Women's Soccer Travels to Villanova for Wednesday Afternoon Match

Wednesday, October 7

Villanova, Pa.

4:00 PM

Xavier University

Villanova

Women's Soccer Travels to Villanova for Wednesday Afternoon Match

10.06.26 | Women's Soccer

Live Stats Live Stream

Musketeers and Wildcats set for 4 PM start on ESPN+

By: Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier women's soccer heads out on the road to face Villanova on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at Higgins Soccer Complex in Villanova, Pa. The Musketeers and the Wildcats get underway at 4:00 p.m. on ESPN+.

Xavier is 8-2-1 overall, entering the weekend on a seven-match unbeaten streak after topping Seton Hall, 2-0, on Saturday afternoon. At 2-0-1 in BIG EAST play, the Musketeers sit in second place in the BIG EAST standings three games into the 10-match conference slate. Xavier stood at 19 in the most recent RPI ratings (through games on Oct. 5).

GAME DETAILS

at Villanova
Wednesday, Oct. 7 - 4 PM
Higgins Soccer Complex - Villanova, Pa.

BIG EAST STandings

SCHOOL	CONF.	PTS.	PCT.	OVERALL	PCT.	STREAK
Villanova	3-0	9	1.000	8-0-3	.864	W3
Xavier	2-0-1	7	.833	8-2-1	.773	W1
Butler	1-0-2	5	.667	6-2-3	.682	W1
UConn	1-0-1	4	.750	3-2-5	.550	W1
Marquette	0-0-2	2	.500	4-1-6	.636	T2
Seton Hall	0-1-2	2	.333	4-1-4	.667	L1
DePaul	0-1-2	2	.333	3-3-5	.500	L1
Creighton	0-1-2	2	.333	4-4-3	.500	T1
St. John's	0-1-2	2	.333	3-5-3	.409	T2
Providence	0-1-1	1	.250	2-2-7	.500	L1
Georgetown	0-2-1	1	.167	3-4-3	.450	L1

OPPONENT INFO

Villanova enters the match at 8-0-3 overall and 3-0 in BIG EAST play, sitting in first place in the league standings after opening up conference play with wins over St. John's, Creighton and Georgetown. The Wildcats also have wins over Lehigh, Columbia, Iona, Penn and Delaware, and have played Syracuse, Bucknell and Princeton to draws to enter the match with Xavier unbeaten.
Villanova was picked to finish fifth in the BIG EAST Preseason Poll after finishing 2025 at 9-8-1 overall and 4-5-1 in BIG EAST play, placing fifth in the BIG EAST standings.
A trio of Wildcats earned a spot on the preseason all-conference team, including BIG EAST Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year, Hannah Dickinson, as well as forward Avrie Nelsen and midfielder Gabby Koluch.
Xavier is 9-4 all-time and have won the last six against the Wildcats after taking a 9-0 win in Cincinnati in 2025.

MUSKETEER NOTABLES

Frances Reuland picked up her third goal of the season in Xavier's 2-0 win over Seton Hall, marking her first collegiate PK. She also added to her team-high, and BIG EAST-leading, assist total against Georgetown, picking up her sixth of the year on Kohls' second-half goal. Her total assists are tied for 30th most in NCAA DI, while her assists per game, 0.60, are 16th-most in the country. She matches Peyton Kohls for team-high with 12 points on the year, tied for fourth most in the BIG EAST
Peyton Kohls collected three points in Xavier's win over Georgetown, putting the Musketeers ahead 3-1 just after halftime with her fourth goal of the season and picking up an assist on Reese Sochacki's first-half goal, her fourth helper of the season, to give her 12 points on the year. Her point total matches Reuland for team-high and fourth in the BIG EAST.
Brooklyn O'Brien's first half goal against Southern Indiana was her team-leading fifth goal of the season, tied for second most in the BIG EAST, and her second game-winner, tied for most in the BIG EAST. She now has 10 points on the season.
Kieran Bradley knocked in her fourth goal of her freshman season in Xavier's win over Georgetown, her second game-winner. Bradley also picked up her first collegiate assist in Xavier's draw against DePaul, giving her nine points on the year.
Regan Dancer scored her second goal of the season in Xavier's draw against DePaul on Wednesday, combining with three assists to give her seven points on the year.
McKinley Berry's scored her second goal of the season, and first collegiate game-winner, in the first half against Seton Hall. She now has three points on a goal and an assist.
Maria Tapia's PK against USI marked her second goal of the season. Combined with an assist, she has five points on the year.
Reese Sochacki scored her first goal of the season in Xavier's 4-3 win at Georgetown, putting Xavier back in front, 2-1, just before halftime. She also picked up an assist on McKinley Berry's game-winner against SHU, her second of the year, to give her four points.
Breanna Dardano picked up her third assist of the season on McKinley Berry's game-winner against SHU.
Nastassja Garrett put the Musketeers in front, 1-0, in the first half against Georgetown, marking her first collegiate goal and giving her two points on the season.
Sara Parker knocked in the game-winner in the second half of Xavier's 3-2 win over Indiana, her first of the season and her first game-winner as a Musketeer.
Alexis Morrison picked up her second assist of the season against Dayton on Reuland's first half goal.
Abby Unkraut picked up an assist on Bradley's goal against WMU, marking her first point as a Musketeer.
Thirteen Musketeers have recorded a point so far in 2026, with 10 goal scorers and 10 Musketeers recording an assist through 11 matches.
Nastassja Garrett leads the Musketeers in minutes played with 968, starting in every match this season and playing over 80 minutes in every outing so far, including the full time in seven matches. Elizabeth Powell has 848 minutes of action on the Xavier backline, also making the start in Xavier's 11 matches on record.
Sami Lipcon has played in eight matches, making seven starts in-goal. She's collected 18 saves with eight goals against for the season, and has three complete shutouts as well as a partial shutout.
Taylor Thomas has made four starts in-goal, collecting 14 saves with five goals against in 309 minutes of action. She picked up her first complete shutout as a Musketeer in Xavier's 2-0 win over Seton Hall.
Head coach Katy Etelman picked up her first career win on Sunday, August 16, topping her alma mater Miami (Ohio), 2-0, at Corcoran Field.

