Soccer Game Preview: Xavier vs. Wahlert

Xavier has won six straight games at home, while Wahlert has won six straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Thursday. The Saints will host the Golden Eagles. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Xavier is headed in fresh off scoring the most goals they have all season. They never let Independence get on the board and left with a 10-0 win on Tuesday. Considering Xavier have won nine contests by more than two goals this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.

Meanwhile, Wahlert was able to grind out a solid victory over Center Point-Urbana on Tuesday, taking the game 3-1. Given Wahlert's advantage in MaxPreps' Iowa soccer rankings (they are ranked 46th, while Center Point-Urbana are ranked 132nd) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Wahlert is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last ten games. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-4-1 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only given up four goals over those ten matchups. As for Xavier, their victory bumped their record up to 13-3-1.

Xavier took their win against Wahlert in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 5-1 score. Will the Saints repeat their success, or do the Golden Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.