No. 19 Xavier, Marquette Set for Saturday Night Matchup

Saturday, September 24

Cincinnati, Ohio

7 p.m.

Xavier University

Marquette

No. 19 Xavier, Marquette Set for Saturday Night Matchup

09.23.22 | Men's Soccer

Live Stats Watch Live

First touch is set for 7 p.m. from Corcoran Field

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier men's soccer continues BIG EAST action on Saturday, Sept. 24 vs Marquette. First touch is set for 7 p.m. from Corcoran Field.

THE MATCHUP VS MARQUETTE

NO. 19 XAVIER MUSKETEERS (6-0-2, 0-0-2) vs MARQUETTE GOLDEN EAGLES (4-3, 0-0)
Game Info - Saturday, Sept. 24 - 7 p.m. ET - Corcoran Field (1,000)
Live Stats - bit.ly/2Pzr1JH
Watch Live (BEDN) - flosports.link/3dUulj6

ABOUT MARQUETTE

2022 Record: 4-3 (0-0 BIG EAST)
Series History: Xavier trails, 3-18-3
Last Meeting: XU 2, MU 1 (Oct. 6, 2021 - Milwaukee, Wis.)

NOTABLES
• Marquette was picked to finish seventh in the Preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Poll after posting a 7-8-1 (4-5-1 BIG EAST) record last year. Senior forward Lukas Sunesson earned a spot on the preseason all-conference team.
• The Golden Eagles snapped a two-game losing streak with a 5-2 win vs Milwaukee on Sept. 20. Marquette is 0-1 in road matches this season (4-2 loss at Wisconsin on Sept. 12).
• Abdoul Karim Pare and Lukas Sunesson lead the Golden Eagles with 10 points each (four goals, two assists). Marquette ranks second in the BIG EAST in total goals scored (21), second in total assists (18) and third in total fouls (94).

SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier trails the all-time series with Marquette, 4-8-1. The Musketeers won the last meeting, 2-1, on Oct. 6, 2021 in Milwaukee.

• Justus Kauppinen and Cameron Phillips each scored a goal in the win over the Golden Eagles last season.

XU IN THE TOP-25

• Xavier ranks No. 19 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll as announced on Sept. 20. 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 Creighton is receiving votes.

BIG EAST HONOREES

• Cameron Wheeler was named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week on Monday afternoon. He scored one goal and recorded one assist vs Seton Hall on Sept. 12.

2022 BIG EAST HONOREES
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 3-1 road victory at Evansville on Sept. 20.

• Makel Rasheed scored two goals in the match, the first two goals of the season for the senior defender. The UIndy transfer ranks second on the team in points with six (two goals, two assists). He now has 11 career goals.

• Dominik Kurija recorded the assist on Makel Rasheed's goal in the 49th minute, the first assist of the season for Kurija. He also added two shots in 33 minutes of action off the bench.

• The assist on Makel Rasheed's second goal was credited to George Waites who posted his first assist of the season. The freshman midfielder logged 49 minutes of action off the bench.

• Xavier took 13 more shots (17-4) than the Purple Aces, including an 11-2 advantage in shots on goal. Xavier also took one more corner kick (4-3) than Evansville.

• The 17 shots are the second most in a match for Xavier this season. The Musketeers have posted 16 or more shots in four matches this season.

• Makel Rasheed and Fabrizio Bernal De La Garza paced the Musketeers with four shots (three on goal) each. Jerome Jolly added three shots (three shots on goal).

• The Purple Aces committed four more fouls (16-12) than the Musketeers. Evansville also had one more yellow card (2-1) than Xavier.

• Cole Jenson (6-0-2) made one save between the pipes for Xavier. He now has a 0.63 goals against average.

• Xavier trailed in a match for the first time this season vs the Purple Aces. The Musketeers trailed 1-0 at the break and responded with three, second-half goals. Xavier has outscored opponents, 15-5, this year with 10 goals coming in the second-half.

NOTABLES

• 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. The Musketeers rank tied for third in the BIG EAST for number of goal scorers (Creighton and DePaul leads with nine different goal scorers; Georgetown/Marquette/Xavier rank tied for third with eight).

• Xavier's eight-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).

• It also marks the first time Xavier has concluded non-conference action unbeaten 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 17 teams in the country without a loss this season.

BIG EAST STATS

• Xavier leads the BIG EAST in goals against average (0.62) and shutouts (4), while ranking second in total saves (29).

• Cole Jensen ranks tied for 17th in the NCAA in goals against average (0.62) and 16th in saves percentage (0.85). His four shutouts also rank 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 69-29-12 (.682) 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