Xavier, Villanova Set for Saturday Matinee

Saturday, October 21

Villanova, Pa.

1 p.m.

Xavier University

Villanova

10.20.23 | Men's Soccer

Live Stats Watch Live (FloSports)Villanova Information

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 at Villanova on Saturday, Oct. 21. First touch is set for 1 p.m. from the Higgins Soccer Complex.

THE MATCHUP AT VILLANOVA

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (6-3-4, 3-1-2) at VILLANOVA WILDCATS (1-7-4, 1-4-1)
Game Info - Saturday, Oct. 21 - 1 p.m. ET - Higgins Soccer Complex (1,000)
Live Stats - bit.ly/3PXDAys
Watch Live (BEDN) - flosports.link/3dUulj6

ABOUT VILLANOVA

2023 Record: 1-7-4 (1-4-1)
2022 Record: 6-8-3 (2-6-2)
2022 Postseason: None
Series History: Xavier leads, 5-3-1
Last meeting: Xavier 2, Villanova 1 (Oct. 8, 2022)

NOTABLES
• Villanova was picked to finish tied for fifth in the East Division of the Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• The Wildcats are 0-2-4 in home matches this season. Villanova has dropped three straight matches, most recently a 2-0 loss at Georgetown on Oct. 18.
• Villanova ranks 12th in the BIG EAST in goals allowed (29) and goals against average (2.42). Vincent Petrera ranks ninth in the BIG EAST in total goals (5) and second in total shots (49).

SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier leads the all-time series with Villanova, 5-3-1. The Musketeers are 3-2 in road matches in the series.

• Xavier is 2-2 in the last four meetings with Villanova. Xavier won the meeting last year, 2-1, on Oct. 8 at the Higgins Soccer Complex.

LAST TIME OUT

• Xavier is coming off a 1-1 tie vs Butler on Oct. 18 at Corcoran Field. Butler took an early 1-0 lead in the ninth minute before Guilherme Vivaldini scored the equalizer via a penalty kick in the 89th minute.

• Xavier held a 15-9 advantage in shots and took seven more shots on goal (9-2). The Musketeers also took one more corner kick (6-5) than the Bulldogs.

• A total of 12 different Musketeers took a shot in the match. Eli Dulle, Grayson Elmquist and Guilherme Vivaldini all took two shots on goal for Xavier. Dylan Kropp and Brandon Osterholt also took a shot on goal.

NOTABLES

• Xavier opened BIG EAST action with a 4-1 win vs DePaul on Sept. 16 at Corcoran Field. The four-goal performance is the most goals scored in a BIG EAST match by the Musketeers since Oct. 31, 2018 vs Butler (W, 5-3).

• Jerome Jolly leads the Musketeers in points with 10 (four goals, two assists). Taylor Rhinehart has added seven points (two goals, three assists). Jolly ranks tied for first in the BIG EAST in game-winning goals (4) and tied for fifth in the NCAA.

• Nine different Musketeers have scored a goal this season. Seven different players have also recorded an assist.

• Jonny Mennell ranks tied for second in the BIG EAST in goals against average (1.00) and tied for second in shutouts (5).

• Eight BIG EAST teams are ranked in the top-100 of the most recent NCAA RPI Rankings (Oct. 15). Georgetown (No. 5), Akron (No. 12), Xavier (No. 46), Seton Hall (No. 60), St. John's (No. 61), Providence (No. 62), UConn (No. 64) and Marquette (No. 93).

BIG EAST WEEKLY HONORS

Oct. 16 - Jonny Mennell - BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Oct. 16 - Makel Rasheed - BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Oct. 12 - Jonny Mennell - BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Oct. 2 - Nathan Trickett - BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Oct. 2 - Makel Rasheed - BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Aug. 28 - Seydou Diop - BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Sept. 5 - Jerome Jolly - BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll

RASHEED - PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST

• Makel Rasheed was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team on Aug. 15 after helping the Musketeers post a 0.89 goals against average and eight shutouts last season. The defender was drafted by Nashville SC in MLS SuperDraft 2023 presented by adidas, taken as the seventh pick (65th overall) in the third round. Rasheed also earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors and was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-East Region Team.

SCHEDULE NOTES

• Six of Xavier's opponents were ranked or receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top-25 Poll: Creighton (No. 8), Marshall (No. 11), Georgetown (No. 17), Akron (No. 22), Providence (RV) and Ohio State (RV). The Musketeers also payed Western Michigan (RV) in exhibition action.

• Xavier played seven non-conference matches, four at home and three on the road. The Musketeers opened the home portion of their schedule vs Wright State on Thursday, Aug. 24. Xavier also played home non-conference matches vs Oakland (Aug. 27), Cleveland State (Sept. 4).

