No. 12 Xavier Continues BIG EAST Road Trip at Villanova

Saturday, October 8

Villanova, Pa.

1 p.m.

Xavier University

Villanova

No. 12 Xavier Continues BIG EAST Road Trip at Villanova

10.07.22 | Men's Soccer

Live Stats Watch Live

First touch is set for 1 p.m. from the Higgins Soccer Complex

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier men's soccer continues BIG EAST action on Saturday, Oct. 8 at Villanova. First touch is set for 1 p.m. from the Higgins Soccer Complex.

Saturday's matchup features the top-two teams in the BIG EAST in goals against average (Xavier ranks 1st with a 0.45 GAA; Villanova ranks 2nd with a 0.70 GAA).

THE MATCHUP AT VILLANOVA

NO. 12 XAVIER MUSKETEERS (7-0-4, 1-0-3) at VILLANOVA WILDCATS (5-3-2, 2-1-1)
Game Info - Saturday, Oct. 8 - 1 p.m. ET - Higgins Soccer Complex (1,000)
Live Stats - bit.ly/3CbFTHj
Watch Live (BEDN) - flosports.link/3dUulj6

ABOUT VILLANOVA

2022 Record: 5-3-2 (2-1-1 BIG EAST)
Series History: Xavier leads, 4-3-1
Last Meeting: VU 1, XU 0 (Oct. 2, 2021 - Cincinnati, Ohio)

NOTABLES
• Villanova was picked to finish sixth in the Preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Poll after posting a 12-8-1 (5-4-1 BIG EAST) record last season. Senior forward Lyam MacKinnon was named to the preseason all-conference team.
• The Wildcats rank tied for for first in the BIG EAST Standings with Butler as both teams have seven points (2-1-1 record). Villanova is coming off a 1-0 win vs Marquette on Oct. 5, improving to 4-0-1 at home this season.
• Villanova ranks tied for fourth in the BIG EAST in goals scored (16) and second in goals against average (0.70). The Wildcats have only allowed seven goals this season.

SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier is looking for its first win over the Wildcats since Oct. 6, 2018 in Cincinnati (W, 1-0). The Musketeers have dropped two straight in the series and three of the last four meetings.

• Xavier is 2-2 when playing the Wildcats on the road. The Musketeers have dropped two straight road games in the series and are looking for their first win at Villanova since Oct. 17, 2015 (W, 2-1).

• Villanova won the last meeting between the two schools, 1-0, in Cincinnati on Oct. 2, 2021. Xavier held an 8-4 advantage in shots and took five more corner kicks (7-2). Villanova's Akinjide Awujo scored the lone goal of the match in the 15th minute.

XU IN THE TOP-25

• Xavier ranks No. 12 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll as announced on Oct. 4. The Musketeers entered the poll this season on Sept. 6 (as No. 25), the team's first time being ranked since Sept. 17, 2019.

• Xavier is the only BIG EAST team ranked in the poll this week, while Butler is receiving votes.

• The No. 12 ranking in the USC Poll is the highest ranking for the Musketeers since being ranked No. 11 on Sept. 10, 2019.

BIG EAST HONOREES

• Cole Jensen and Cameron Wheeler were named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Oct. 3.

2022 BIG EAST HONOREES
Cole Jensen - Weekly Honor Roll - Oct. 3
Cameron Wheeler - Weekly Honor Roll - Oct. 3
Makel Rasheed - Weekly Honor Roll - Sept. 26
Cameron Wheeler - Offensive Player of the Week - Sept. 19
Makel Rasheed - Weekly Honor Roll - Sept. 12
Cole Jensen - Weekly Honor Roll - Sept. 12
Cole Jensen - Weekly Honor Roll - Sept. 5
Cole Jensen - Weekly Honor Roll - Aug. 29
Brandon Osterholt - Weekly Honor Roll - Aug. 29

LAST TIME OUT

• Xavier is coming off a 1-0 win vs UConn on Oct. 1.

• Cameron Wheeler scored the game-winning goal in the 60th minute, his second goal of the season. He now has three career goals.

• George Waites was credited with an assist on the goal, his second assist of the season. The freshman midfielder logged 73 minutes in the match and took one shot.

• UConn took five more shots (10-5) than Xavier. Both teams had one shot on goal.

• The Huskies committed four more fouls (12-8) and took two more corner kicks (6-4). UConn also had two more yellow cards (3-1) than the Musketeers.

• Cole Jensen (7-0-3) posted his sixth shutout of the season. He made one save in 90 minutes between the pipes.

• Alejandro Steinwascher led Xavier with two shots. Taylor Rhinehart, George Waites and Cameron Wheeler each added one shot.

