TicketsSept. 29, 2005
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FOR STARTERS:
After topping rival Xavier, 1-0, at home on Sept. 28, the of men's soccer team will return to the road and BIG EAST play at on Saturday, Oct. 1. Kickoff from RU's Yurcak Field is set for 7 p.m.
BEARCAT BITES:
UC leads the BIG EAST Red Division with a 4-0-1 conference mark, one point ahead of .
UC's win against Xavier improved its unbeaten streak to five matches (4-0-1) and ran its winning streak to three.
The Bearcats have scored 16 goals through nine matches this season.
UC is ranked in four national polls this week. The Bearcats are No. 15 in the Soccer America poll, No. 21 in the NSCAA Coaches Poll, No. 22 in the Soccer Times poll, and No. 23 according to College Soccer News.
Twelve different Bearcats have notched at least one point this season.
UC has had a different player score each of its six game-winning goals this season.
Goalkeeper Mike Vessells has posted a 0.38 goals against average and three shutouts over the last five matches.
UC is undefeated through its first five conference matches for the first time in its history.
ABOUT THE BEARCATS:
(6-2-1, 4-0-1) ran its winning streak to three and improved its unbeaten streak to five with a 1-0 win against rival Xavier on Sept. 28 in Gettler Stadium. Sophomore Kenny Anaba scored the game-winner with just 16 seconds remaining to lift the Bearcats to 21-8-5 all-time against their crosstown rivals.
UC is outshooting its opponents, 144-103, this season and has outscored the opposition, 8-2, during the five match unbeaten streak. The Bearcats are third in the BIG EAST in both goals (16) and shots.
The Bearcats sport a balanced offensive attack with 12 different players scoring points and eight scoring goals. Omar Cummings leads the squad with four goals and nine points. Anaba is right behind with three goals and two assists for eight points. Mike Dwyer has tallied two goals and two assists for six points. Goalkeeper Mike Vessells has registered 31 saves, three shutouts, and a 1.08 goals against average this season.
Head coach Hylton Dayes is in his fifth season with the Bearcats. He is 41-32-15 during his tenure at UC. He is 0-1-0 against .
SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS:
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights, winless in their last three matches, enter the weekend with a 2-6-1 record. The record may be deceiving, however, as has played four teams ranked in the top 25 this season. On Sept. 28, the Scarlet Knights battled to a 1-1 draw. Junior Nick LaBrocca scored the equalizer on a penalty kick with less than five minutes remaining, snapping a two-match losing skid.
has outshot its opponents, 101-88, this season but is being outscored, 17-10. Offensively, the Scarlet Knights are led by LaBrocca, who has scored two goals and added two assists for six points. Chris Moore and Bojan Skoric have also netted a pair of goals apiece.
Bob Reasso is in his 25th season as head coach at . His 325 victories rank 16th in NCAA history and ninth among active coaches. Reasso is 327-156-67 (.655) in his career and holds a 1-0-0 record against .
UC-RUTGERS SERIES HISTORY:
New BIG EAST Conference foes, and have met just once on the soccer field prior to this season. On Sept. 9, 2001, head coach Hylton Dayes' first season, Rutgers topped UC, 2-1, in .
THE POLLS ARE OPEN:
The Bearcats are currently ranked in four national polls. UC is No. 15 in the nation according to Soccer . The Bearcats also check in at No. 21 (NSCAA), No. 22 (Soccer Times), and No. 23 (College Soccer News).
UNDEFEATED, UNPRECEDENTED:
The Bearcats 4-0-1 start in BIG EAST action this season marks the first time in the history of the program that UC has been undefeated five matches into the conference slate. UC leads the Red Division of the BIG EAST, one of the nation's elite soccer conferences, by one point over (4-0-0).