• Xavier's remaining non-conference road matches were at Marshall (Sept. 1), UTRGV (Sept. 11), Duquesne (Sept. 19) and Ohio State (Oct. 3).

• The Musketeers opened BIG EAST action vs DePaul on Friday, Sept. 15 at Corcoran Field. Xavier's other three home BIG EAST contests are vs Georgetown (Sept. 23), Akron (Oct. 14) and Butler (Oct. 18).

• Xavier's four BIG EAST road matches are at Creighton (Sept. 29), Marquette (Oct. 7), Villanova (Oct. 21) and UConn (Oct. 28).

• Xavier will face six teams that played in the NCAA Tournament last season, including College Cup participant Creighton. Cleveland State, Ohio State, Marshall, Georgetown and Seton Hall all joined the Bluejays in the NCAA Tournament. The Musketeers also take on Western Michigan who participated in the NCAA Tournament during exhibition play.

• Xavier has posted a 53-28-16 (.629) non-conference record since 2013. The Musketeers have recorded an 29-8-6 (.744) record at home in those matches.

• Xavier is 74-31-17 (.676) at Corcoran Field since the start of the 2010 season.

ABOUT THE MUSKETEERS

• Xavier returns two of its top three point leaders from last season, led by Fabrizio Bernal De La Garza who had nine points (four goals, one assist). Jerome Jolly added eight points (three goals, two assists).

• Defensively, Xavier returns Makel Rasheed and Dylan Kropp. Both players helped the Musketeers post a 0.89 goals against average (23rd in NCAA) with eight shutouts (10th in NCAA). Xavier finished the year ranked tied for fourth in single-season school history in shutouts (8) and fourth in single-season school history in goals against average (0.89).

• Makel Rasheed was drafted by Nashville SC in MLS SuperDraft 2023 presented by adidas, taken as the seventh pick (65th overall) in the third round. Rasheed also earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors and was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-East Region Team.

• Dylan Kropp was named to the All-BIG EAST Third Team, one of only three freshmen who picked up all-conference honors. He was named to the TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI First Team.

• Xavier added 12 newcomers to the roster, including four transfers: Cooper Forcellini (Bellarmine) Michael Rogalski (Bradley), Matthew Senanou (North Carolina) and Guilherme Vivaldini (North Carolina).

JOHN HIGGINS - 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. He now has a 165-61-40 overall record in 13 seasons as a head coach.

• In year one at Xavier, he led the Musketeers to a No. 9 ranking in the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Poll on Oct. 19 - matching the highest ranking in program history (was also ranked No. 9 on Oct. 28, 2014).

• Higgins also saw two players taken in the MLS SuperDraft 2023 presented by adidas. Xavier had two players taken in the same draft for the first time in program history. Cole Jensen was the 18th overall pick (first round), while Makel Rasheed was taken as the seventh pick in the third round (65th overall). Three player also earned All-BIG EAST honors, highlighted by Jenen who was named the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year.

• Higgins finished the 2021 fall season ranked fourth in the 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 13 seasons. The Musketeers have also won 10 or more matches in seven of the last 13 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.

• Xavier has qualified for seven of the last 10 BIG EAST Championships, including trips to the title game in 2014 and 2017.

• Xavier has been ranked in the nation's top-10 four times in the last 10 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.

• Xavier was ranked as high as No. 9 on Oct. 19, 2022 - matching the highest ranking in program history (was also ranked No. 9 on Oct. 28, 2014).

• In 2015, Xavier 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.

• Six Xavier players have been selected in the MLS SuperDraft in the last 11 years, including Cole Jensen and Makel Rasheed in 2022.

XAVIER MLS DRAFT HISTORY

2022 - Cole Jensen - GK - 1st Round (18th) - Inter Miami CF
2022 - Makel Rasheed - D - 3rd Round (65th) - Nashville FC
2018 - Cory Brown - D - 3rd Round (62nd) - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
2017 - Jalen Brown - MF/F - 2nd Round (38th) - NYC FC
2014 - Nick Hagglund - D - 1st Round (10th) - Toronto FC
2013 - Luke Spencer - F - 1st Round (23rd) - New England Revolution

2023 PRESEASON COACHES' POLL

EAST DIVISION
(first-place votes)
1. Georgetown (11) - 66
2. Providence (1) - 56
3. St. John's - 40
4. Seton Hall - 36
5. Connecticut - 24
5. Villanova - 24

MIDWEST DIVISION
(first-place votes)
1. Creighton (8) - 63
2. Butler (2) - 50
3. Akron (2) - 48
4. Xavier - 39
5. Marquette - 29
6. DePaul - 17

UP NEXT

• Xavier closes regular-season action at UConn on Saturday, Oct. 28. First touch is set for 2 p.m. from Joseph J. Morrone Stadium at the Rizza Performance Center.