WEEKLY AWARDS

After helping the Musketeers remain unbeaten in BIG EAST action, McKinley Berry earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll, the league office announced on Monday.
Berry got the Musketeers on the board in the first half against Seton Hall, her second goal of the season and her first collegiate game-winner. The goal was the first allowed by the Seton Hall defense since the first half of the Pirates' season opener on August 16, a streak of over 735 minutes of action.
On the defensive end, Berry played 86 minutes in Xavier's 1-1 draw against DePaul, helping limit the Blue Demons to just two looks on-frame. In the win over SHU, Berry played 76 minutes, helping limit the Pirates to just three shots on-frame on the way to Xavier's fifth shutout of the season.

2026 SCHEDULE

The Musketeers are back at Corcoran Field on Saturday, Oct. 10, hosting UConn for a 6:30 p.m. start on ESPN+.
After the match with the Huskies, Xavier returns to Corcoran Field on Saturday, Oct. 17 to host Creighton, set for a 1:00 p.m. start on ESPN+.
In non-conference play, Xavier faced teams six different conferences before starting the 10-game BIG EAST schedule. The 2026 schedule features five teams that took part in the 2025 NCAA Championship, including a pair of Quarterfinalists in No. 2 Michigan State and No. 3 Vanderbilt.

HEAD COACH KATY ETELMAN

The 2026 season marks the first season at the helm for head coach Katy Etelman, who joined the Xavier staff in 2021. Etelman became the program's 10th head coach in February, following Dean Ward's departure to Iowa, after serving as associate head coach since 2023.
During her time as a Xavier assistant, Etelman helped lead the Musketeers to 75 wins, two BIG EAST Regular Season Championships, a BIG EAST Tournament title, and four bids to the NCAA Championships in the last five seasons. Xavier's 75 wins are the seventh most in Division I over that span.
In the last two seasons, as part of Ward's staff, Etelman helped lead the Musketeers to 31 wins, the most wins in a two-year period in program history. During that time, Xavier earned four All-American honors, five BIG EAST postseason awards, and 15 total All-BIG EAST selections
Etelman added Cory Herchenroeder to her staff as associate head coach. Herchenroeder came to Xavier from Missouri State where he joined the staff as an assistant coach in 2022 and was promoted to associate head coach in August of 2023.
Mikayla Krzeczowski also joined Etelman's staff as assistant coach with goalkeeper oversight. Krzeczowski, one of the top goalkeepers in NCAA DI history, came to Xavier from Appalachian State where she had served as part of the women's soccer staff since January 2022.

PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST HONORS

Forward Peyton Kohls was named the Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year, as voted on by the league coaches. Kohls was also a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, and was joined on the preseason all-conference squad by defender Brooklynn Miltenberger.
Kohls, a redshirt junior from Loveland, Ohio, started in all 22 matches for the Musketeers in 2025, collecting a career-best 20 points on six goals on and eight assists for the season. Her assist total ranked fourth in the BIG EAST and 35th in NCAA DI at the conclusion of the regular season. She started in all 10 matches in BIG EAST play last season finishing conference action with 10 points on three goals, including the game winner at DePaul, and four assists.
Kohls recorded her first collegiate goal and had a pair of assists in Xavier's 5-2 win over No. 17 Michigan State. She also posted her first career multi-goal game in Xavier's 6-0 win over Southeast Missouri State, also picking up an assist against SEMO for a career-high five points.
Kohls earned a spot on the 2025 All-BIG EAST Third Team and was named CSC Academic All-District following the season.
Miltenberger, a senior from Middletown, Ohio, played in 17 matches in 2025, making 15 starts for a Musketeer defense that only allowed 22 goals and had 12 shutouts on the season. She played in nine matches in BIG EAST play, starting in eight, with the Musketeers going 8-0-1, collecting five shutouts, and only allowing five goals in the conference matches in which she played.
For the season, Miltenberger played 964 minutes for the Xavier backline, playing the full 90 minutes in three matches before her season ended due to injury.
Miltenberger earned a spot on the All-BIG EAST Third Team following the season.

