TicketsAug. 30, 2005
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FOR STARTERS: The University of Cincinnati men's soccer team will open its regular season during Labor Day weekend with two local rivalry matches on its home turf. The Bearcats will welcome Wright State to Gettler Stadium on Friday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. On Sunday, Sept. 4, UC will play host to Dayton at 1 p.m.
ABOUT THE BEARCATS: UC wrapped up its exhibition schedule with a 2-0-0 record after defeating Marshall, 2-0, at home and No. 18 Ohio State, 1-0, in Columbus. The Bearcats did not allow a goal in either match while junior Omar Cummings tallied all three of UC's goals.
Head coach Hylton Dayes, a 1988 graduate of Wright State, begins his fifth season at the helm of the Bearcat program. He holds a 35-30-14 record during that span, including an 0-1-0 mark against his alma mater. Dayes is 2-0-0 against Dayton.
SCOUTING THE RAIDERS: Wright State is looking to rebound from a tough 2004 season in which the Raiders finished 7-12-1. WSU heads into the 2005 season under fifth-year head coach Mike Tracy, returning 16 letterwinners and seven starters from a season ago. The Raiders will be led by senior Paul Anthony Perez who red-shirted last season with a knee injury. Perez, a first team all-conference performer in 2003, was the squad's leading scorer with 12 goals and two assists that season.
Tracy carries a 37-39-5 record into his fifth season. He is 1-0-0 against UC, topping the Bearcats, 3-0, in 2001.
UC-WRIGHT STATE SERIES HISTORY: The Bearcats and Raiders have played 21 times since 1979, with UC holding a slight 10-9-2 advantage. The last time the teams met, in 2001, Wright State grabbed a 3-0 victory in Hylton Dayes' first season as UC head coach. UC holds a 6-1-2 record against WSU in Cincinnati.
SCOUTING THE FLYERS: Dayton finished its exhibiton season with a 2-0-0 record after topping No. 18 Ohio State, 2-1, and defeating Valparaiso, 3-0. The Flyers were 11-7-1 in 2004 and finished second in Atlantic 10 regular season play. The Flyers return 17 letterwinners from last year's squad. Senior Omar Jarun is the A-10's leading returning scorer.
Dennis Currier enters his first season as the head coach at UD. He holds a 188-49-12 career record entering his first year of coaching at the Division I level.
UC-DAYTON SERIES HISTORY: The Cincinnati-Dayton rivalry dates back to 1973, UC's first year of varsity soccer play. The rivalry is UC's fourth-longest in terms of matches played (24). Only Xavier (33), Louisville (30), and Miami (Ohio)(25) are longer. The Bearcats hold a13-10-1 record against the Flyers, and have won the last two matches between the squads. UC won seven straight contests in the series between 1984 and 1990.
FAMILIAR FACES: Wright State and Dayton are two of UC's oldest rivals. The Bearcats have battled the Dayton-area schools a combined 45 times, owning a 23-19-3 ledger in those contests.
UC IN HOME OPENERS: The Bearcats hold a 14-16-2 record in home openers. UC has played Xavier (1-1-1) and Miami (Ohio)(1-2-0) three times each in home openers, and Dayton (1-1-0), Kentucky (1-1-0), and Louisville (2-0-0) twice each. The Bearcats hold a combined 6-5-1 record in home openers against those local rivals. UC has never opened against Wright State.
GLORY DAYES: UC head coach Hylton Dayes will look into his past when the Bearcats take on Wright State, his alma mater. Dayes was a four-time All-American for the Raiders from 1982-1985. He played in three contests against the Bearcats during his time at WSU, starting all three along the backline. He led the Raiders to a 2-1 mark against UC. Dayes also coached at Wright State for 12 seasons, one as a men's assistant, seven as the head women's coach and four as the head coach of the men's program.
NEWCOMERS MAKE AN IMPACT: Several newcomers have had an immediate impact on the 2005 UC squad. Junior college transfer Omar Cummings has been outstanding, scoring all three of UC's exhibition goals. Freshmen Mikhail Awai and Landry Gray started both of the exhibition matches in the midfield. Awai assisted on Cummings' game-winner against No. 18 Ohio State. True freshmen Scott McKinney and Dominic Oppong saw substantial time in both matches, along with redshirt freshman Brad Simpson.
CUMMINGS AND GOINGS: Omar Cummings has exploded onto the scene in UC's two exhibition matches. The former junior college All-American has scored three goals and been all but unmarkable in leading UC to wins against Marshall and No. 18 Ohio State.
BEARCATS WELCOME TWO NEW COACHES: Head coach Hylton Dayes brought in two new assistant coaches this season to help with the transistion to the BIG EAST Conference. Former Duke assistant Dan Ensley joins the staff along with goalkeeper coach Joe Spagnola.
UP NEXT: UC will open the 2005 BIG EAST campaign against long-time nemesis Lousiville on Wed., Sept. 7 at Cardinal Park in Louisville. Kickoff against the Cardinals is set for 7 p.m.