Men's Soccer Travels to Butler for Regular-Season Finale

CINCINNATI - Xavier men's soccer concludes regular-season action on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at Butler. First touch is set for 7 p.m. ET from the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl.

The Musketeers have qualified for the six-team BIG EAST Tournament - advancing to postseason play for the first time since 2018. The tournament bracket will be announced following the conclusion of the regular season on Nov. 2. The quarterfinal round will be played at campus sites with the semifinals/final rounds being played at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md.

If Xavier defeats Butler on Wednesday night, the Musketeers will be the No. 2 seed in the tournament - earning a bye into the semifinal round. Following a tie or loss, the Musketeers could be the No. 3 - No. 6 seed depending on the outcome of the other BIG EAST regular-season finales.

THE MATCHUP AT BUTLER

NO. 19 XAVIER MUSKETEERS (9-1-6, 3-1-5) at BUTLER BULLDOGS (9-5-2, 4-3-2)
Game Info - Wednesday, Nov. 2 - 7 p.m. ET - Sellick Bowl (5,647)
Live Stats - bit.ly/3TYfXqa
Watch Live (BEDN) - flosports.link/3dUulj6

ABOUT BUTLER

2022 Record: 9-5-2 (4-3-2 BIG EAST)
Series History: Xavier trails, 6-16-2
Last Meeting: BUT 2, XU 1 (Oct. 13, 2021 - Cincinnati, Ohio)

NOTABLES
• Butler was picked to finish fifth in the Preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Poll after posting a 7-9-3 (5-4-1 BIG EAST) record last season. Wilmer Cabrera Jr., earned preseason all-conference honors.
• The Bulldogs rank second in the BIG EAST in total goals (36), while ranking third in assists (27) and eighth in goals against average (1.19).
• Palmer Ault ranks tied for second in the BIG EAST in total points with 21 (eight goals, five assists). Jack Streberger has added six goals, while Wilmer Cabrera Jr., and DJ Hooks have both added five goals.

SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier trails the all-time series with Butler, 6-16-2. The Musketeers are 1-3-1 in the last five meetings with the Bulldogs.

• Xavier's last win over Butler was on Oct. 31, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio (W, 5-3). Xavier is 0-4-2 when playing at Butler since 2013 (the first year Xavier was in the BIG EAST).

XU IN THE TOP-25

• Xavier men's soccer is receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll as announced on Nov. 1.

• Xavier and Georgetown (No. 17) are the only two teams from the BIG EAST in the poll.

• 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 ranked as high as No. 9 on Oct. 19, matching the highest ranking in program history (was also ranked No. 9 on Oct. 28, 2014).

• Xavier also ranks No. 40 in the second NCAA RPI Standings of the season.

BIG EAST HONOREES

• Cole Jensen was named the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week on Monday, Nov. 1. He earned the honors for the second time this season.

• Jensen posted his BIG EAST leading eighth shutout of the season on Oct. 29 vs Providence as the two teams plays to a scoreless draw. He also made four saves vs the Friars.

2022 BIG EAST HONOREES
Cole Jensen - Goalkeeper of the Week - Oct. 31
Cole Jensen - Goalkeeper of the Week - Oct. 17
Alejandro Steinwascher - Weekly Honor Roll - Oct. 17
Dylan Kropp - Defensive Player of the Week - Oct. 10
Cole Jensen - Weekly Honor Roll - Oct. 10
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 and Providence played to a scoreless draw on Saturday, Oct. 29 at Corcoran Field.

• Providence took two more shots (11-9) than Xavier, while the Musketeers took one more shot on goal (6-5). The Friars also took one more corner kick (4-3) than Xavier.

• The Musketeers committed four more fouls (15-11) than the Friars. Providence had three yellow cards and the Musketeers had two.

• Jerome Jolly, Dominik Kurija and Cameron Phillips each had two shots for Xavier. Jolly, Nicolas Hald Willumsen and George Waites all had one shot on goal.

• Cole Jensen (9-1-6) posted his BIG EAST leading eighth shutout of the season. He also made four saves.

NOTABLES

• Xavier has had 11 different players score a goal this season, paced by Fabrizio Bernal De La Garza and Jerome Jolly who each have three goals.

• Xavier's 14-match unbeaten streak (9-0-5) to start the season was 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).

• Goalkeeper Cole Jensen has eight shutouts this season, ranking third in single-season school history. He also has a 0.69 goals against average that ranks second in single-season school history. His nine wins also ranks tied for fifth in single-season school history.

• Xavier has recorded eight shutouts this season, the most shutouts in a season since 2010. The Musketeers posted nine shutouts in 2010, finishing the year with a 10-7-4 record and advancing to the program's first NCAA Tournament.

BIG EAST STATS

• Xavier leads the BIG EAST in goals against average (0.69) and shutouts (8), while ranking third in total saves (59). The Musketeers rank tied for 11th in the NCAA in goals against average.

• Xavier has only allowed 11 goals this season, the fewest in the BIG EAST (the next closest team is Seton Hall with 16). Three of those 11 goals are via penalty kick. The 11 goals allowed are tied for the 11th fewest goals allowed in the NCAA.

• Cole Jensen ranks 16th in the NCAA in goals against average (0.57) and tied for eighth in saves percentage (0.838). His eight shutouts ranks tied for fifth 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 71-29-14 (.684) 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 had 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 faced 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

1.	Providence (4)	94
2.	Georgetown (7)	93
3.	St. John's	79
4.	Creighton	71
5.	Butler	60
6.	Villanova	59
7.	Marquette	49
8.	UConn	38
9.	DePaul	23
10.	Seton Hall	22
11.	Xavier	17

First-place votes in ()

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