The 2026 Roster

Xavier returns 18 letterwinners from the 2025 squad that finished 16-4-2, winning the BIG EAST Tournament Championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament Second Round.
The returning Musketeers include a trio of all-conference performers from 2025, preseason all-conference selections Peyton Kohls and Brooklynn Miltenberger, as well as Regan Dancer, who recently re-joined the roster for a fifth year.
The Musketeers returning account for 75 points on 24 goals and 27 assists in last season's record-setting offense.
Xavier brings in four transfers, Sami Lipcon (UCF), Fiona Skwierawski (Kansas), Alivia Stott (Tennessee) and Abby Unkraut (Georgia) and added seven freshmen to the roster.
The Musketeers come from 14 different states as well as New Zealand: Ohio (8), Michigan (4), California (2), Kansas (2), Kentucky (2), North Carolina (2), Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin.
Five Musketeers are originally from the Greater Cincinnati area, Peyton Kohls (Loveland, Ohio), Brooklynn Miltenberger (Middletown, Ohio), Gianna Mlynek (Anderson Township, Ohio), Presley Pennekamp (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Abby Unkraut (Burlington, Ky.).

2025 SEASON NOTES

Xavier is coming off a 2025 season where the Musketeers won the program's second BIG EAST Championship title, earning the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
The Musketeers earned a home match in the NCAA Tournament, hosting Dayton in the first round. Xavier's 2-0 win over the Flyers was the first home NCAA Tournament win in program history, and marked the third time Xavier advanced in the tournament.
The 2025 Musketeers also set a new program record with a 15-match unbeaten streak, going 13-0-2 during that stretch, and the Musketeer offense set a new single season program records with 71 goals, 210 points and 68 assists.
Xavier set new program records for goals (71), assists (68) and points (210) during the 2025 campaign.The previous records for goals (67) and points (165) had stood since the first year of the program in 1984. The prior assists record (47) was from 1997.
The Musketeers finished with 16 wins, tied for second most in program history.
Following the season, two players, Natalie Bain and Samantha Erbach, were named All-Americans, the second time in program history multiple Musketeers earned All-American honors.
Nine Musketeers earned All-BIG EAST honorees, the most in program history.

BIG EAST COACHES POLL

BIG EAST Preseason Women's Soccer Coaches' Poll
(first-place votes)
1. Georgetown, 98 (8)
2. UConn, 89 (2)
3. Xavier, 78 (1)
4. Creighton, 73
5. Villanova, 66
6. Providence, 60
7. Marquette, 40
8. Butler, 39
9. St. John's, 28
10. DePaul, 19
11. Seton Hall, 15

Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year
Peyton Kohls, Xavier, Sr., F

Preseason BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year
Lizzie Heller, Georgetown, Jr., M

Preseason BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Kaya Hanson, Georgetown, Sr., D

Preseason BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year
Hannah Dickinson, Villanova, Sr., GK

Preseason All-BIG EAST Team *
Jocelyn Leigh, Marquette, Jr., F
Courtnee Pickles, Providence, So., F
Se-Hanna Mars, UConn, R-So., F
Avrie Nelsen, Villanova, So., F
Peyton Kohls, Xavier, Sr., F ^
Chloe Brecht, Butler, Jr., M
Lizzie Heller, Georgetown, Jr., M
Thaea Mouratidis, Providence, Gr., M
Anaya Johnson, UConn, Sr., M ^
Gabby Koluch, Villanova, Sr., M
Kaya Hanson, Georgetown, Sr., D
Brooklynn Miltenberger, Xavier, Sr., D
Hannah Dickinson, Villanova, Sr., GK

^ unanimous selection
* Due to a tie in voting, there are 13 members on the preseason team

XAVIER HOME BROADCAST INFO

Xavier Athletics announced that 21 fall home sporting events will be broadcast live via Xavier+. The men's and women's soccer and volleyball broadcasts will be available through a subscription on GoXavier.com.
All 32 home fall sporting events for men's and women's soccer and volleyball will be broadcast on either ESPN+ or Xavier+.
The subscription cost of Xavier+ will be $10 per event or $145 for a fall season pass to watch all 21 home events. All purchases are subject to the customer's state sales tax.
A subscription to ESPN+ is required to view the 11 home men's and women's soccer and volleyball broadcasts. An ESPN+ subscription will also include a number of road men's and women's soccer and volleyball contests (determined by the host institution).
A detailed broadcasting list of each home and away men's and women's soccer and volleyball contest is available on the sport specific schedule pages at GoXavier.com.
Four women's soccer matches will be available on XAVIER+ with the remaining games being streamed on ESPN+.