Xavier, Butler Set for Friday Night Matchup

CINCINNATI - Xavier men's soccer returns to BIG EAST action on Friday, Oct. 17 vs Butler. First touch is set for 6:30 p.m. ET from Corcoran Field.

GAME INFORMATION

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (5-4-2, 1-2-1) vs BUTLER BULLDOGS (5-8-0, 2-2-0)
Game Info - Friday, Oct. 17 - 6:30 PM ET - Corcoran Field (1,000)
Live Stats - bit.ly/3JilAPX
ESPN+ - bit.ly/4naPhQO

PROMOTIONS

Family Weekend Fan Fest
2x X-treme Student Rewards Points (30)

ABOUT BUTLER

2025 Record: 5-8-0 (2-2-0)
2024 Record: 4-10-3 (1-7-0)
2024 Postseason: None
Series History: Xavier is 6-17-4 all-time vs Butler
Last Meeting: Butler 5, Xavier 1 (Oct. 23, 2024 - Indianapolis, Ind.)

NOTABLES
• Butler was picked to finish sixth in the Midwest Division of the Preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Poll. Senior forward Josemir Gomez was named to the preseason all-conference team.
• Butler has won three straight matches, most recently a 2-1 win vs Marquette on Oct. 11. The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents, 8-2, in their last three matches. Butler is 2-2 in road matches this season.
• Eight different players have scored a goal this season. Aiden Benitez paces the team in points with 11 (four goals, three assists. Josemir Gomez has added a team-high three assists to go along with one goal.
• Aurie Briscoe (5-8-0) has a 1.77 goals against average with 46 saves and two shutouts.

SERIES HISTORY

Xavier trails the all-time series with Butler, 17-6-4. The Musketeers are 1-5-4 in the last 10 meetings with the Bulldogs.
Xavier is 4-9-1 all-time vs Butler when playing at Corcoran Field.
Xavier's last win over Butler was on Oct. 31, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio (W, 5-3).
The two teams played to a 1-1 tie in the last meeting in Cincinnati on Oct. 18, 2023. Guilherme Vivaldini scored the team's lone goal via penalty kick in the 89th minute.
Butler won the last meeting between the two teams, 5-1, in Indianapolis on Oct. 23, 2024.

BIG EAST WEEKLY AWARDS

Aug. 25 - Jonny Mennell - Goalkeeper of the Week
Sept. 15 - Cooper Forcellini - Offensive Player of the Week
Sept. 15 - Gabriel Kuffel - Goalkeeper of the Week
Sept. 22 - Gabriel Kuffel - BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Sept. 29 - Cooper Forcellini - BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Oct. 6 - Ryan D'urso - BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll

LAST TIME OUT

Xavier is coming off a 2-0 loss at Creighton on Oct. 11.
Creighton took seven more shots (13-6) than Xavier, including three more shots on goal (5-2). The Bluejays also took three more corner kicks (6-3) and committed four more fouls (14-10).
Xavier was shut out for only the second time this season (also shut out vs Northwestern on Sept. 6; L, 1-0). The Musketeers were held to 10 or fewer shots in a match for only the fourth time this season.
Six different Musketeers took a shot in the match. Shogo Haraikawa and Nathan Trickett each took one shot on goal.
Jonny Mennell (3-3-1) made three saves and allowed two goals.

HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST

Cooper Forcellini was named to the United Soccer Coaches 2025 Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List on Oct. 10.
Cooper Forcellini scored two goals vs Providence on Sept. 27, the third time he has scored two goals in a match this season. He has a team-leading nine goals on the year.
Cooper Forcellini is the first Musketeer to score nine or more goals in a season since 2019 (Samson Sergi; 10 goals).
Cooper Forcellini ranks ninth in the NCAA in total goals with nine. He ranks second in the BIG EAST in total goals behind Georgetown's Zach Zengue who has 12 goals.
Cooper Forcellini ranks third in the BIG EAST in shots on goal per match (1.64), while ranking 12th nationally. He also ranks 19th in the NCAA in total points (19).
Cooper Forcellini is also ranked 29th in the TopDrawerSoccer Midseason Top-100 List.

MENNELL - XAVIER SCHOOL RECORDS

Jonny Mennell has a 16-15-12 career record with 19 shutouts and a 1.00 goals against average (fourth in school history). His 16 career wins ranks tied for fifth all-time with Paul Wesseling (1997-00).
Jonny Mennell is tied with Justin Marshall (2009-12) for the most shutouts in school history (19).
Jonny Mennell has 133 career saves, sitting just outside the all-time top-10 at Xavier. Chris Wright (1995-95) ranks 10th with 141 career saves.

