FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The No. 23/16  Xavier men’s soccer team posted a season-high in shots but more importantly earned its first shutout of the season with a 2-0 road victory over IPFW on Tuesday.

Gino De Paoli and Luke Spencer scored for the Musketeers who improve to 5-0-2 and lengthen the largest unbeaten streak to start the season. IPFW remains winless and falls to 0-8-0.

"Tonight was a good solid result coming off the Virginia draw,” head coach Andy Fleming said. “Give credit to IPFW who I thought played very well and hats off to their goalkeeper who had a fantastic and career night. In the first 30 minutes we played wonderfully and at a great tempo and then fizzled for the next 30. As the game wore on we regained our form and peppered them with chances.”

Xavier registered 32 shots including a season-best 11 shots on goal. The Mastodons totaled just five shots and two on goal.

De Paoli’s goal came in the 20^th minute and concluded a deluge of shots taken by the Musketeers that included two shots that hit off the post in the opening minutes. The junior midfielder received a past from Spencer and slipped it past the goalkeeper for the score. It was his third of the season and second in as many matches.

Spencer added an insurance goal for the Musketeers in the 89^th minute via sophomore Will Walker’s pass. The senior forward crossed it back for his seventh goal of the year. Heading into the week Spencer was tied for sixth in the nation in goal.

At the end of the first half Xavier had registered 15 shots and six shots on goal. The offense didn’t slow down in the second half tallying 17 shots, the most of any half this year.

The wide shot advantage came courtesy of Spencer’s nine shots, five shots from Walker, and De Paoli’s four shots on the night. Jose Rodriguez had two to lead IPFW. Xavier also held an 8-1 corner kick advantage.

Goalkeeper Justin Marshall earned the victory and recorded his program-best 15^th shutout. He made two saves on the night. Brandon Cloutier, his counterpart for the Mastodons, made nine saves over 90 minutes.

Earlier in the day the Musketeers moved up one spot to No. 23 in the NSCAA rankings and jumped to No. 16 – three spots – in the Soccer America poll. It is the highest ranking Xavier has ever received from Soccer America and ties the highest from NSCAA.

The win puts Xavier one game away from tying the record for the longest unbeaten streak in school history. The Musketeers have scored at least one goal in every match this season. Spencer has scored in five of those matches.

“A strong, veteran, Top 25 caliber team awaits us on Saturday as we begin a five-game homestand, which is a critical stretch of our schedule,” Fleming said.

Xavier kicks off the homestand on Saturday to play Missouri State. The match begins at 2 p.m. at the Xavier University Soccer Complex. It will be the first meeting with the Bears (4-1-3) who are coming off their first loss. 

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