TicketsOct. 20, 2006
UC LOOKS TO LOCK UP RED DIVISION TITLE AT VILLANOVA:
The No. 21 University of Cincinnati men's soccer team can clinch its first BIG EAST title with a win against Villanova on Saturday, Oct. 21, at the Villanova Soccer Complex. The Bearcats lead the Red Division with 19 points, just one point ahead of .
BEARCAT BITES:
The Bearcats are 10-4-2 overall and lead the BIG EAST Red Division with a 6-3-1 mark. UC has won eight of its last 10 matches (8-1-1) after a 1-0 win at DePaul on Wednesday.
UC has outscored its opponents, 18-5, during its last 10 matches and has outshot its foes, 182-93 during that span.
After scoring just five goals in its first six matches, UC has more than tripled that total (18) in its last 10.
Goalkeeper Mike Vessells posted his seventh shutout of the season against DePaul and moved into a tie for second place on UC's all-time list with his 15th career clean sheet. He has lowered his goals against average to 0.89 on the season by posting a 0.40 GAA over the last 10 matches.
Omar Cummings has recorded a point in seven of his last 11 matches after scoring the game-winning goal, his fourth of the year, against DePaul on Oct. 18. He leads the BIG EAST with nine assists, including eight in conference play and has tallied six goals.
Kenny Anaba scored the game-winner, his fourth of the season, against . He has scored a team-leading six goals and added five assists for 17 points this season.
13 different Bearcats have recorded points for UC this season.
UC secured the 300th win in program history against DePaul. The Bearcats are 300-279-57 in 33-plus years of soccer.
UC was picked to finish third in the Red Division in the BIG EAST preseason coaches poll.
Cummings was named the Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year as well as preseason All-BIG EAST and College Soccer News Preseason All-American.
The UC 2006 recruiting class was ranked No. 38 nationally by College Soccer News.
Head coach Hylton Dayes is in his sixth season at the helm of the Bearcats, holding a 55-41-17 mark. He picked up his 150th career victory against .
BIG EAST TOURNAMENT OUTLOOK:
The Bearcats have locked up at least a No. 2 seed out of the Red Division in the 2006 BIG EAST Tournament. UC will host a quarterfinal match at Gettler Stadium at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28. The Bearcats can wrap up a Red Division championship with a win against Villanova, a tie against Villanova and a Rutgers tie or loss against , or a loss against Villanova coupled with a loss.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS:
Villanova is 6-9-1 overall and 2-8-0 in conference play after a 2-0 loss at St. John's on Wednesday, Oct. 18. VU has lost its last three by a combined 8-0 score and has scored just six goals through 10 conference matches.
Mike Del Guercio and Farris Fakhoury lead the Wildcats with three goals apiece. Michael Seamon is the leading scorer with eight points (2 G, 4A). Jason Friel has started all 16 matches in goal, holding a 1.35 goals against average and three shutouts.
Head coach Larry Sullivan is 104-152-28 overall in his 16th season at the helm of the Wildcats program. He is 0-1 against the Bearcats, losing 3-1 last season in .
UC-VILLANOVA SERIES HISTORY:
The Bearcats and Wildcats have met just once, with UC taking a 3-1 victory in on Oct. 22, 2005. Omar Cummings scored a pair of goals and assisted on another in leading UC.
BEARCATS IN THE POLLS:
The Bearcats made an appearance in all four national polls last week. UC was ranked in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll for the first time this season at No. 24. UC bumped up a spot in the College Soccer News and Soccer America polls, moving from 25th to 24th and from 15th to 14th, respectively. UC received votes in the Soccer Times poll as well.
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Despite the offensive firepower on the Bearcats roster, it has been the defense that helped UC win eight of its last 10 matches. During the streak, the Bearcats have allowed just five goals and posted five shutouts. The center backs, Amir Ikner and Brad Simpson, played well, marking some of the most dangerous offensive players in the BIG EAST. Goalkeeper Mike Vessells solidified the backline, carrying a 0.89 goals against average and a 0.68 mark in conference matches. The defense has allowed just seven goals in nine BIG EAST matches and posted shutouts against five league foes.
CUMMINGS AND GOINGS:
Omar Cummings has done nothing to hurt his preseason hype. The Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year and College Soccer News All-American is second in the BIG EAST with nine assists and has recorded a point in seven of his last 11 matches. After posting a goal and four assists in helping UC to a pair of conference wins during the week of Sept. 24, Cummings was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll and earned a spot on the College Soccer News National Team of the Week for the week ending on Oct. 1. In just over a season and a half, Cummings has already made his mark in the UC record books. He is tied for fifth in school history with 16 career assists and is just outside the top 10 with 42 career points in 35 matches.
VESSELLS MOVES UP THE CHART:
Senior goalkeeper Mike Vessells continues his ascent up the career shutouts list at UC. With seven clean sheets this season, Vessells now has 15 career shutouts, which is tied for second on the career list. He has lowered his goals against average to 0.89 by posting a 0.44 GAA over the last 10 matches. Taking away the 6-0 loss against No. 2 SMU earlier this season, Vessells' goals against average would be 0.57, which would lead the BIG EAST by over 0.10.
ANABA HEATING UP AGAIN:
It was about this time last season that Kenny Anaba began to score almost at will. As a sophomore in 2005, Anaba scored nine goals, including a stretch in which he tallied a marker in four straight and eight of 10 matches. This season, the junior forward started slow, but has again picked up the pace. He has scored in five of his last nine and has recorded a point in seven of 10. In his last 10 matches, Anaba has posted five goals and added five assists for 15 points.
HELPING ONE ANOTHER OUT:
The Bearcats are second in the BIG EAST with 28 assists. Omar Cummings is second in the conference with nine, while Kenny Anaba has recorded five and Lionel Jackson and Mike Dwyer three apiece. Nine different Bearcats have assisted on goals this season and seven have recorded more than one assist.
UP NEXT:
UC will await its seeding for the 2006 BIG EAST Championship. The Bearcats will host a home match on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. The opponent is to be determined.