TicketsOct. 9, 2007
KICKOFF:
The University of Cincinnati men's soccer team will take a break from conference play to take on regional foe Bowling Green on Wednesday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. in Gettler Stadium.
BEARCAT BITES:
UC, in defense of its 2006 BIG EAST Red Division Championship, holds a 3-1-1 BIG EAST mark and sits in a second-place tie in the Red Division with 10 points.
The Bearcats are 4-0-0 at home this season, outscoring opponents 11-1.
UC senior Kenny Anaba earned a spot on the BIG EAST Honor Roll after scoring the game winner against No. 25 DePaul on Oct. 6.
Head coach Hylton Dayes is in his seventh season at UC, holding a 60-49-19 record with the Bearcats and a 156-134-38 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:
Kenny Anaba scored his sixth goal of the season in the 77th minute to lead UC to a 1-0 win against No. 25 DePaul on Oct. 6 in Gettler Stadium. The Bearcats improved to 4-5-1 overall and 3-1-1 in conference play, while the Blue Demons dropped to 6-3-0 and 2-3-0 in BIG EAST action.
Brad Simpson intercepted a DePaul pass in the Bearcats' end and was allowed to dribble freely through the midfield. He slotted a perfect through ball to the feet of Anaba, who beat Visser for his second game winner of the season.
Miguel Rosales made three saves in posting his second clean sheet of the season.
SCOUTING THE FALCONS:
Bowling Green enters the match with a 3-6-2 overall record and a 0-1-0 mark in Mid-American Conference play.
The Falcons played to a 0-0 tie against IPFW on Oct. 7 after dropping a tight 1-0 decision at No. 24 Michigan State on Oct. 2.
Abiola Sandy leads the Falcons with three goals and six points.
Junior goalkeeper Brent Petkus made seven saves in the 0-0 draw against IPFW in his second career start.
Head coach Fred Thompson is in his fourth season with the Falcons, holding a 11-52-5 overall record.
CINCINNATI-BOWLING GREEN SERIES HISTORY:
Bowling Green holds a 5-2-1 edge on the field, but the Bearcats have won the last two by a combined 6-0 count.
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 on Sept. 24 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.
FROM THE RANKS:
UC is 1-1-1 this season against ranked teams. UC defeated No. 25 DePaul, 1-0, on Oct. 6 and played No. 2 Notre Dame to a 1-1 draw in South Bend on Sept. 28. The Bearcats dropped a 1-0 decision at No. 24 New Mexico on Sept. 9.
FRESH FACE IN GOAL:
Freshman goalkeeper Miguel Rosales has started all but the first match of the season 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 has posted 32 saves and a 0.86 goals against average.
ANABA AT IT AGAIN:
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 six goals this season, Anaba is eighth in school history with 22 tallies. He is also eighth with 56 career points (22 G, 12 A).
JACKSON 5:
Lionel Jackson has posted a career-best five assists through the first 11 matches of the 2007 campaign. The Bearcats' primary weapon on corner kicks and set pieces, the junior left back leads the squad in helpers.
CENTERS OF ATTENTION:
UC's pair of center backs, senior Amir Ikner and junior Brad Simpson, form one of the top defensive duos in the BIG EAST. Ikner, a preseason all-BIG EAST selection, has scored one goal and added a pair of assists while Simpson is fourth on the team with five points (1G, 3A). Simpson scored the goal in UC's 1-1 draw at No. 2 Notre Dame. The pair have helped the Bearcats to a 0.74 goals against average and two shutouts in conference play.
NEXT UP:
The Bearcats hit the road for an important two-match BIG EAST stretch next week. UC takes on Syracuse on Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. and battles rival Louisville on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.