TicketsSept. 6, 2007
KICKOFF:
The University of Cincinnati men's soccer team looks for its first victory of the 2007 season at the TLC Plumbing and Utility/Nike Invitational, hosted by the University of New Mexico, on Sept. 7-9. The four-team tournament features Cincinnati, Central Florida, Loyola Marymount and host No. 24/25 New Mexico. The Bearcats will take on UCF on Friday, Sept. 7, at 2:30 p.m. MT and play the hosts on Sunday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m. MT.
BEARCAT BITES:
UC opens the 2007 season in search of defending its 2006 BIG EAST Red Division Championship, the first BIG EAST team title in school history.
The Bearcats finished 2006 with a 11-6-2 overall record and a 7-3-1 mark in BIG EAST play.
Head coach Hylton Dayes is in his seventh season at UC with a 56-44-18 record with the Bearcats and a 152-129-37 record as a head coach.
UC was picked to finish fourth in the Red Division in the BIG EAST preseason coaches poll.
Senior defender Amir Ikner was named to the Preseason all-BIG EAST team after earning all-BIG EAST second team and NSCAA/adidas all-Great Lakes honors in 2006.
UC's eight-member recruiting class was ranked No. 26 by CollegeSoccerNews.com.
Newcomers Miguel Rosales and Branden Stelmak were named to the CollegeSoccerNews.com Top 100 Freshman to Watch.
LAST TIME OUT:
Senior Kenny Anaba scored a pair of goals, but UC dropped a 4-2 decision against Loyola Chicago on Aug. 31 at Loyola Soccer Park.
The Ramblers took an early lead on the first of Michael Ferguson's three tallies. Ferguson put home a rebounded shot in the third minute.
Anaba scored his two markers within moments of each other, giving UC a 2-1 lead in the first half. In the 21st minute, the two-time all-BIG EAST selection took a through ball from junior Lionel Jackson (Southfield, MI/Birmingham Groves) and buried his shot to knot the match at one goal apiece.
Just over two minutes later, Anaba struck again. After accepting a pass from redshirt freshman Chris Thompson in the box, Anaba turned and beat Loyola keeper Brian Byre for his 18th career goal.
Loyola's Eric Gehrig tied the match in the 26th minute, converting from the penalty spot. The teams went to the locker room tied at two.
Ferguson won the match for the Ramblers in the 56th minute with his second goal and earned the hat trick with a header after a failed clearance in the 78th minute.
Fifth-year senior goalkeeper John-Michael Boggs got the start for the third time in his career and made three saves. Byrne made four saves for Loyola.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS:
UCF dropped its season opener, 5-2, at BIG EAST member USF.
Mike Mattson and James Georgeff each tallied a goal for the Golden Knights.
Sean Johnson made five saves in goal.
The Golden Knights are coached by Bryan Cunningham, who is in his first season as head coach after spending the last two years as the top assistant at UCF.
SCOUTING THE LOBOS:
New Mexico opened the 2007 season at the Westfield Insurance Cup in Akron.
The Lobos dropped a 3-1 decision to host Akron on Aug. 31, but rebounded to defeat Hartwick, 3-1, on Sept. 2.
Four different Lobos have scored this season.
Blake Danahar and Diego Barrera each tallied two assists on the opening weekend of play.
Head coach Jeremy Fishbein is in his sixth season at UNM, holding a 76-21-11 mark with the Lobos. He is 171-81-21 in his 15th year as a head coach.
SERIES HISTORY:
The Bearcats will take on UCF for the first time in regular season play. UC played the Golden Knights to a 1-1 draw in Orlando during a spring break trip to Florida in 2006.
UC and New Mexico have met just once, a 2-2 draw in Albuquerque in 2003.
CINCINNATI TIES:
New Mexico head coach Jeremy Fishbein is a native of Cincinnati and played a season of soccer for the Bearcats in 1986, seeing action in 15 matches and making four starts.
FAST START FOR ANABA:
Senior forward Kenny Anaba scored a pair of goals in UC's season opener on Aug. 31. The team's leading goal-scorer each of the last two seasons, Anaba is ascending the career records list at UC. With his two goals in the opener, Anaba is tied for ninth in school history with 18 tallies. He is also tied for ninth with 46 career points (18 G, 10 A).
GETTING HIS CHANCE:
Fifth-year senior goalkeeper John-Michael Boggs has waited for his opportunity to get on the field for four years. Boggs played behind two of the most decorated goalkeepers in UC history in John Adams (2003) and Mike Vessells (2004-06). Adams holds the UC record for single-season and career goals against average (0.72, 0.83, respectively) and Vessells ranks second in UC history with 15 career shutouts.
NEXT UP:
UC returns to Gettler Stadium for the 2007 home opener, a 7 p.m. tilt against crosstown rival Xavier on Sept. 13.