Xavier, Villanova Set for Saturday BIG EAST Matchup

Saturday, October 2

Cincinnati, Ohio

4 p.m.

Xavier University

Villanova

Xavier, Villanova Set for Saturday BIG EAST Matchup

09.29.21 | Men's Soccer

Live Stats Watch Live

First touch is set for 4 p.m. from Corcoran Field

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier men's soccer continues BIG EAST action on Saturday, Oct. 2 vs Villanova. First touch is set for 4 p.m. from Corcoran Field.

THE MATCHUP VS VILLANOVA

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (6-3-0, 0-2-0) vs VILLANOVA WILDCATS (6-2-0, 2-0-0)
Game Info - Saturday, Oct. 2 - 4 p.m. ET - Corcoran Field (1,000)
Live Stats - bit.ly/2Pzr1JH
Watch Live - bit.ly/3m1ck3b

ABOUT VILLANOVA

2021 (Fall) Record: 6-2-0 (2-0-0 BIG EAST)
2021 (Spring) Record: 2-8-0 (2-5-0 BIG EAST)
Series History: Xavier leads, 4-2-1
Last Meeting: VU 1, XU 0 (Oct. 4, 2019 - Villanova, Pa.)

NOTABLES
• Villanova was picked to finish 11th in the Preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Poll after posting a 2-8 (2-5 BIG EAST) record in the spring. The Wildcats have already matched their BIG EAST win total from each of the past five seasons with a 2-0 start to conference action.
• Villanova has won four of its last five matches, most recently defeating Butler, 1-0, on Sept. 25 in Villanova, Pa. The Wildcats other BIG EAST win was 1-0 at Marquette on Sept. 18.
• Through two BIG EAST matches, the Wildcats rank tied for first in goals against average (0.00). Villanova also ranks first in total saves (10) and shutouts (2).
• Five different Wildcats have scored this season, paced by Lyam MacKinnon and Balthi Saunders who each have three goals. MacKinnon also has two assists to lead the team in total points (8).

LAST TIME OUT

• Xavier is coming off a 3-2 loss at No. 24 Providence.

• Karsen Henderlong scored two goals in the match, increasing his season total to five goals to pace the Musketeers. The forward now has 19 career goals and three career multi-goal games.

• Xavier gave up more than one goal in a match for the first time this season. The Musketeers had only allowed four goals on the year entering the match.

• Providence held a 15-6 advantage in shots and had four more shots on goal (8-4). The Friars also committed eight more fouls (12-4) and had five more corner kicks (5-0).

SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier leads the all-time series with Villanova, 4-2-1. The Musketeers are 2-0-1 vs the Wildcats when playing in Cincinnati.

• Villanova won the last meeting between the two schools, 1-0, on on Oct. 4, 2019 in Villanova, Pa.

• Xavier won the last meeting between the two schools in Cincinnati, 1-0, on Oct. 6, 2018. Samson Sergi scored the lone goal of the match in the fifth minute off a pass from Cameron Belle.

NOTABLES

• Xavier has scored 11 goals this season, with Karsen Henderlong pacing the squad with five goals. The forward ranks second in the BIG EAST in total goals and 19th in the NCAA.

• Defensively, Xavier has only allowed seven goals in nine matches. Goalkeeper Matthew Rosenberg has posted a 0.78 goals against average this season with four shutouts. Rosenberg ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in goals against average.

• Xavier ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in fewest goals allowed (7) and goals against average (0.78). The Musketeers rank 30th in the NCAA in goals against average (0.78).

• Matthew Rosenberg ranks 36th in the NCAA in goals against average (0.78) and 14th in shutouts (4). Jerome Jolly also ranks second in the NCAA in game-winning goals (3).

BIG EAST WEEKLY HONORS

• Karsen Henderlong was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday, Sept. 27. He earns the honors for the first time this season.

2021 HONOREES
Aug. 30 - Matthew Rosenberg - Goalkeeper of the Week
Aug. 30 - Jerome Jolly - Weekly Honor Roll
Sept. 6 - Jerome Jolly - Weekly Honor Roll
Sept. 13 - Taylor Crull - Weekly Honor Roll
Sept. 27 - Karsen Henderlong - Weekly Honor Roll

SCHEDULE NOTES

• Xavier takes on four teams that participated in the 2021 NCAA Tournament this spring in Seton Hall, Marquette, Georgetown and Indiana. Each of those teams won at least one match in the tournament with Seton Hall and Georgetown advancing to the Elite Eight and Indiana losing in the national title match to Marshall.

• Indiana finished the year (spring season) ranked No. 2 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, while Georgetown ranked fifth, Seton Hall ranked ninth and Marquette ranked 14th.

• The Musketeers played seven non-conference opponents, including three matches vs Big Ten members: Ohio State, Indiana and Northwestern. Xavier played one new opponent for the first time in program history in Robert Morris.

• Xavier has posted a 44-26-13 (.608) non-conference record since 2013. The Musketeers have recorded an 25-8-4 (.729) record at home in those matches.

ABOUT THE MUSKETEERS

• Xavier returns All-BIG EAST selections Felix Boe-Tangen and Karsen Henderlong.

• Boe-Tangen was named to the All-BIG EAST Third Team, earning all-conference honors for the first time in his career. The forward recorded eight points (three goals, two assists) in the spring, ranking tied for second on the team in points.

• Henderlong was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team, earning all-conference honors for the first time in his career. The forward led the Musketeers in points in the spring with 16 (seven goals, two assists). He also ranked 20th in the NCAA in total goals.

• Jerome Jolly and Jansen Miller were named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Midseason Freshmen Top-100 on April 12. Miller ranked 18th on the list, while Jolly ranked 86th.

• Miller played in 10 matches this spring, making nine starts. The defender logged 864 minutes on the back line and helped the Musketeers post three shutouts.

• Jolly ranked tied for second on the team with eight points (six assists, one goal) through nine matches. His six assists ranks tied for 19th in the NCAA.

• Xavier head coach Andy Fleming has posted a 115-73-32 (.596) overall record in 12 seasons with the Musketeers, leading the program to four NCAA Tournaments during that stretch. He is under contract through the end of the 2023 season.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

• Xavier men's soccer has reached the NCAA Tournament in four of the last 11 seasons. The Musketeers have also won 10 or more matches in seven of the last 11 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 eight 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 eight 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 nine years, including 2018 third rounder Cory Brown.

XAVIER AT HOME

• The Musketeers are 27-13-5 (.656) at home since the start of the 2016 season.

• Xavier is 66-26-10 (.696) at Corcoran Field since Andy Fleming took over the program in 2010.

PRESEASON COACHES' POLL