Xavier, Bowling Green Set for Friday Night Matchup

Friday, September 4

Cincinnati, Ohio

7 p.m.

Xavier University

Bowling Green

Xavier, Bowling Green Set for Friday Night Matchup

09.02.26 | Men's Soccer

Live Stats Watch Live

First touch is set for 7 p.m. from Corcoran Field

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier men's soccer continues non-conference action vs Bowling Green on Friday, Sept. 4. First touch is set for 7 p.m. from Corcoran Field.

GAME INFORMATION

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (2-0-1) vs BOWLING GREEN FALCONS (1-3-0)
Game Info - Friday, Sept. 4 - 7 PM - Corcoran Field (1,000)
Live Stats - Xavier.statbroadcast.com
Watch Live (XAVIER+) - GoXavier.com/Watch

ABOUT BOWLING GREEN

2026 Record: 1-3
2025 Record: 5-8-4 (1-4-2 MVC)
2025 Postseason: None
Series History: Xavier trails, 6-4
Last Meeting: Xavier 5, Bowling Green 0 (Sept. 14, 2005 - Cincinnati, Ohio)

NOTABLES
• Bowling Green has lost three straight matches after opening the season with a 5-2 win over Wright State. The Falcons have been held scoreless in their last three matches and have not scored a goal in just over 277 minutes (last goal was in the 83rd minute vs Wright State on Aug. 20).
• The Falcons return 12 letterwinners, including six starters. All told, the Falcons have 10 newcomers on the roster and a total of 16 underclassmen.
• Four different Falcons have scored a goal this season, paced by Trace Terry who has two goals.
• Enzo Gil (1-3) has a 1.75 goals against aveage in 360 minutes of action. He has made 12 saves this season.

SERIES HISTORY

Xavier trails the all-time series with Bowling Green, 6-4. The Musketeers are 2-2 when playing the Falcons in Cincinnati.
The Musketeers won the last meeting between the two schools, 5-0, on Sept. 14, 2005 at Corcoran Field.
Xavier has won four straight matches vs the Falcons after dropping the first six meetings between the two schools.
The Musketeers have outscored the Falcons, 13-0, in the last three meetings.

LAST TIME OUT

Xavier is coming off a 3-2 win at Big Ten member Northwestern on Aug. 31.
Ekene Okeke entered the match with one goal in 30 career matches. The senior defender scored two goals vs the Wildcats, increasing his career points total to 11 points (three goals, two assists).
Ely Detty scored his first goal of the season (and the second of his career) in the fifth minute.
Xavier scored two, first-half goals vs the Wildcats - the first time the Musketeers have scored two goals in the first half of a match since Sept. 15, 2025 (scored two, first-half goals in a 6-0 win over Siena at Corcoran Field).
Xavier scored its first goal of the match in the fifth minute. It was the earliest goal scored in a match by the Musketeers since Oct. 7, 2025 at Wright State (Harun Bakaran scored in the second minute in a 2-0 win vs the Raiders).
Xavier scored three goals in a road match for the first time since Sept. 10, 2025 at Evansville (the two teams played to a 3-3 tie).
Xavier earned its first win over a Big Ten team since Sept. 12, 2021 (W, 1-0 vs Northwestern at Corcoran Field). The Musketeers also won their first road match over a Big Ten team since Aug. 30, 2015 (W, 2-0 at Wisconsin).
Xavier held a 16-15 advantage in shots and recorded three more shots on goal (9-6). The 16 shots and nine shots on goal are a season high for the Musketeers.
Northwestern was issued a red card in the 81st minute and played the final nine minutes of the match down a player.
Nine different Musketeers took a shot on the match, paced by Gun Ha Lee who took four shots (two on goal). Ekene Okeke finished with three shots (three shots on goal).
Jonny Mennell (2-0-1) made four saves and allowed two goals in 90 minutes of action. He now has 165 career saves in 50 matches played, ranking eighth in school history.

MENNELL - XAVIER SCHOOL RECORDS

Jonny Mennell has a 18-17-15 career record with 29 shutouts and a 1.08 goals against average (sixth in school history). His 18 career wins rank fifth in school history (He is two wins away from moving into a tie for third place).
Jonny Mennell has program-best 20 career shutouts.
Jonny Mennell has 165 career saves, ranking eighth all-time at Xavier. He is 37 saves away from moving into seventh place with Mark Armstrong (1984-86).

NOTABLES

Four different players have scored a goal this season for the Musketeers, paced by Ekene Okeke who has two goals. Five different players have recorded an assist, paced by Alejandro Silvestrini who has two assists.
The Musketeers rakn fourth in the BIG EAST and 48th in the NCAA in goals against average (1.00). Jonny Mennell ranks fourth in the BIG EAST and 51st in the NCAA in goals against average (1.00).
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 29-19-23 (9-11-14 BIG EAST) record in five seasons at Xavier. His teams have posted 29 shutouts in 71 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 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.

BIG EAST PRESEASON POLL

East Division
(first-place votes)
1. Georgetown - 66 (11)
2. UConn - 46
3. Providence45 (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).