TicketsC-USA Opponents Ahead For Men's Soccer
Bearcats play host to Memphis, visit UAB
Contact: Jeremy Martin
9/28/2004
Junior Matt Hayden |
The University of Cininnati men?s soccer team (2-5-0/1-0-0 C-USA) will play host to Memphis for a C-USA match on Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. ET at Gettler Stadium. The Bearcats will then travel to Birmingham, Ala. to face the UAB Blazers on Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. CT.
LAST TIME OUT: Cincinnati won its Conference USA opener, 2-1, against East Carolina on Sept. 25. Junior Jeff Hughes scored both UC goals, his first goals of the season, to pace the Bearcats.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS: The Memphis Tigers enter the UC match with a 5-2-0 record and coming off of a 3-1 C-USA win against Charlotte on Sept. 25.
Memphis is led by C-USA Offensive Player of the Week Dayton O?Brien, who has scored three goals and added seven helpers for 13 points. Goalkeeper Sebastian Vecchio was named defensive player of the week in the conference this week.
Richie Grant (Green Mountain College ?93) holds a 45-41-5 record in his sixth season as the head coach at Memphis.
UC-MEMPHIS SERIES HISTORY: Cincinnati owns a 12-9-0 record against Memphis in the all-time series. The Bearcats have won three straight in the series, outscoring the Tigers, 7-2.
SCOUTING THE BLAZERS: The UAB Blazers welcome the Bearcats to Birmingham, Ala. following a 2-1 win at C-USA foe Marquette on Sept. 25.
Jerson Monteiro and Maurice Hughes lead the Blazers with 10 points, each scoring four goals and recording two assists. Goalkeeper A.J. Robles is seventh in the conference with a 1.37 goals against average.
Head coach Mike Getman (Indiana ?82) is 149-88-17 in his 13th season at the helm of the Blazers.
UC-UAB SERIES HISTORY: UAB holds a slight edge in the series history against UC. The Bearcats 5-7-2 record against UAB is UC?s second worst against a C-USA opponent.
PATRICK CLIMBING CHARTS: Senior forward Wiremu Patrick continues his ascent up the Bearcat career scoring lists. Patrick has scored three goals this season, moving into sole posession of seventh place on the school?s all-time goals list with 23. He is just two goals away from sixth-place Craig McDowell (1980-83). Patrick also owns the seventh-highest career point total in UC history with 57 total points.
CUTTING IT CLOSE: Although the Bearcats are 2-5-0, they have played each match tight, with all seven being decided by one goal. Cincinnati, playing a tough schedule that has included two top-25 teams and three 2003 NCAA Tournament participants, has held its own fielding a young team that starts only four seniors.
WHO WILL SCORE?: With the losses of Josh Gardner, Tim Brown and Justin Lewis, who accounted for 18 goals last season, UC is looking for scoring punch from several frontliners this season. Senior Wiremu Patrick, the leading returning scorer, currently leads the team with three goals and has added one assist. Senior Jeremiah Gallegos, the 2002 team MVP, scored twice against Bradley on Sept. 16. Senior John Liersemann has recorded two assists thus far in 2004. Junior transfer Jeff Hughes led the Mid-American Conference with 16 goals and 36 points in 2003 at Western Michigan and scored his first two goals of the season on Sept. 25 against East Carolina.
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.
COMING UP: The Bearcats will face two Conference USA opponents on the road as they travel to Chicago, Ill. for a Oct. 6 match against DePaul, followed by a visit to Charlotte, N.C. to face the 49ers on Oct. 9.