TicketsOct. 11, 2005
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FOR STARTERS:
After having its school record-tying seven-match unbeaten streak snapped by No. 3 St. John's, the University of Cincinnati men's soccer team, ranked No. 18 in the nation in both the NSCAA Coaches poll and the Soccer America poll, will step out of conference play for a date with regional rival Oakland on Oct. 12. The Bearcats and Golden Grizzlies will kick off from Gettler Stadium at 7 p.m.
BEARCAT BITES:
UC's 1-0 loss against No. 3 St. John's snapped its school record-tying seven match unbeaten streak.
Against , UC was shutout for just the second time this season.
The Bearcats have scored 19 goals through 12 matches this season.
UC is currently ranked in four national polls. The Bearcats are No. 18 in both the NSCAA Coaches poll and the Soccer America poll, No. 21 in the Soccer Times poll, and No. 24 according to College Soccer News.
UC is currently in third place in the competitive BIG EAST Red Division with 14 points, just three points back of St. John's and one behind former Conference USA rival South Florida.
Twelve different Bearcats have notched at least one point this season.
Goalkeeper Mike Vessells has posted a 0.59 goals against average and three shutouts over the last eight matches (5-1-2).
ABOUT THE BEARCATS:
(7-3-2, 4-1-2) had its seven-match unbeaten streak snapped with a 1-0 loss against No. 3 St. John's on Oct. 8. The Bearcats were hurt by a red card in the fifth minute of the match, leaving UC a man down the rest of the way. The Red Storm took advantage of the extra man and ran its unbeaten streak to eight straight.. The Bearcats were outshot by a slim 11-10 mark, just the fourth time this season that UC has been outshot.
UC is still outshooting its opponents, 173-148, this season and has outscored the opposition, 11-5, over the last eight matches. The Bearcats are third in the BIG EAST in shots and sixth in goals (19).
The Bearcats sport a balanced offensive attack with 12 different players scoring points and eight scoring goals. Omar Cummings leads the squad with five goals and 12 points, while Kenny Anaba has five goals and 11 points. Mike Dwyer has tallied two goals and two assists for six points. Goalkeeper Mike Vessells has registered 47 saves, three shutouts, and a 1.04 goals against average this season.
Head coach Hylton Dayes is in his fifth season with the Bearcats. He is 42-33-16 during his tenure at UC and holds a 1-1-1 record against .
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES:
The Oakland Golden Grizzlies enter the match with a 4-6-0 record after dropping a 1-0 decision at home to Mid-Continent Conference foe on Oct. 9. OU has won four of its last six matches with its only other loss during the span a 1-0 defeat against No. 7 Akron on Sept. 25.
opened the season with a four-match losing streak, but played some tough competition. The Grizzlies opened with a 4-0 loss at No. 22 Cal State-Northridge, followed by a 3-1 loss against , which has been in and out of the national polls all season. OU then lost to 2004 Horizon League champion UW-Milwaukee, 1-0, before dropping a 2-1 decision against .
Brandon Felker is the top scoring threat for , posting three goals and two assists for eight points in just seven matches this season. Brady Vance leads the Grizzlies with three assists. Four-year starter Jeff Wiese has allowed 15 goals this season, four more than he allowed all of 2004. He holds a 1.50 goals against average, after bringing a 0.91 career GAA into the 2005 season.
Head coach Gary Parsons is in his 25th season leading the Golden Grizzlies. He holds a 326-112-52 record in his tenure, and has led OU to 21 seasons of 10 or more victories. Parsons has led the Golden Grizzlies to winning campaigns in each of his previous 24 seasons. He is 2-1-1 all-time against .
UC-OAKLAND SERIES HISTORY:
and have met four times, with holding a 2-1-1 record despite playing three of the four matches in . In the last meeting, on Sept. 18, 2004 at , the Golden Grizzlies grabbed a 1-0 victory. 's last win came in 2002, a 3-0 triumph in .
THE POLLS ARE OPEN:
The Bearcats are currently ranked in four national polls. UC is No. 18 in the nation according to the NSCAA Coaches poll and Soccer . The Bearcats also check in at No. 21 (Soccer Times) and No. 24 (College Soccer News).
UNDEFEATED, UNPRECEDENTED:
The Bearcats' 4-0-2 start in BIG EAST action this season marked the first time in the history of the program that UC had been undefeated six matches into the conference slate.
ALL THINGS MUST COME TO AN END:
Several streaks came to an end in the Bearcats' 1-0 loss against No. 3 St. John's. UC's seven-match unbeaten streak, which tied a school record set in 1999 and matched in 2003, was snapped by the Red Storm. The Bearcats had gone seven matches since last being shutout, a 1-0 loss to on Sept. 11. had been 4-0-0 in its last four matches against nationally-ranked opponents and had not lost in six BIG EAST matches this season. Sophomore forward Kenny Anaba had scored in four straight matches before being kept off the scoreboard by .
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 five times thus far, including the game-winner against Xavier. The two-headed scoring attack of Anaba and Omar Cummings has yielded 10 of UC's 19 goals and accounted for 82 of the Bearcats' 173 shots. Anaba, who scored 40 goals as a senior in high school, scored in four straight matches between Sept. 25 and Oct. 5.
VESSELLS DOMINATES:
Junior goalkeeper Mike Vessells has been nothing short of dominant in his last eight matches, owning a 0.58 goals against average and leading the Bearcats to a 5-1-2 record. Vessells, a co-captain, has allowed just five goals, two coming off penalty kicks, and has made 35 saves during that span. The 2004 third-team All-Conference USA selection has started every match for the Bearcats this season, and is responsible for all 1123:02 minutes in goal.
SPREADING THE WEALTH:
has spread the scoring around this season. Through 12 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 seven 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 12 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.
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. On Oct. 8, despite playing a man down for the final 85 minutes of the match, the Bearcats hung with No. 3 St. John's, ultimately falling, 1-0.
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 Cinicnnati State leads UC with five goals and 12 points. He also ranks second in the BIG EAST with 47 shots.
FIRE AWAY:
UC has put pressure on opposing defenses and goalkeepers, as the Bearcats have attempted 173 shots, third in the BIG EAST. By contrast, UC has limited opponents to just 148 shots, including 60 on goal. The Bearcats have posted double-digit shots in all but two matches this season, including four matches with 20 or more attempts. UC has outshot its opponent in all but five matches this season.
IRON IKNER:
Sophomore defender Amir Ikner has started all 12 matches for the Bearcats in 2005 and has yet to leave the field. He and goalkeeper Mike Vessells are the only Bearcats to play in every one of the 1,123 minutes of action this season. After starting the final 11 matches of his freshman campaign, Ikner has played in 2,001 of a possible 2,156 minutes over the last 23 matches. The Bearcats are 12-7-4 and have given up just 22 goals in that span.
NEW FACES MAKING AN IMPACT:
Eight first or second-year Bearcats have scored points for UC this season. Junior transfer Omar Cummings (5G, 2A) leads the Bearcats with 12 points, while sophomore Kenny Anaba (5G, 1A) is close behind with 11. 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 University of Cincinnati athletic program to win a BIG EAST Conference game with its 4-3 victory at Louisville on Sept. 7.
UP NEXT:
Cincinnati will hit the road for a crucial conference match when Syracuse welcomes the Bearcats to the Lampe Athletics Complex on Oct. 15. The Bearcats and Orange kick off at 7 p.m.