No. 21 Xavier Closes Non-Conference Action vs Northern Kentucky

Tuesday, October 20

Cincinnati, Ohio

6:30 p.m.

Xavier University

Northern Kentucky

10.19.26 | Men's Soccer

Live Stats Watch Live

First touch is set for 6:30 p.m. from Corcoran Field on Tuesday, Oct. 20

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - No. 21 Xavier men's soccer closes non-conference action on Tuesday, Oct. 20 vs Northern Kentucky. First touch is set for 6:30 p.m. from Corcoran Field.

MATCH INFORMATION

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (8-0-4) vs NORTHERN KENTUCKY (1-10-2)
Game Info - Tuesday, Oct. 20 - 6:30 PM - Corcoran Field (1,000)
Live Stats - xavier.statbroadcast.com
XAVIER+ - goxavier.com/watch

ABOUT NORTHERN KENTUCKY

2026 Record: 1-10-2
2025 Record: 4-10-3
2025 Postseason: None
Series History: Xavier is 7-0-1 all-time vs Northern Kentucky
Last Meeting: Xavier 2, Northern Kentucky 1 (Sept. 23, 2025 - NKU Soccer Stadium)

NOTABLES
• Northern Kentucky was picked to finish 10th in the Preseason Horizon League Coaches' Poll.
• The Norse are 1-6 in road matches this season. Northern Kentucky is coming off a 3-1 loss vs Robert Morris on Oct. 17.
• The Norse have been outscored, 32-15, this season. Opponents have also taken 54 more shots (210-156) than the Norse.
• Carlos Merce leads the team in points with 11 (five goals, one assist). Ibrahim Piracha has added eight points (two goals, four assists).
• Caleb Pearson (1-9-2) has a 2.58 goals against average with 62 saves in 1,044 minutes of action. Landon Barth (0-1-0) has added a 1.44 goals against average with three saves in 125 minutes of action.
• Northern Kentucky ranks 151st in the NCAA in total goals (15) and 205th in team goals against average (2.46).

SERIES HISTORY

Xavier is 7-0-1 all-time vs Northern Kentucky with a 3-0-1 record when playing at Corcoran Field.
Xavier won the last meeting between the two schools, 2-1, on Sept. 23 last season at NKU Soccer Stadium and Scudamore Field. Cooper Forcellini scored both goals in the win.
The two teams played to a scoreless draw in the last meeting at Corcoran Field on Aug. 22, 2024.

UNBEATEN STREAK

Xavier is one of only three remaining unbeaten teams in NCAA Division I Men's Soccer (Creighton and Xavier are the only two remaining unbeaten teams in the BIG EAST). No. 1 SMU is also unbeaten.
The Musketeers have the second longest active unbeaten streak in the nation dating back to last season, sitting behind only Creighton.
- Creighton (10-0-5): Last loss was on Nov. 7, 2025
- Xavier (8-0-5): Last loss was on Nov. 1, 2025

XAVIER in the rankings

Xavier men's soccer ranks No. 21 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll. The Musketeers also rank No. 17 in the TopDrawerSoccer.com Poll (most recent polls on Oct 13).
Xavier is one of four BIG EAST teams ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Poll: No. 3 Georgetown, No. 5 Creighton, No. 9 Akron and No. 21 Xavier.
The Musketeers entered the polls on Sept. 29 this season at No. 25. Xavier entered the polls for the first time since Oct. 25, 2022 (ranked No. 19 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll). Xavier reached as high as No. 9 in the poll in 2022, matching the highest ranking in school history.

LAST TIME OUT

Xavier is coming off a 1-1 draw vs No. 5 Creighton on Oct. 15 at Corcoran Field.
The Xavier defense limited Creighton to a season-low five shots and only one goal (have only been limited to one or fewer goals five times this season). The five shots are the fewest in a match by the Bluejays since Aug. 29, 2025 at Michigan (had five shots in a 3-1 loss).
Xavier had its five-match shutout streak snapped vs the Bluejays. Creighton's goal in the 56th minute was the first goal surrendered by the Musketeers since the 89th minute at DePaul on Sept. 18, The Musketeers nearly went 508 straight minutes (507:10) without allowing a goal.
Jonny Mennell (8-0-4) made three saves and allowed one goal. He now has a 0.43 goals against average on the season with 38 saves and seven shutouts.
Xavier held an 18-5 advantage in shots and took three more shots on goal (7-4) than the Bluejays.
Osi Onwudiwe scored his third goal of the season. He is one of four players with three goals on the team.
Harun Bakaran and Ajmal Tesilimi both added an assist. Bakaran's assist was his first of the season (and the second assist of his career), while Tesilimi's was his second of the season. A total of 12 players have recorded an assist this year.

