TicketsSept. 27, 2007
KICKOFF:
After a 2-0 start to BIG EAST play last weekend, the University of Cincinnati men's soccer team takes to the road to continue conference play this weekend. The Bearcats take on No. 2 Notre Dame in South Bend on Friday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. UC will then head to Milwaukee for a Sunday, Sept. 30, battle with Marquette. Kickoff between the Bearcats and Golden Eagles is set for 1 p.m. CT.
BEARCAT BITES:
UC opened defense of its 2006 BIG EAST Red Division Championship, the first BIG EAST team title in school history, with wins against Georgetown (2-1) and Seton Hall (4-0) last weekend in Gettler Stadium.
Senior forward Patrick Baxter was named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and earned a spot on the CollegeSoccerNews.com National Team of the Week after scoring three goals, including both game winners, and adding an assist in UC's 2-0 weekend. Freshman goalkeeper Miguel Rosales earned BIG EAST Rookie of the Week honors for his efforts over the weekend.
The Bearcats are 3-0-0 at home this season, outscoring opponents 10-1.
Head coach Hylton Dayes is in his seventh season at UC, holding a 59-48-18 record with the Bearcats and a 155-133-37 mark 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.
LAST TIME OUT:
Patrick Baxter scored twice to lead UC to a 4-0 BIG EAST win against Seton Hall on Sept. 23 at Gettler Stadium. The win moveed UC to 3-4-0 overall and 2-0-0 in conference play, while Seton Hall fell to 3-5-0 and 0-2-0 in BIG EAST action.
Baxter got the Bearcats on the board first in the 27th minute. Lionel Jackson, who had two assists on the day, placed a corner kick to the far post, where Brad Simpson headed the ball to the ground at the feet of Baxter. His finish past SHU goalkeeper Sean Carr put the Bearcats ahead.
Early in the second half, Kenny Anaba gave UC a 2-0 lead after Luke Henke played a ball over the top of the defense. Anaba got a toe on it to control and tapped a shot past Carr in the 50th minute.
Just minutes later, Baxter struck again, this time taking a perfectly placed pass from Judson McKinney and slotting his shot low left for a 3-0 lead.
Amir Ikner put the match on ice with his first goal of the season off a free kick. The 6-1 senior defender, who combined with Simpson and Henke to shut down Seton Hall star Eliseo Giusfredi, put home a Jackson corner kick to give the Bearcats a 4-0 lead and a 2-0 start to conference play.
SCOUTING THE IRISH:
Notre Dame (5-1-1, 3-0-0 BE) is off to a 3-0-0 start in BIG EAST play for the first time since joining the league in 1995.
The Irish are ranked second nationally in every major poll, marking the highest ranking in program history.
Chris Cahill was named the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week for the second time this season after registering a pair of shutouts over the weekend. Cahill has a 4-0-1 record and a 0.39 goals-against average with a .900 save percentage
Head coach Bobby Clark is in his seventh season with the Irish, holding an overall record of 85-34-16 (.689) at Notre Dame.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES:
Marquette enters the weekend with a 1-5-1 mark and an 0-3-0 record in conference play.
The Golden Eagles have scored just four goals in seven matches this season.
All three BIG EAST losses have come by 1-0 scores, with two of them on the road.
Head coach Louis Bennett holds a 2-20-2 mark in his second season at Marquette.
SERIES HISTORY:
UC holds a 4-3-1 mark against Notre Dame, winning each of the last two seasons.
Marquette holds an 11-10-3 edge in the series against the Bearcats. UC has won two straight against their former Conference USA rivals.
CINCINNATI STATE CONNECTION:
Patrick Baxter and Scott Stockum, both former Cincinnati State standouts, have made the transition to Division I soccer look easy. Baxter, a senior, was named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and earned a spot on the CollegeSoccerNews.com National Team of the Week after scoring three goals and adding an assist in UC's weekend sweep of Georgetown and Seton Hall. Stockum, a junior, is third on the team with six points, posting two goals and two assists in six matches this season. The pair followed an all-time Bearcat great from Cincinnati State, Omar Cummings, who earned a pair of unanimous all-BIG EAST first-team honors and the first first-team all-America award in UC men's soccer history in 2006.
FAST START FOR ANABA:
Senior forward Kenny Anaba scored a pair of goals in UC's season opener on Aug. 31. He added two more against Xavier on Sept. 13. The team's leading goal-scorer each of the last two seasons, Anaba is ascending the career records list at UC. With his five goals this season, Anaba is tied for eighth in school history with 21 tallies. He is also eighth with 54 career points (21 G, 12 A).
FRESH FACE IN GOAL:
Freshman goalkeeper Miguel Rosales has started each of the last six matches in goal for the Bearcats, posting his first career shutout against Xavier on Sept. 13. A two-time Colorado Player of the Year as a prep star at Smoky Hill High School, Rosales holds a 0.84 goals against average, good for seventh in the BIG EAST, and has carded 22 saves.
NEXT UP:
The Bearcats return home to take on DePaul on Oct. 6 in Gettler Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.