TicketsMen's Soccer Heads To Nike Soccer Classic
Tournament features four of nation's top programs
Contact: Jeremy Martin
9/7/2004
Head Coach Hylton Dayes |
The University of Cincinnati Men?s Soccer team will travel to St. Louis, Mo. for the Nike Soccer Classic Sept. 10-12. The tournament will feature four of the country's top soccer programs in national #4 Saint Louis, national #23 Virginia, 2003 MVC champion SMU and 2003 C-USA champion Cincinnati.
LAST TIME OUT: UC is coming off a tough 2-1 loss against IUPUI on Sept. 1. The Bearcats outshot the Jaguars 16-4 but were unable to finish off several scoring chances.
SCOUTING THE CAVALIERS: The Virginia Cavaliers head to the Nike Soccer Classic with a 2-0-0 record, having defeated Marshall and Long Island in the Virginia Soccer Classic last weekend.
The Cavaliers topped Marshall, 3-0, on Sept. 3 in the season opener for both schools. Forward Adam Cristman scored twice and midfielder Will Hall netted his first of the season to pace Virginia. The Cavaliers then knocked off Long Island by a 2-0 score as Adam Cristman put home his third goal of the season.
Virginia goalkeeper Ryan Burke recorded all 180:00 shutout minutes in the matches.
UVA head coach George Gelnovatch (Virginia ?87) is in his ninth season, sporting a 127-45-14 overall record and has two ACC titles and eight NCAA appearances to his credit.
UC-VIRGINIA SERIES HISTORY: The Bearcats and Cavaliers will meet for the first time this weekend.
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS: The Southern Methodist University Mustangs sit at 1-1-0 heading into the Nike Soccer Classic this weekend. The Mustangs played host to Kentucky, Stanford and Tulsa in the four-team Mi Cucina Classic Sept. 3 through Sept. 5.
SMU defeated Kentucky, 3-1, on Sept. 3 as midfielder Jake Jackson recorded a goal and an assist for the Mustangs. SMU then dropped a 2-0 decision to Stanford on Sept. 5 to finish 3rd in the tournament.
Schellas Hyndman (Eastern Illinois ?73) brings 27 years of head coaching experience into the season, including the last 20 with SMU. He has an overall record of 406-106-39 and is 308-82-28 with the Mustangs.
UC-SMU SERIES HISTORY: The Bearcats and Mustangs have played twice, with each team coming away with a victory. The last time the two met, in 2002, SMU defeated Cincinnati, 3-1. The Bearcats last bested SMU in 1998 by a 2-1 score.
WHO WILL SCORE?: With the losses of Josh Gardner, Tim Brown and Justin Lewis, who accounted for 18 goals last season, UC will be looking for scoring punch from senior F Wiremu Patrick, junior F Jarrett Devereaux, senior M John Liersemann and junior transfer Jeff Hughes. Patrick is the leading returning scorer, having scored four goals while adding three assists last season for 11 points. Liersemann was the only underclassman to start all 20 matches, scoring two goals and adding three assists. Devereaux scored one goal and assisted on another in 2003. Hughes led the Mid-American Conference with 16 goals and 36 points in 2003 at Western Michigan.
OPENING GETTLER: The Men?s soccer team will play host to Bradley University on September 16 in the first men?s match to be held at Gettler Stadium. The stadium, part of the Richard E. Lindner Varsity Village, features an official size soccer field with FieldTurf Pro playing surface, permanent grandstands with seating for 1,400 patrons, concession stands and restrooms, a pressbox, scoreboard with message center, and lights. Varsity Village addresses the needs to attract quality student-athletes to all of Cincinnati?s sports programs and provide an environment in which they can succeed academically, athletically, and physically.
NEW FACES TURNING HEADS: Junior transfer M/F Jeff Hughes and sophomore GK Mike Vessells have quckly caught the attention of their teammates, coaches and fans.
Hughes, a transfer from Western Michigan, recorded a hat trick in UC?s 3-0 exhibition victory against Wright State on Aug. 25. Hughes was named to the All-Mid-American Conference first team and led the conference with 16 goals and 36 points in 2003.
Vessells played in only four games last season and accounted for 10.4% of the total goalkeeping minutes. In two exhibition games this season, Vessells posted 115:57 shutout minutes between the pipes.
C-USA POLL: The Bearcats have been picked to finish fifth in a preseason poll of Conference USA?s coaches. Perennial power Saint Louis was tabbed as the top team in the conference, while UC, UAB, USF, and Charlotte look to wrestle the title away from the Billikens.
RANKED FOES AHEAD:In the most recent NSCAA/adidas rankings Nike Soccer Classic participants Saint Louis and Virginia have been ranked #4 and #23, respectively. The Bearcats square off against the Cavaliers this weekend and must travel back to Saint Louis on Oct. 20 for a Conference USA clash with the Billikens.
PATRICK, DAYES AT THE HEAD OF THE CLASS: Senior forward Wiremu Patrick is making his mark on the UC record books. He is currently tied for seventh with 21 career goals and ranks seventh with 52 career points. He is four goals shy of Craig McDowell (1980-83) for sixth place and 16 points away from the sixth-ranked point scorer, David Kiley.
Head coach Hylton Dayes, 2003 Conference USA Coach of the Year, currently sports the best winning percentage in UC history at .557 (28-21-12).
UP NEXT: The Bearcats return home to face the Bradley University Braves in the innaugural men?s match at the newly renovated Gettler Stadium. The Sept. 16 match is slated to begin at 6 PM.