MENNELL - XAVIER SCHOOL RECORDS

Jonny Mennell has a 24-17-18 career record with 26 shutouts and a 0.96 goals against average (fourth in school history). His 24 career wins rank third in school history (He is one win away from moving into a tie for second place with Eric Osswald).
Jonny Mennell has program-best 26 career shutouts.
Jonny Mennell has 194 career saves, ranking eighth all-time at Xavier. He is eight saves away from moving into seventh place with Mark Armstrong (1984-86).

BIG EAST WEEKLY HONORS

Oct. 19 - Ryan D'urso - Weekly Honor Roll
Oct. 12 - Jonny Mennell - Goalkeeper of the Week
Oct. 5 - Jonny Mennell - Goalkeeper of the Week
Oct. 5 - Ekene Okeke - Defensive Player of the Week
Oct. 5 - Gun Ha Lee - Weekly Honor Roll
Sept. 28 - Gerard Lorente - Weekly Honor Roll
Sept. 28 - Beckham Williams - Freshman of the Week
Sept. 28 - Nolan Brice - Defensive Player of the Week
Sept. 14 - Ekene Okeke - Weekly Honor Roll
Sept. 8 - Ekene Okeke - Weekly Honor Roll
Aug. 31 - Ekene Okeke - Weekly Honor Roll

STAT RANKINGS

Xavier has only allowed five goals this season, the second fewest allowed in NCAA Division I Men's Soccer this season.
Xavier ranks second in NCAA Division I Men's Soccer in goals against average (.417). The Musketeers also rank tied for second in the NCAA in shutouts with eight (one of four teams with eight shutouts).
Jonny Mennell ranks first in the BIG EAST and third in the NCAA in goals against average (0.426). He also ranks first in the BIG EAST and third in the NCAA in shutouts with seven.
Xavier ranks second in the BIG EAST and third in the NCAA in corner kicks per game (7.58).
Xavier ranks third in the BIG EAST and 24th in the NCAA in assists per game (2.17). The Musketeers have 26 assists on the year, ranking fourth in the BIG EAST and 37th in the NCAA. Xavier also ranks 44th in the NCAA in total goals with 25.
The Musketeers rank fourth in the BIG EAST and 32nd in the NCAA in points per game (6.33). Xavier's scoring offense (2.08) ranks fourth in the BIG EAST and 32nd in the NCAA.

NOTABLES

Xavier is 20-9-14 in home matches under John Higgins with a 13-5-2 mark in non-conference home matches.
Xavier has eight shutouts in 12 matches this season. The Musketeers only had four shutouts during the 2025 season. The eight shutouts are the most in a season since 2023 (had nine shutouts - ranking third in single-season school history).
Xavier is one of only two schools to post five straight shutouts this season from Sept. 18 - Oct. 10 (Lehigh posted five straight shutouts from Sept. 5 - Sept. 22).
The Musketeers posted five shutouts in a row this season from Sept. 18 - Oct. 10, the most consecutive shutouts in a single-season school history. Xavier has outscored its opponents, 16-1, in its last six matches.
Xavier has outscored its opponents, 25-5, this season. The Musketeers have now surpassed their goal total from last season (24 goals) with four regular-season matches left on the schedule.
Xavier ranks No. 19 in the latest NCAA Division I Men's Soccer RPI standings (Oct. 18), one of four schools from the BIG EAST ranked in the top-20.
The Musketeers have surpassed their win total from last year with a 8-0-4 record (went 5-6-4 in 2025).
Xavier remains unbeaten at 8-0-4, the longest unbeaten streak to start the season since 2022, when the Musketeers started the season at 9-0-5.
Xavier defeated Marquette, 3-0, on Oct. 2. The Musketeers scored three or more goals in a BIG EAST match for the first time since Oct. 28, 2023 (W, 4-0 at UConn).
A total of 12 different players have scored a goal this season for the Musketeers, paced by Nolan Brice, Gerard Lorente, Ekene Okeke and Osi Onwudiwe who have three goals each. Lorente has a team-high 11 points (three goals, five assists). The last time Xavier had 12 different goal scorers was during the 2023 season.
A total of 12 different players have recorded an assist, paced by Gerard Lorente and Alejandro Silvestrini who have a team-high five assists. They are the first Musketeers with five or more assists in a season since Jerome Jolly in 2020 (six assists).
Xavier has nine players with multiple goals this season, the most players with two or more goals in a Xavier season since at least 2004. The last time Xavier had eight players with multiple goals in the same season was 2022.
Jabari De Coteau and Cooper Forcellini were taken in the MLS SuperDraft 2026. A total of nine Musketeers have been taken all-time in the MLS Draft, including five under head coach John Higgins.
Forcellini was taken in the second round (43rd overall pick) by St. Louis CITY SC. The 2025 All-BIG EAST First Team selection finished the year ranked fifth in the BIG EAST and 51st in the NCAA in total points (22). The midfielder was named to the 2025 United Soccer Coaches All-East Region Third Team and was selected to participate in the 2025 MLS College Showcase.
De Coteau was taken in the third round (86th overall pick) by the Colorado Rapids. He played in 38 matches in three seasons for the Musketeers with one goal and one assist. The defender helped the team post 20 shutouts in three seasons. In 2023, the defense posted a school record 0.83 goals against average with nine shutouts (tied for third in school history).
In 2025, Xavier scored 24 goals in 15 matches - an increase of 10 goals from the 2024 season (had 14 goals in 17 matches).
Cooper Forcellini, Jonny Mennell, Alejandro Silvestrini and Ezra Widman were named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team in November of 2025.
All told, the Musketeers return 12 letterwinners from last season. Offensively, Harun Bakaran and Gun Ha Lee both scored three goals and recorded one assist.
Xavier welcomed 14 newcomers to the roster in the fall of 2026.