VESSELLS DOMINATES:
Junior goalkeeper Mike Vessells has been nothing short of dominant in his last five matches, owning a 0.38 goals against average and leading the Bearcats to a 4-0-1 record. Vessells, a co-captain, has allowed just two goals, one coming off a penalty kick, and has made 19 saves. The 2004 third-team All-Conference USA selection has started every match for the Bearcats this season, and is responsible for all 833:02 minutes in goal.
SPREADING THE WEALTH:
has spread the scoring around this season. Through eight matches, 12 different Bearcats have tallied at least one point. Eight different players have scored goals, with five notching their first career markers for UC. The Bearcats have recorded six wins, and six different players have accounted for game-winning goals.
OFFENSIVE DEFENSE:
The Bearcats have gotten some offensive help from their backline through the first nine matches of the season. UC defender Amir Ikner scored the game-winner against No. 18 Notre Dame. He has also posted two assists, accounting for four points. Fellow defender Kevin Schrand has added two assists and Ewan Blair has also added a helper, giving UC defenders seven points on the year.
WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY, KENNY:
Coming into the season, the question surrounding the Bearcats after losing the top four scorers from the 2004 sqaud was: Who will score the goals? Sophomore Kenny Anaba has stepped up, scoring three times, including the game-winner against Xavier. The two-headed scoring attack of Anaba and Omar Cummings has yielded seven of UC's 15 goals and accounted for 63 of the Bearcats' 144 shots. Anaba, who scored 40 goals as a senior in high school, has scored in each of the last two matches and added an assist against on Sept. 7.
BRINGING OUT THE BEST:
UC has played its best this season against its top competition. On Sept. 16, the Bearcats dropped No. 1 UConn from the ranks of the unbeaten win a 2-0 win at home. Just a week later, UC topped No. 18 Notre Dame on the road to stay unbeaten in BIG EAST play. The Bearcats' next big test comes at home against , currently ranked No. 6 by Soccer .
OH MY, OMAR!:
Junior Omar Cummings earned BIG EAST and national honors on Sept. 20 after scoring both UC goals in the Bearcats' 2-0 win against No. 1 UConn on Sept. 16. Cummings earned Soccer America Player of the Week honors as well as being named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week. The transfer from nearby leads UC with four goals and nine points. He also ranks second in the BIG EAST with 36 shots.
FIRE AWAY:
UC has put pressure on opposing defenses and goalkeepers, as the Bearcats have attempted 144 shots, third in the BIG EAST. By contrast, UC has limited opponents to just 103 shots, including 41 on goal. The Bearcats have posted double-digit shots in all but one match this season, including four matches with 20 or more attempts. During UC's five match unbeaten streak, the Bearcats have outshot opponents, 90-63.
FABULOUS 40:
With the Bearcats' 2-1 victory at No. 18 Notre Dame on Sept. 25, head coach Hylton Dayes earned his 40th win with UC. The 2003 Conference Coach of the Year now holds a 40-32-15 record in his fifth season with the Bearcats.
THE RETURN OF THE MATT:
Senior captain Matt Hayden, recovering from a foot injury, made his first start of the season against Notre Dame on Sept. 25 and posted an assist, finding teammate Kenny Anaba for the first goal in UC's 2-1 win against the 18th-ranked Irish.
NEW FACES MAKING AN IMPACT:
Eight first or second-year Bearcats have scored points for UC this season. Junior transfer Omar Cummings leads the Bearcats with nine points (4G, 1A), while sophomore Kenny Anaba (3G, 1A) is next with eight. Sophomores Amir Ikner (1G, 2A), Noah Davidson (1G, 1A), and Kevin Schrand (2A), have combined for two goals and five assists while true freshmen Dominic Oppong (1G) and Landry Gray (2A) have posted two points each.
SOCCER EARNS FIRST BIG EAST WIN:
The men's soccer team became the first of athletic program to win a BIG EAST Conference game with its 4-3 victory at on Sept. 7.
UP NEXT:
UC steps back out of BIG EAST play for a mid-week contest on Oct. 5 at Alabama A&M. Kickoff between the Bearcats and Bulldogs is 2 p.m. CT from