Xavier as the Director of Goalkeeping and Kaitlyn Jones joins Lie's staff as Director of Player Analysis/Operations.

BIG EAST COACHES POLL

1. Georgetown	100 (10)
2. Butler	88
3. UConn	74
4. Providence	65 (1)
5. Creighton	64
6. St. John's	47
7. Xavier	45
8. Marquette	43
9. DePaul	41
10. Villanova	27
11. Seton Hall	11

(first-place votes)

BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Zsani Kajan, St. John's, Grad., F

BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Kelly Ann Livingstone, Georgetown, Grad., D

BIG EAST Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Stephanie Rodriguez, Butler, Grad., GK

Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
Stephanie Rodriguez, Butler, Grad., GK
Anastasia Savich, Butler, Sr., F*
Katie Soderstrom, Butler, Sr., F*
Jessica Mazo, UConn, Jr., M
Aida Kardovic, Creighton, So., M
Kelly Ann Livingstone, Georgetown, Grad., D
Daisy Cleverley, Georgetown, Grad., M
Julia Leas, Georgetown, Jr., M
Meg Hughes, Providence, So., F
Jessica Garziano, St. John's, Jr., M
Zsani Kajan, St. John's, Grad., F
*unanimous selection