NOTABLES

Gabriel Kuffel (2-1-1) has a 1.25 goals against average in four matches this season, filling in for the injured Jonny Mennell. Kuffel has made 14 saves and posted one shutout.
Nine different Musketeers have now scored a goal this season. Twelve different players have also recorded an assist.
The Musketeers have 21 goals in 11 matches on the year (only had 14 goals in 17 matches last season). Six of Xavier's 21 goals have come via penalty kick.
Xavier ranks second in the BIG EAST and 31st in the NCAA in shots on goal per game (6.18).
Xavier ranks third in the BIG EAST in total goals (21) and 54th in the NCAA. The Musketeers also rank second in the BIG EAST in scoring offense (1.91) and 40th in the NCAA.
Xavier has scored three or more goals in a match three times this season.
John Higgins has posted a 27-17-20 (9-9-12 BIG EAST) record in four seasons at Xavier. His teams have posted 28 shutouts in 64 matches.
In 2024, the defense post a 1.12 team goals against average, ranking ninth in single-season school history and 57th in the NCAA. Xavier also posted seven shutouts, ranking tied for eighth in single-season school history and tied for 33rd in the NCAA.
Matthew Senanou was selected by the Colorado Rapids in the MLS SuperDraft 2025 on Dec. 20 as the sixth overall pick (first round) in the draft, becoming the highest MLS Draft pick in program history.
The Musketeers defeated No. 2 Marshall, 2-0, at Corcoran Field on Aug. 29 - only one of two losses during the season for the national runner-up Thundering Herd. Xavier also had one player earn All-BIG EAST Honors and four players named to the 2024 CSC Academic All-District® Team.
Xavier returns standout goalkeeper, Jonny Mennell. He had seven shutouts during the 2024 season, the fifth most in single-season school history. Mennell posted a 1.06 goals against average, ranking 10th in single-season school history
Jonny Mennell entered the 2025 season ranked third all-time at Xavier in career shutouts (16) and tied for sixth in career wins (13). He also finished the year with a 0.95 career goals against average, ranking fourth in school history.
Danny Flores was named an assistant coach on Aug. 12. He joins the Musketeers from Lawrence North HS (Indiana) where he was the program's head coach from 2022-24.

COACH HIGGINS

John Higgins was named the seventh men's soccer head coach in program history on March 28, 2022. Higgins joined the Musketeers from the University of Indianapolis where he compiled a 150-56-29 overall record in 12 seasons with the Greyhounds.
In 2023, Higgins led the Musketeers to the program's first BIG EAST Championship - defeating No. 3 Georgetown in the tournament championship via penalty kicks to earn the conference's automatic NCAA Tournament bid. Xavier advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in school history and the first time since 2014. The Musketeers also had two top-25 wins during the season.
The 2022 season was highlighted by two players being taken in the MLS SuperDraft 2023: Cole Jensen and Makel Rasheed. Xavier had two players taken in the same draft for the first time in program history. Jensen was taken as the 18th overall pick (first round) by Inter Miami CF, the second highest draft pick in school history. Jensen was also named the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year and was named a United Soccer Coaches All-American, becoming only the second player in program history to earn All-American honors.
In 2022, the Musketeers also had a 14-match unbeaten streak during the regular season - matching the program record for longest unbeaten streak. Xavier also climbed to as high as No. 9 in the United Soccer Coaches' Poll, matching the highest ranking in school history. The Musketeers also advanced to the BIG EAST Tournament for the first time since 2018.

SCHEDULE NOTES

Xavier will play seven matches at Corcoran Field this fall, including the team's season opener on Aug. 21 vs Saint Francis.
The Musketeers will play three teams that finished the 2024 season ranked in the top-25 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll: Western Michigan (No. 20), Akron (No. 21) and Georgetown (No. 25).
The Musketeers play four teams that participated in the 2024 NCAA Tournament: Western Michigan (Aug. 15), Providence (Sept. 27), Akron (Oct. 25) and Georgetown (Nov. 1).
Xavier plays teams from six different conferences during non-conference action: Big Ten, NEC, ASUN, MVC, MAAC and Horizon (2).
BIG EAST action began on Sept. 19 at St. John's. Xavier also travels to Marquette (Oct. 3), Creighton (Oct. 11) and Georgetown (Nov. 1) during conference action.
The Musketeers opened home BIG EAST action on Sept. 27 vs Providence. Xavier also plays Butler (Oct. 17), Akron (Oct. 25) and DePaul (Nov. 7) at Corcoran Field during conference action.
The BIG EAST Championships returns to the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md., on Nov. 13-16.

BIG EAST PRESEASON POLL

East Division
(first-place votes)
1. Georgetown (10) - 65
2. Providence (2) - 56
3. St. John's - 45
4. Connecticut - 34
5. Seton Hall - 30
6. Villanova - 16

Midwest Division
(first-place votes)
1. Akron (10) - 65
2. Creighton (2) - 57
3. Xavier - 41
4. Marquette - 34
5. DePaul - 26
6. Butler - 23

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Xavier men's soccer has reached the NCAA Tournament in five of the last 15 seasons. The Musketeers have also won 10 or more matches in seven of the last 15 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 eight of the last 12 BIG EAST Championships, including trips to the title game in 2014, 2017 and 2023.
Xavier has been ranked in the nation's top-10 four times in the last 12 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 all but one 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.
Seven Xavier players have been selected in the MLS SuperDraft in the last 13 years.

XAVIER MLS HISTORY

2024 - Matthew Senanou - 1st Round (6th) - Colorado Rapids
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

UP NEXT

Xavier plays host to Akron in BIG EAST action on Saturday, Oct. 25. First touch is set for 2 p.m. from Corcoran Field.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Xavier will broadcast all seven home matches on either Xavier+ or ESPN+.
The subscription cost of Xavier+ will be $10 per match or $49 for a fall season pass to watch all 19 home Xavier+ broadcasts (includes men's soccer, women's soccer and volleyball). All purchases are subject to the customer's state sales tax.
A subscription to ESPN+ is required to view the four home men's soccer matches aired on ESPN+. An ESPN+ subscription will also include a number of road men's soccer contests (determined by the host institution).

Schedule

Upcoming Events

Players Mentioned

Ryan D'urso

Cooper Forcellini

Shogo Haraikawa

Gabriel Kuffel

Jonny Mennell

Matthew Senanou

Nathan Trickett

Guilherme Vivaldini

Upcoming Events

Xavier University Athletics