TicketsAug. 31, 2005
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FOR STARTERS:
The University of Cincinnati women's soccer team will travel up I-75 for a pair of Labor Day weekend matches against tough competition. The Bearcats will take part in the Nike-Flyer Invitational, hosted by the University of Dayton, at UD's Bajuan Field. The two-day tournament includes Ohio State, Furman, UC, and host Dayton. On Friday, Sept. 2, UC will take on Ohio State at 5 p.m. in the tournament opener. Dayton will then play host to Furman. The Bearcats will battle Dayton on Sunday, Sept. 4 at 1:30 p.m., immediately following the completion of the Ohio State-Furman match.
LAST TIME OUT:
The Bearcats topped Michigan State, 1-0, on Sunday, Aug. 28 at Gettler Stadium. The win was UC's first against a team from the Big Ten since a 1-0 victory at Ohio State in 2002. UC moved to 1-1-0 on the young season.
The Bearcats opened the scoring in the 24th minute. Freshman Lindsey Noteboom hooked a corner kick into the box and after a header from Becky Imhoff was blocked, Kim Sykes fired a shot that glanced off the hands of Michigan State keeper Nicole Galas and trickled into the net to give UC a 1-0 lead.
Sherry Slye earned the shutout in goal for the Bearcats in improving her record to 1-1-0. She made three saves.
UC outshot its opponent for the second straight contest, firing 12 shots to MSU's 10.
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES:
The No. 10 Ohio State Buckeyes come into the weekend with a 2-0-0 record after sweeping Kent State, 2-1, and Xavier, 3-0, on the road. Freshman forward Lisa Collison leads the Buckeyes with two goals and five points. 2004 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Lara Dickenmann has contributed two assists for OSU.
Ninth-year head coach Lori Walker carries a 107-88-13 career record into the UC match. She has led the Buckeyes to appearances in the last three NCAA tournaments. Walker is 1-1-0 in her career against the Bearcats.
UC -OHIO STATE SERIES HISTORY:
UC has dominated the series against Ohio State, owning a 7-2-0 record all-time against the Buckeyes. OSU, however, won the last meeting between the schools, 2-0, in 2003. The Bearcats won the first six meetings between the squads, including a 5-0 victory in 1980, UC's first year of varsity competition.
SCOUTING THE FLYERS:
Dayton brings a 1-1-0 record into the weekend tournament. The Flyers dropped their season opener at No. 11 West Virginia, 3-1, on Aug. 26. UD responded with a 1-0 victory at Ohio on Aug. 28. Senior forward Reba Sedlacek, the 2004 Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year, leads the Flyers with one goal.
Head coach Mike Tucker, a 1969 graduate of Cincinnati, enters his 11th year with a 155-56-5 ledger, including a school-record 20-2 mark last season. Tucker is 1-1-0 against his alma mater after Dayton topped UC, 2-0, in 2004.
UC-DAYTON SERIES HISTORY:
The Flyers are UC's fifth-longest rival in terms of matches played. The Bearcats and Flyers have met 15 times, with UC owning an 11-3-1 mark. Dayton won the last meeting, 2-0, in 2004. UC was unbeaten in its first nine matches against Dayton, owning an 8-0-1 record between 1980 and 1991.
UC PICKED EIGHTH:
The Bearcats were chosen to finish eighth in the BIG EAST's Division B in a poll of the BIG EAST head coaches. Defending national champ Notre Dame was unanimously selected to capture the Division B crown, while Connecticut was tabbed as the Division A favorite. Fellow NCAA qualifiers West Virginia and Villanova were selected to finish second in Divisions A and B, respectively.
"FRESH" STARTS:
Five freshmen have started each of the first two matches for the Bearcats. Forwards Jenn Johannigman and Kristin May, along with midfielders Chelsea Kindschuh and Lindsey Noteboom earned starting nods. Defender Kim Sykes also started both matches along the backline for the Bearcats. Johannigman scored her first career goal in UC's 2-1 loss against William & Mary. Sykes tallied the game-winner in th e1-0 victory against Michigan State.
OH, SHERRY:
Dating back to last season, senior goalkeeper Sherry Slye has allowed just six goals in her last seven matches, including six starts, with two shutouts. She has made 39 saves (5.6 per match), compiled an .867 save percentage and sported a 0.88 goals against average during that span.
TOUGH SLEDDING:
The Bearcats face one of the most difficult schedules in the country in 2005, the team's first year in the BIG EAST Conference. UC will play six NCAA College Cup qualifiers, including defending national champion Notre Dame. The majority of those contests come on the road, making things even more difficult for UC.
SISTER, SISTER:
The Bearcats sport a pair of siblings on their 2005 roster. Redshirt sophomore Amy May is joined by her sister, freshman Kristin. Sophomore Andrea Haney, the team's leading returning scorer, welcomes her sister, Heather, a junior transfer from Indiana University.
UP NEXT:
UC will tangle with another local rival on Friday, Sept. 9 when it travels to Lexington to face Kentucky at 7 p.m. The Bearcats will then head north to sqaure off against the Chippewas of Central Michigan on Sunday, Sept. 11. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.