TicketsSept. 21, 2007
CINCINNATI - Seniors Noah Davidson (Westerville, OH/Westerville North) and Patrick Baxter (Cincinnati, OH/Wyoming) each tallied goals to lead the University of Cincinnati men's soccer team to a hard-fought, 2-1 win against Georgetown in the BIG EAST opener on Friday (Sept. 21) in front of a Gettler Stadium-record 1,289 spectators.
The Bearcats got on the board in the fourth minute as Davidson struck for his first goal of the season. Baxter played the ball into the box for Kenny Anaba (Westerville, OH/Worthington Christian), who slid a pass onto the left side, pulling Georgetown keeper Joe Devine off his line. Davidson had a wide-open net and put home his fifth career goal.
UC dominated play in the opening half and led 1-0 at halftime. Just moments into the second half, the Bearcats added to their lead.
Baxter, getting his first start of the season after returning from an injury, played a ball into Anaba's feet at the top of the box. Anaba turned and fed a perfect through ball back to a streaking Baxter, who found himself one-on-one with GU's Devine. Baxter slid his shot past the onrushing keeper low to the left for a 2-0 lead.
The physical match got more interesting when Georgetown's Len Coleman was sent off with a straight red card in the 68th minute for a vicious takedown of Matt Telting (Loveland, OH/Milford).
The Bearcats, with the man advantage, controlled play and seemed to have the match under wraps heading into the final few minutes. Scott Stockum (Fairfield, OH/Cincinnati State) went up for a 50-50 ball right at midfield in the 89th minute. A horrific collision left Stockum face down on the turf, not moving, while the play was allowed to resume. After the ball made its way into the Cincinnati box, with the bench screaming for play to be stopped due to the injury, Lionel Jackson (Southfield, MI/Birmingham Groves) made a legal tackle, but the ball rolled up his body and off his arm. A hand ball was called and a penalty kick awarded to the Hoyas, all while Stockum lay motionless at midfield. The UC trainers worked on Stockum for nearly 10 minutes, before he left the field under his own power.
The penalty kick was converted by GU's Corey Zeller, spoiling the shutout in a sensational performance by freshman goalkeeper Miguel Rosales (Aurora, CO/Smoky Hill).
UC, the defending BIG EAST Red Division champions, welcomed a raucous student section, deemed the UC United, as students opened classes this week on the Clifton campus. The 1,289 fans marked the first time a UC home soccer match drew over 1,000 and the doubleheader with the women's team drew a combined 1,920.
Cincinnati welcomes Seton Hall to Gettler Stadium on Sunday afternoon for a 1 p.m. kickoff. Prior to the match, a youth clinic will be held beginning at 11 a.m.