Men's Soccer Takes on Bellarmine on Wednesday Afternoon

Wednesday, February 17

Westfield, Ind. (Grand Park Sports Campus)

1:45 p.m.

Xavier University

Bellarmine

Men's Soccer Takes on Bellarmine on Wednesday Afternoon

02.15.21 | Men's Soccer

Live Stats

First touch is set for 1:45 PM from the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Ind.

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier men's soccer returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 17 vs Bellarmine. First touch is set for 1:45 p.m. from the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Ind.

THE MATCHUP VS BELLARMINE

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (1-1) vs BELLARMINE KNIGHTS (0-0)
Game Info - Wednesday, Feb. 17 - 1:45 p.m. ET - Westfield, Ind. (Grand Park Sports Campus)
Live Stats - bit.ly/2Pzr1JH

ABOUT BELLARMINE

2021 Record: 0-0
2019 Record: 16-1-5 (10-0-4 GLVC)
2019 Postseason: NCAA Division II Tournament - Sweet 16
Series History: Xavier leads, 6-1-1
Last Meeting: Xavier 7, Bellarmine 0 - (Oct. 13, 1984 - Cincinnati, Ohio)

NOTABLES
• Bellarmine is coming off its best season in program history in 2019. The Knights posted a school-record 16 wins, won their first GLVC Tournament Title and advanced to their first NCAA Tournament.
• Bellarmine had a 30-match unbeaten streak over two seasons broken in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. Maryville defeated the Knights, 2-1, in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Knights were picked to finish seventh in the ASUN Preseason Coaches' Poll. Senior midfielder Micah Linscott was also named to the preseason all-conference team.

SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier leads the all-time series with Bellarmine, 6-1-1. The Musketeers won the last meeting between the two schools, 7-0, on Oct. 13, 1984 in Cincinnati.

LAST TIME OUT

• Xavier is coming off a 2-1 overtime loss at No. 12 Kentucky on Feb. 9.

• Sophomore Karsen Henderlong scored the lone Xavier goal in the match. Jerome Jolly picked up the first points of his Xavier career with the assist on Henderlong's goal.

• Kentucky held a 13-6 advantage in shots and a 5-1 advantage in shots on goal. Xavier took one more corner kick (4-3) than the Wildcats and committed two fewer fouls (11-9).

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• Karsen Henderlong was named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week for men's soccer on Monday afternoon. The sophomore forward scored three goals in two matches last week.

• The Crown Point, Ind., native scored all three of Xavier's goals last week as the team went 1-1. He scored two goals in the season-opening 2-0 win at East Tennessee State on Feb. 5 and added a goal in Xavier's 2-1 overtime loss at No. 12 Kentucky on Feb. 9. He now has 10 career goals in a Xavier uniform.

• Henderlong took five shots (four on goal) in 147 minutes of action last week. His two-goal performance vs the Buccaneers was the first multi-goal game of his career.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• Jansen Miller was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week for men's soccer on Monday afternoon. The freshman defender played in all 187 minutes last week.

• The Ballwin, Mo., played the full 90 minutes on the defensive back line in his Musketeer debut at East Tennessee State on Feb. 5. He helped the Xavier defense limit the Buccaneers to only three shots (zero on goal) in the match.

• Miller played the entire 97 minutes in Xavier's 2-1 overtime loss at No. 12 Kentucky on Feb. 9. He helped the Xavier defense only allow five shots on goal over two matches, while posting a 0.96 goals against average.

WEEKLY HONOR ROLL

• Matthew Rosenberg was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for men's soccer on Monday afternoon. The goalkeeper posted a 0.96 goals against average in two matches last week.

• The Manalapan, N.J., posted his first shutout in goal this season in Xavier's 2-0 win at East Tennessee State on Feb. 5. The shutout was the 15th of his career. He did not make any saves as the Musketeer defense limited the Buccaneers to zero shots on goal.

• Rosenberg allowed two goals (one on a penalty kick) in the 2-1 overtime loss at No. 12 Kentucky on Feb. 9. He made three saves vs the Wildcats.

BIG EAST HONORS

Feb. 15 - Karsen Henderlong - Offensive Player of the Week
Feb. 15 - Jansen Miller - Defensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week
Feb. 15 - Matthew Rosenberg - Weekly Honor Roll

NOTABLES

• Xavier head coach Andy Fleming recently announced his contract extension through the end of the 2023 season. He has a 107-64-31 (.604) overall record in 11 seasons with the Musketeers, leading the program to four NCAA Tournaments during that stretch.

• Xavier will wear a No. 11 patch on its uniforms this season to honor former player Derrick Otim who tragically passed away in a swimming accident in the summer of 2020. The all-conference performer played for the Musketeers from 2016-19.

• In keeping with the BIG EAST Conference's commitment to lead, educate and inspire on racial and social justice issues, Xavier men's soccer will display a Black Lives Matter (BLM) patches on their uniforms.

ABOUT THE MUSKETEERS

• Xavier returns All-BIG EAST Third Team selection Matthew Rosenberg. The goalkeeper played and started in all 17 matches in 2019, posting a 1.11 goals against average with five complete shutouts. The goalkeeper made 74 saves to rank fourth in the BIG EAST and 16th in the NCAA.

• The Musketeers also return four of its six leading scorers from the 2019 season. Karsen Henderlong ranked second on the team with seven goals (three game-winning goals) to go along with one assist. Noah Boffo added eight points (two goals; four assists), while Taylor Crull chipped in two goals.

• Xavier graduated two All-BIG EAST performers in Samson Sergi (First Team) and Derrick Otim (Third Team). Sergi was also named a CoSIDA Academic All-American and earned United Soccer Coaches All-Region Team honors.

• Xavier welcomes eight newcomers, including one transfer. Justus Kauppinen played in 33 matches with 19 starts at Virginia Tech from 2017-19.

SCHEDULE NOTES

• Xavier plays its first six matches on the road this season. The Musketeers will play their next three matches at the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Ind.

• Xavier has posted a 36-24-13 (.582) non-conference record since 2013. The Musketeers have recorded an 21-8-4 (.697) record at home in those matches.

• The Musketeers are taking on two new opponents for the first time in program history against East Tennessee State and Chicago State. Bellarmine will also be competing as a NCAA DI member for the first time in program history.

• The BIG EAST will play divisional schedules with six teams in the East (Connecticut, Georgetown, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova) and five teams in the Midwest (Butler, Creighton, DePaul, Marquette and Xavier). The divisional teams will play home and home matches against each divisional opponent. Both schedules have two bye weeks built in for rescheduling purposes if necessary.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

• Xavier men's soccer has reached the NCAA Tournament in four of the last 10 seasons. The Musketeers have also won 10 or more matches in seven of the last 10 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 of the last seven 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 seven 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 eight years, including 2018 third rounder Cory Brown.

PRESEASON COACHES' POLL

EAST DIVISION
1. Georgetown (5) - 25 pts.
2. Providence (6) - 20
3. St. John's - 17
4. UConn - 13
5. Seton Hall - 8
6. Villanova - 7

MIDWEST DIVISION
1. Butler (3) - 15 pts.
2. Creighton (2) - 14
3. Xavier - 10
4. Marquette - 7
5. DePaul - 4

First-place votes in ()

UP NEXT

• The Musketeers return to action on Friday, Feb. 26 vs Saint Louis. First touch is set for 3 p.m. from the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Ind.