No. 17 Men's Soccer Plays Host to UConn on Senior Day

Saturday, October 31

Cincinnati, Ohio

6:30 p.m.

Xavier University

UConn

10.29.26 | Men's Soccer

Live Stats ESPN+

First touch is set for 6:30 p.m. from Corcoran Field

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - No. 17 Xavier men's soccer continues BIG EAST action vs UConn on Saturday, Oct. 31. First touch is set for 6:30 p.m. from Corcoran Field.

Saturday's match will serve as Senior Day. The Musketeers are recognizing three players (Gun Ha Lee, Alejandro Silvestrini, Nathan Trickett) and three student managers (Trenton Chandler, Alex Hill, Jacob Stamm) in a pregame ceremony on the field.

MATCH INFORMATION

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (9-1-4, 2-1-3) vs UCONN HUSKIES (7-6-2, 3-2-0)
Game Info - Saturday, Oct. 31 - 6 PM - Corcoran Field (1,000)
Live Stats - xavier.statbroadcast.com
ESPN+ - espn.com/watch

ABOUT UCONN

2026 Record: 7-7-2 (3-3-0)
2025 Record: 12-5-4 (5-2-1)
2025 Postseason: NCAA Tournament - Second Round
Series History: Xavier is 3-0 all-time vs UCONN
Last Meeting: Xavier 4, UCONN 0 (Oct. 28, 2023 - Morrone Stadium)

NOTABLES
• UCONN was picked to finish second in East Division of the Preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Poll. Kyle Durham was named the preseason goalkeeper of the year.
• The Huskies rank fifth in the BIG EAST and 47th in the NCAA in total goals (28). UCONN ranks sixth in the BIG EAST and 85th in the NCAA in goals against average (1.31). The Huskies also rank third in the BIG EAST and 23rd in the NCAA in corner kicks per game (6.19).
• Elijah Langford leads the team in points with 15 (seven goals, one assist). Alfonso Arredondo ranks second on the team in points with nine (three goals, three assists).
• Kyle Durham (6-7-2) has a 1.33 goals against average with 50 saves and three shutouts in 1,350 minutes of action.
• UCONN is 2-2-1 in road matches this season. The Huskies are coming off a 3-2 loss at St. John's on Oct. 27.

SERIES HISTORY

Xavier is 3-0 all-time vs UCONN with a 1-0 record at Corcoran Field.
Xavier won the last meeting between the two schools, 4-0, on Oct. 28, 2023 at Morrone Stadium.
The Musketeers won the last meeting at Corcoran Field, 1-0, on Oct. 1, 2022.
Xavier won the first meeting between the two schools, 2-1, on Oct. 30, 2021 at Morrone Stadium.

XAVIER in the rankings

Xavier men's soccer ranks No. 17 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll. The Musketeers also rank No. 14 in the TopDrawerSoccer.com Poll (most recent polls on Oct. 27).
Xavier is one of four BIG EAST teams ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Poll: No. 2 Georgetown, No. 6 Akron, No. 9 Creighton and No. 17 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.

TDS MIDSEASON Top-100

Xavier had three players ranked in the TopDrawerSoccer Midseason Top-100, one of only nine schools in the country with three or more players on the list (and one of only two schools from the BIG EAST).
Jonny Mennell was ranked No. 13 (the second highest ranked goalkeeper in the nation), Nolan Brice was ranked No. 25 and Ekene Okeke was ranked No. 45.
Nolan Brice was also one of only 10 players listed on the College Player of the Year Leaderboard presented by the Adidas National Cup. He was one of only three BIG EAST players on the list.
Xavier has two players who are ranked ranked in the TopDrawerSoccer Midseason Top-100 Freshmen. Gerard Lorente ranks No. 6 and Beckham Williams ranks No. 31.

LAST TIME OUT

Xavier is coming off a 2-1 loss at No. 9 Akron on Oct. 24. The loss snapped the program's 14-match unbeaten streak, the second longest active streak in the nation.
Xavier entered the match as one of only three remaining unbeaten teams in the country (No. 1 SMU and No. 8 Creighton were the other teams).
The Musketeers allowed multiple goals in a match for only the second time this season (also allowed two goals in a 3-2 win at Northwestern on Aug. 31). Xavier has outscored its opponents, 29-8, on the year.
Harun Bakaran and Gun Ha Lee led the Musketeers with with two shots each. Bakaran took a team-high two shots on goal.
Jose Pedro scored his fourth goal of the season, matching Osi Onwudiwe for the team lead in goals. Pedro now ranks tied for second on the team in points with nine (four goals, one assist).
Jonny Mennell (9-1-4) made eight saves and allowed two goals in 90 minutes of action. The eight saves matched a career high for the senior goalkeeper.

MENNELL - XAVIER SCHOOL RECORDS

Jonny Mennell has a 25-18-18 career record with 26 shutouts and a 0.97 goals against average (fourth in school history). His 25 career wins rank tied for second place with Eric Osswald).
Jonny Mennell has program-best 26 career shutouts.
Jonny Mennell has 203 career saves, ranking seventh all-time at Xavier.

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 eight goals this season, the second fewest allowed in NCAA Division I Men's Soccer this season.
Xavier ranks third in NCAA Division I Men's Soccer in goals against average (.571). The Musketeers also rank tied for second in the NCAA in shutouts with eight (one of 10 teams with eight or more shutouts).
Jonny Mennell ranks first in the BIG EAST and seventh in the NCAA in goals against average (0.582). He also ranks second in the BIG EAST and fourth in the NCAA in shutouts with seven.
Xavier ranks second in the BIG EAST and fourth in the NCAA in corner kicks per game (7.36).
Xavier ranks fifth in the BIG EAST and 31st in the NCAA in assists per game (2.07). The Musketeers have 29 assists on the year, ranking fifth in the BIG EAST and 42nd in the NCAA. Xavier also ranks 40th in the NCAA in total goals with 29.
The Musketeers rank fourth in the BIG EAST and 29th in the NCAA in points per game (6.21). Xavier's scoring offense (2.07) ranks fourth in the BIG EAST and 29th in the NCAA.

NOTABLES

Xavier has eight shutouts in 14 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, 20-4, in its last eight matches.
Xavier has outscored its opponents, 29-8, this season. The Musketeers have now surpassed their goal total from last season (24 goals) with two regular-season matches left on the schedule.
Xavier ranks No. 22 in the latest NCAA Division I Men's Soccer RPI standings (Oct. 28), one of four schools from the BIG EAST ranked in the top-25.
The Musketeers have surpassed their win total from last year with a 9-1-4 record (went 5-6-4 in 2025).
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 13 different players have scored a goal this season for the Musketeers, paced by Osi Onwudiwe and Jose Pedro who have four goals each. Gerard Lorente has a team-high 12 points (three goals, six assists). The last time Xavier had 12 or more different goal scorers was during the 2023 season.
A total of 13 different players have recorded an assist, paced by Gerard Lorente who has a team-high six assists. He is the first Musketeers with six 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.
Xavier is 21-9-14 in home matches under John Higgins.
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 36-20-26 (11-12-16 BIG EAST) record in five seasons at Xavier. His teams have posted 36 shutouts in 82 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).