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.
John Higgins has posted a 35-19-26 (11-11-16 BIG EAST) record in five seasons at Xavier. His teams have posted 36 shutouts in 80 matches.
John Higgins had two players taken in the MLS SuperDraft 2026. Five of the nine MLS Draft Picks in school history have come under Coach Higgins.
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.
In 2022, the Musketeers 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 11 matches at Corcoran Field this fall, including the team's season opener on Aug. 20 vs Purdue Fort Wayne.
The Musketeers will play three teams that finished the 2025 season ranked in the top-25 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll: Georgetown (No. 5), Akron (No. 12) and UConn (No. 24).
Xavier played two matches during preseason. The Musketeers played host to Western Michigan on Aug. 8 and traveled to IU Indy on Aug. 15 (Xavier won both matches).
The Musketeers play four teams that participated in the 2025 NCAA Tournament: Western Michigan (Aug. 8), Seton Hall (Oct. 10), Akron (Oct. 24) and UConn (Oct. 31).
Xavier plays teams from four different conferences during non-conference action: ASUN, Big Ten, Horizon (3) and MVC.
BIG EAST action began on Sept. 18 at DePaul. Xavier also travels to Seton Hall (Oct. 10), Akron (Oct. 24) and Butler (Nov. 6) during conference action.
The Musketeers opened home BIG EAST action on Sept. 26 vs Villanova. Xavier also plays Marquette (Oct. 2), No. 5 Creighton (Oct. 15) and UConn (Oct. 31) at Corcoran Field during conference action.
The BIG EAST Championships returns to the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md., on Nov. 12-15.

BIG EAST PRESEASON POLL

East Division
(first-place votes)
1. Georgetown - 66 (11)
2. UConn - 46
3. Providence 45 (1)
4. St. John's - 37
5. Seton Hall - 36
6. Villanova - 16

Midwest Division
(first-place votes)
1. Akron - 66 (11)
2. Creighton - 56 (1)
3. Xavier - 43
4. Marquette - 34
5. DePaul - 27
6. Butler - 20

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Xavier men's soccer has reached the NCAA Tournament in five of the last 16 seasons. The Musketeers have also won 10 or more matches in seven of the last 16 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 13 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 13 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 two seasons 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.
Nine Xavier players have been selected in the MLS SuperDraft in the last 14 years.

XAVIER MLS HISTORY

2025 - Jabari De Coteau - 3rd Round (86th) - Colorado Rapids
2025 - Cooper Forcellini - 2nd Round (43rd) - St. Louis CITY SC
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

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Xavier will broadcast all 10 home matches on either Xavier+ or ESPN+.
The subscription cost of Xavier+ will be $10 per match or $45 for a fall men's soccer season pass to watch all six home Xavier+ broadcasts. 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).