TicketsSept. 6, 2005
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FOR STARTERS:
The University of Cinicnnati men's soccer team will open its inaugural BIG EAST season on Sept. 7 against long-time rival Louisville at Cardinal Park. Kickoff between the Bearcats and Cardinals is set for 7 p.m. The Bearcats will then take on Butler on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 1 p.m. in Indianapolis.
ABOUT THE BEARCATS:
UC (1-1-0) opened its regular season last weekend at home against two local rivals, Wright State and Dayton. On Friday, Sept. 2, the Bearcats fell behind WSU, 1-0, before two goals in the final 10 minutes of action lifted UC to victory. Kenny Anaba scored the equalizer in the 81st minute and true freshman Dominic Oppong netted the game winner with just 2:07 left on the clock.
On Sunday, Sept. 4, UC dropped a 3-2 decision to Dayton. The Bearcats trailed 1-0 just 1:09 into the match and struggled to recover throughout. Cincinnati made it interesting in the second half, getting goals from Mike Dwyer and Omar Cummings, but Dayton was able to sustain its lead and eventually grab the win.
Mike Dwyer leads UC with one goal and one assist for three points. Head coach Hylton Dayes is in his fifth season at the helm of the Bearcat program. He holds a 36-31-14 record during that span, including an 2-2-0 mark against rival Louisville. Dayes is 1-0-2 against Butler.
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS:
Louisville opened its 2005 season last weekend with a second-place showing at the UK Invitational. The Cardinals fell, 1-0, to host Kentucky on Friday night and followed that up with a 2-0 victory against High Point on Saturday afternoon. Matt Neeley, David Guzman and goalkeeper Charlie Edwards were named to the all-tournament team. Frank Jonke leads the Cardinals with one goal, the game-winner against High Point, and one assist for three points.
Head coach Tony Colavecchia holds a 157-140-51 record in his ninth season with Louisville. He is 4-3-1 in his career against Cincinnati.
UC-LOUISVILLE SERIES HISTORY:
Louisville is UC's second longest-standing men's soccer rivalry with the teams meeting in 30 contests. Only Xavier has battled Cincinnati more (33 matches). UC is 19-9-2 against the Cardinals, including a 12 match unbeaten streak between 1984 and 1991 (11-0-1). The Cardinals are 6-1-0 in the last seven matches against UC in Louisville.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:
The Butler Bulldogs are 2-0 after winning the team title at the Bradley Holiday Inn City Center Classic over Labor Day Weekend. The Bulldogs topped Western Illinois, 1-0, in Friday night's opener and then defeated host Bradley, 1-0, in the Sunday afternoon finale. Butler senior Scott Olsen was named the MVP of the tournament and he was joined on the all-tournament team by John Mariscalco, Patrick Reilly and Aaron Thompson. Including a 0-0 exhibition match against Saint Louis, Bulldog goalkeeper Frank Peabody has not allowed a goal in 270 consecutive minutes of action.
Joe Sochacki is in his fifth season as head coach at Butler, holding a 47-32-7 record during that period. He is 0-1-2 in his career against Cincinnati.
UC-BUTLER SERIES HISTORY:
Cincinnati and Butler have met 10 times on the soccer field since 1991, with Butler holding a 5-3-2 advantage in those contests. UC however, is unbeaten in its last three matches against the Bulldogs (1-0-2). Butler has won three of the five matches played in Indianapolis.
NEWCOMERS OPEN BIG EAST SLATE:
Cincinnati and Louisville, both former members of Conference USA, will play the first BIG EAST match of 2005 in Louisville. The Bearcats and Cardinals are joined by DePaul, Marquette and South Florida as defectors of C-USA. The new-look BIG EAST , one of the nation's elite athletic conferences, consists of 16 members, making it the largest Division I soccer conference.
WELCOME BACK, MIKE:
Mike Dwyer, who has been hobbled by injuries over the last two seasons, made his first appearance of 2005 against Dayton. It didn't take him long to find his rhythm, as he scored his first goal since 2003 and picked up an assist. Through two matches, Dwyer leads the Bearcats with three points.
FIRE AWAY:
UC has put pressure on opposing defenses and goalkeepers, as the Bearcats have attempted 40 shots, with 16 of those on goal. By contrast, UC has limited opponenets to just 23 shots, including 11 on goal.
OFFENSIVE DEFENSE:
The Bearcats have gotten some offensive help from their backline through the first two matches of the season. UC defenders Ewan Blair, Amir Ikner and Kevin Schrand each have recorded assists. Blair connected with Kenny Anaba for the game-tying goal against Wright State, while Ikner assisted freshman Dominic Oppong on the game-winner in that contest. Schrand fed Mike Dwyer for UC's first goal against Dayton.
YOUNG CATS DELIVER:
On a team with just four seniors on its roster, UC has looked to younger players to step up. Sophomores Kenny Anaba, Kevin Schrand and Amir Ikner, along with freshmen Brad Simpson and Dominic Oppong have seen substantial minutes and have made plays when called upon. Anaba and Oppong each scored in UC's 2-1 win against Wright State. Schrand, Ikner and Simpson have patroled the UC backfield and have combined to add two assists.
CUMMINGS AND GOINGS:
Omar Cummings has exploded onto the scene in UC's first four matches, including two exhibition contests. The former junior college All-American has scored four goals and been all but unmarkable in leading UC to wins against Marshall and No. 18 Ohio State in exhibition play and Wright State. In two regular season games, Cummings has been a constant threat for opposing defenses, firing 12 shots and scoring UC's second goal in a 3-2 loss against Dayton.
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:
The Bearcats will open the home portion of the 2005 BIG EAST schedule against national-power Connecticut, currently ranked as high as No. 3, on Friday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. in Gettler Stadium. UC will then welcome Providence on Sunday, Sept. 18 for a 1 p.m. kickoff.