• Defenders Makel Rasheed and Dylan Kropp played all 90 minutes on the defensive back line.

NOTABLES

• Xavier has not allowed a goal in 348 minutes of action. The last time the Musketeers surrendered a goal was on Sept. 20 at Evansville (12th minute via a penalty kick).

• Xavier has had eight different players score a goal this season, paced by Fabrizio Bernal De La Garza and Jerome Jolly who each have three goals.

• Xavier's 11-match unbeaten streak to start the season is the longest unbeaten streak to start a season since 2012 (The Musketeers started the year 10-0-4 before losing a match).

• Xavier concluded non-conference action unbeaten for the first time since 2012 (The Musketeers went 7-0-2 in non-conference action).

• Xavier is the only men's soccer team in the BIG EAST without a loss this season. The Musketeers are one of eight teams in the country without a loss this year.

BIG EAST STATS

• Xavier leads the BIG EAST in goals against average (0.45) and shutouts (7), while ranking tied for fourth in total saves (33). The Musketeers rank tied for second in the NCAA in goals against average.

• Cole Jensen ranks tied for fifth in the NCAA in goals against average (0.45) and tied for sixth in saves percentage (0.87). His seven shutouts ranks tied for first in the NCAA.

SCHEDULE NOTES

• Xavier has posted a 50-26-14 (.633) non-conference record since 2013. The Musketeers have recorded an 27-8-5 (.738) record at home in those matches.

• Xavier is 70-29-13 (.683) at Corcoran Field since the start of the 2010 season.

• Xavier played seven non-conference matches, three at home and four on the road. The Musketeers opened the home portion of their schedule vs Eastern Illinois on Sunday, Aug. 28. Xavier also played home non-conference matches vs Robert Morris (Sept. 4) and Pacific (Sept. 9). The meeting vs Pacific was the first in program history.

• Xavier also has non-conference road matches at Memphis (Sept. 1), Northern Kentucky (Sept. 12) and Evansville (Sept. 20).

• The Musketeers opened BIG EAST action vs Seton Hall on Saturday, Sept. 17 at Corcoran Field. Xavier's other four home BIG EAST contests are vs Marquette (Sept. 24), UConn (Oct. 1), Creighton (Oct. 12) and Providence (Oct. 29).

• Xavier will face five teams (all from the BIG EAST) that played in the NCAA Tournament last season, including College Cup participant Georgetown. St. John's, Providence, Creighton and Villanova all joined the Hoyas in the NCAA Tournament - the first time since 2013 that the BIG EAST had five teams qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

ABOUT THE MUSKETEERS

• Xavier returns four of its top five point leaders from last season, led by Justus Kauppinen who scored three goals and added four assists. The Musketeers also return Jerome Jolly (three goals, one assist), Taylor Rhinehart (one goal, three assists).

• Xavier added 18 newcomers to the roster, including four University of Indianapolis transfers: Eli Dulle (four goals, four assists), Brandon Osterholt, Makel Rasheed (five goals, three assists), Alejandro Steinwascher (14 goals, 10 assists).

• Lotem Ben Dov and Pol Hernandez will serve as team captains this season. Ben Dov missed the fall 2021 season with an injury, while Hernandez played in all 17 matches.

NEW HEAD COACH

• John Higgins was named the new men's soccer coach in March of 2022. He joined the Musketeers from the University of Indianapolis where he compiled a 150-56-29 overall record in 12 seasons with the Greyhounds.

• Higgins finished the 2021 fall season ranked fourth in the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Top-25 Poll after posting an 18-1-3 record and advancing to the semifinals of the NCAA Championships. All told, he posted a 31-1-7 record over two seasons in 2021 (spring season due to COVID-19 pandemic).

• The three-time Great Lakes Valley Conference 'Coach of the Year' owns a 7-3-1 (.625) record in NCAA Tournament action and finished GLVC Tournament play with an 18-3-5 (.750) mark. He finished his coaching career at UIndy as the program's all-time leader in wins (150) and winning percentage (.700).

• Higgins led the Greyhounds to a total of six conference championships from 2010-21, including three regular-season titles and three tournament championships. All told, he has made five NCAA Tournaments with two national semifinal appearances.

• The Dunfermline, United Kingdom, native coached 54 All-GLVC selections at UIndy along with seven All-Midwest Region honorees and two All-Americans. Academically, the Greyhounds have earned the USC Team Academic Award in each season under Higgins.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

• Xavier men's soccer has reached the NCAA Tournament in four of the last 12 seasons. The Musketeers have also won 10 or more matches in seven of the last 12 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 nine 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 nine 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 10 years, including 2018 third rounder Cory Brown.

PRESEASON COACHES' POLL