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Xavier University Athletics
Men's Soccer Announces 2026 Schedule
06.02.26 | Men's Soccer
Xavier will play 11 matches at Corcoran Field
CINCINNATI - Xavier men's soccer announced its 2026 schedule on Tuesday afternoon. The Musketeers will play 11 matches at Corcoran Field.
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), Marshall (No. 17) and UConn (No. 24).
- Xavier will play two matches during preseason. The Musketeers play host to Western Michigan on Aug. 8 and travel to IU Indy on Aug. 15.
- The Musketeers play five teams that participated in the 2025 NCAA Tournament: Western Michigan (Aug. 8), Marshall (Sept. 11), Seton Hall (Oct. 10), Akron (Oct. 24), UConn (Oct. 31).
- Xavier plays teams from five different conferences during non-conference action: ASUN, Big Ten, Horizon (3), MVC and Sun Belt.
- BIG EAST action begins 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 open home BIG EAST action on Sept. 26 vs Villanova. Xavier also plays Marquette (Oct. 2), 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.
NOTABLES
- 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.
- Xavier returns standout goalkeeper, Jonny Mennell. He enters the 2026 season ranked tied for first all-time at Xavier in career shutouts (19) and tied for fifth in career wins (16). Mennell also ranks fifth in career goals against average (1.09) and ninth in career saves (156).
- 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 welcomes 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 27-19-22 (9-11-14 BIG EAST) record in four seasons at Xavier. His teams have posted 28 shutouts in 68 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.
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