By Addison Burke, Sports Editor
Last Thursday, Xavier men’s soccer knocked down the No. 2 team in the country, Marshall University, after a 2-0 shut out. The win was secured for the Musketeers four minutes into the second half with a goal by junior defender Matthew Senanou, and the team then saved all seven shots the Thundering Herd made that half.
In the first half, junior defender Dylan Kropp attempted and scored the first penalty kick of his college career. The Musketeers’ two goals were their only shots on goal throughout the game compared to Marshall’s five shots. Junior goalkeeper Jonny Menell put up a strong defense in the net, especially in the second half when the Thundering Herd made many charges into the Musketeers’ half.
“[The win] feels great. Obviously we work really hard in practice everyday. We had a game plan, we executed it, treated it like any other game, and we were able to come out on top,” Kropp said in a post game interview after the win against Marshall.
Before facing Marshall, the Muskies started off their season against Northern Kentucky University at home on Aug. 22. Though the game ended in a tie, the Musketeers left the field after 90 minutes, allowing the Vikings only one shot on goal.
Dylan Kropp (above) was the designated penalty kick taker against Marshall and gave the team a 1-0 lead early in the first half, which ultimately helped lead them to victory against the No. 2 team in the country.
The Musketeers got their first win of the season against California State University, Fullerton. Senior forward Taylor Rhinehart started the game off on a fast note, scoring in the third minute off of a pass in the box from senior defender Michael Rogalski. Two more goals were scored within two minutes of each other in the first half, the first by junior defender Ernest Mensah Jr. in the 25th minute. Matthew Senanou then scored in the 27th minute off a free kick into the box, giving the Musketeers a 3-0 lead heading into the half.
In the second half, the Titans responded in the 80th minute with a goal by Jose de la Torre to make the score 3-1. Minutes later, freshman midfielder Mason Cooper scored his first goal as a Muskie and sealed a 4-1 win. Though the Titans had nine shots on goal compared to the Muskies’ eight, Mennell put up a brick wall in the net to help lead the Muskies to their win.
On Sunday, the Musketeers were handed their first loss of the season after falling 0-1 against Duquesne University in the 82nd minute. Despite having six shots on goal compared to the Dukes’ one, the Musketeers were unable to connect any of these shots with the back of the net to help them to a win.
The Musketeers will face Bradley University on Thursday in their fifth and final home game in a row before heading up to Columbus, Ohio to face the Ohio State University Buckeyes on Sunday. They will continue their road trip to Siena College on Sept. 13 before returning to Corcoran Field to face St John’s University for their first conference game of the season.