By Tyler Gullahorn, Guest Writer  

Xavier men’s soccer took on the Villanova Wildcats on Saturday at Corcoran Field in a 2-0 shutout to extend their winning streak.  

The Musketeers took 47 minutes to break through while outshooting the Wildcats 25-7. 

The opener came when defender Nolan Brice finished off an Alejandro Silvestrini assist. Brice is now tied for the team lead with three goals, which suggests the scoring is not dependent on one striker. Freshman Beckham Williams sealed it in the 82nd minute off a pass from sophomore Johnny Gourley. This was Gourley’s first career assist at Xavier.  

On Monday, the Big East named Brice its Defensive Player of the Week and Williams its Freshman of the Week. 

Xavier improved to 6-0-2 overall and 1-0-1 in Big East play. The Musketeers are already outperforming their season last year as their five shutouts in eight matches surpasses the four last year. Their six wins have also put them ahead of their five from last season. This big of a turnaround shows how this team can rely on their defense to hold it down while they fight for chances throughout the match. 

“The team has looked really strong and connected as a group while only conceding four goals so far this year,” sophomore sport management major and Xavier men’s soccer manager Zach Grzesiak said. 

Villanova goalkeeper Alex Yagudayev made 11 saves out of the 25 shot attempts by Xavier. Having a surplus of attacking chances while maintaining a clean sheet is an impressive start to the season for Xavier. With players like Brice and Gerard Lorente putting away goals early in the season, Xavier fans can remain hopeful as they look to improve the team’s finishing. 

On the other hand, Xavier’s graduate goalkeeper Jonny Mennell only had to make two saves. Mennell now holds the clean sheet record at Xavier with 23 clean sheets, and he is currently averaging 0.52 goals let in per game. A goalkeeper that rarely gets tested is a testament to how strong this Xavier defense is. 

“They are playing very well and the team vibes are very high. The Villanova game was a great way to respond to the draw against DePaul to start Big East play,” junior sport management major and men’s soccer manager Connor Storm said. 

Xavier’s undefeated start is its longest since 2022, when the Musketeers opened 9-0-5 and climbed as high as ninth in the national poll. Under coach John Higgins, this program has already won a Big East championship in 2023. The two draws so far keep this year’s opening from being a perfect start, but no losses through eight matches puts Xavier in a strong position as conference play picks up. 

Eight matches is still a small sample, and the real test will come against stronger conference opponents. However, Xavier is winning in a way that tends to last. They are limiting chances against themselves, spreading the scoring around and getting contributions from newcomers.  

On Friday, Oct. 2, Marquette visits Corcoran Field at 6:30 p.m. Marquette (6-3-1) is ranked last in the Midwest division. The Musketeer’s momentum this season will make Friday’s game very entertaining. The game can be found on ESPN+.